American Flag City

Burley, Idaho Mayor Jon Anderson (right) receives American Flag City certificate from American Flag City Founder and President, Steve Thompson (left)

  “Every American City,  an American Flag City

               …from Sea to Shining Sea”

American Flag City / Flag City USA

“We’re talking about Honor...Pride...Respect”

We Americans are a special people endowed with an awesome calling and responsibility to defend & promote freedom and justice. Unfortunately, apathy and discouragement have replaced hope and healing. In the wake of apathy, characeristics like honor, pride, courage, loyalty, patriotism, valor, truth, fidelity and strength often fall victim. Many Americans have lost faith and hope in government, politicians, the “system” and more.  That is manifest in low voter turnouts and dwindling community pride and community spirit.  It is manifest in rising crime rates. It is time to turn the tide. As our Nation goes, so goes our Nation’s flag. As the American Flag goes, so goes our Nation. As pride and belief in our country falter and decline, people stop caring whether Old Glory is tattered and torn or soiled and faded. How people respect, honor and care for the flag of the United States of America is a direct reflection on their level of personal, community and national pride.

The cancer of apathy has taken deep root in America, but if you love this country and what it stands for, that cancer can be beaten. There is still time to change the course...we have not reached the point of no return, yet.  Hearts and attitudes must be altered. The disenfranchised must be revived. Apathy must be conquered. There is a way!  There is a program! The healing has already begun. Hope is being re-ignited.  It’s called American Flag City!

Just as a snow ball needs a little nudge to get it going, and starts out small until it picks up momentum as it rolls down hill...so do grass roots projects at the community level gain in size and momentum. That’s what’s behind the American Flag City program. During the past 4 years American Flag City and what’s called Flag Ship Liberty have become sources of community spirit and renewed commitment to community pride. It’s simply amazing how when a few people, then more and more folks, who start taking more pride in the appearance of the American Flags in their neighborhoods, area businesses and other locations around town, begin to take more pride in other aspects of their communities.

You give people one thing to focus on...that focus magnifies...and, voila! You have a movement of magnificent proportions. That’s how the Random Acts of Kindness...or...the Pay It Forward...or...the Points of Light movements began.

Arbor Day’s Tree City, USA program has been extremely successful to help beautify communities and inspire community pride. Every city and community has trees...but, not every City is a “Tree City” with all of the associated positive attributes and benefits.  But, those cities that have become Tree Cities are proud they got involved. Whatever the Tree City, USA program is for communities, multiply that by 10’s or 100’s of times with American Flag City’s Flag City, USA program.

An American Flag City focuses on the American Flag, respecting it...honoring it...focusing on what it means, what it represents...how to translate those attributes into community pride.  That focus that first began in Southern Idaho is now manifesting in more ways than you could ever imagine.

Good citizens with good hearts and good intentions simply get so wrapped up and involved in the work and chore of every day living...the work, the kids, the bills, and so on become distractions. People mean well.  They just get so busy that they lose track of what’s important. They sometimes get complacent.  They, all too often, become apathetic.  Whatever! But, deep down, they care. They are patriotic. They love their community and country. They love Old Glory. They just get diverted by the shear, overwhelming task of making ends meet.

When a man or woman, who is caught up in the mundane world of hammering out a living, is repeatedly and positively inspired or compelled to focus on what’s important...that focus begins to manifest in positive ways. One begins thinking more about the flag and what it stands for than in the past...and, soon starts to pay attention to the condition the flag is in...then, takes ownership of his/her rights, privileges and responsibilities as a citizen.  Wonderful and great things happen.  That “ownership” spreads and grows, increasing momentum, becomes a movement.

Now, perhaps more than ever before in the history of our great Nation, it’s imperative we find and keep FOCUS on what is really...truly important.  Lest we lose our precious Freedom and American Way of life, we must take ownership and responsibility. 

“As founder of American Flag City, I invite and challenge you to become an American Flag City...and...in so doing, revitalize your city’s and community’s pride, spirit, Americanism, Patriotism, hope and more.  Establish the hope and the healing will take place. Apathy will, then, go back under the rock from which is emerged”, Steven Thompson.

FREEDOM is NEVER FREE!   Help us FOCUS on our American Flag by becoming an official American Flag City.

Focus on our Flag:

The Flag of the United States of America is a precious gift to the greatest nation on the face of the earth.  The worth and dignity of our living symbol of Liberty and Justice for ALL is deserving of our vigilant attention and respect.  What the Flag represents is the very CORE of America, as well as the best of who and what we are and ever hope to be as a people and nation. 

The first (believed to be) public reference to the Flag was published in the Boston newspaper, the Massachusetts Spy, on March 10, 1774.  It was a poem.

“A ray of bright glory now beams from afar,

Blest dawn of an empire to rise:

The American Ensign now sparkles a star,

Which shall shortly flame wide through the skies.”

During the Revolutionary War, flag styles were as unique and varied as the people who made up the original colonies.  Many flags carried the word “Liberty” emblazoned thereon. Some flags bore the image of a rattlesnake.  One flag even had the likeness of a green pine tree imprinted on a field of white. At one point, a flag was designed with thirteen alternating red and white stripes together with a blue field with the crosses of Saint Andrew and Saint George. 

After July 4, 1776, the people who declared their independence from King George desired a national flag that would symbolize their new spirit of unity, as well as their demand for liberty and justice.  Congress, on June 14, 1777, adopted the following resolution:  “Resolved that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field.” 

The significance of the colors was defined, as well:

Red represents Hardiness and Valor.

White signifies Purity and Innocence.

Blue stands for Vigilance, Perserverence and Justice

According to the book “Honor Our United States Flag Through Knowledge” published by the late Otha McGill, founder of United States Flag Education, Inc., the American Flag represents –

RED -- Courage, Valor and Strength

WHITE -- Purity, Light and Peace

BLUE -- Truth, Loyalty and Fidelity

The STRIPES signify Unity of Purpose as exemplified by the Thirteen Original States

The STARS represent our Fifty States Dedicated to Freedom and Democracy.

American Flag City is dedicated to defending and demonstrating those fine qualities.  It is our perpetual responsibility and obligation to continue building on this great Nation.  It is our privilege and honor to continue enjoying the same hopes and dreams others before us have prepared, often through extreme sacrifice.

Caring for and respecting our Stars and Stripes is a magnificent and awesome honor and responsibility.  If those who have gone before us, as well as those who are currently putting their lives on the line throughout the world have met “The Calling”, then let each & every American in every hamlet, town and city throughout this country renew our Pledge of Allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America by declaring and proclaiming that commitment in their own American Flag City.

“I saw the flag of my country waving over a city – the strength and pride of my native State – a city devoted to plunder and desolation by its assailants. I witnessed the preparation for its assaults.  I saw the array of its enemies as they advanced to the attack.  I heard the sound of battle; the noise of the conflict fell upon my listening ear, and told me that ‘the brave and the free’ had met the invaders.”

That “flag” was the Star Spangled Banner.  Those words were spoken by Francis Scott Key, the lawyer-poet who penned the words that later became our National Anthem.  Key had been “detained” by the British aboard a ship in the harbor at Baltimare, Maryland on the night of September 13, 1884.  That night, the British attacked Ft. McHenry.  As the battle ceased on the following morning, Key turned a telescope to the Fort and saw that the American Flag was still waving.

Americans defeated the British in the 1770’s.  More blood was spilled to defend our beloved country when the British tried to take our precious freedom from us just a few years later, as witnessed by Key.  Many times, hence, our men and women have been called to defend liberty and justice and what we affectionately call our American Way of Life. 

On that fateful day of 9/11/2001, once again, we saw American Cities, as well as our American ideals, viciously attacked.  Yet…our Flag still waves, proclaiming throughout the land and to the whole world:  United We Stand – “one Nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

Every American City, shall aspire to be an American Flag City!                From SEA to Shining SEA. 

" As Mayor of the City of Burley in the Great State of Idaho, I am proud to have the National Headquarters of American Flag City in our town.  I am honored and I appreciate Burley being chosen by this wonderful program to be an American Flag City.  I encourage towns and cities throughout the country to participate.  The American Flag City program can, once again, bring us all to the same page, unite us in purpose and bring out our best qualities and traits as people and as Americans in our cities we love and in which we live..                                                                                                     – Jon Anderson,                                                                Mayor                                                    Burley, Idaho

I would love to have your city become an American Flag City.

You are personally invited to enroll...today!  Please do so.

For more information about the American Flag City project, call 208-679-3524 or email us  info@flagcityusa.org.

Our mission and goals are to:

1}  Promote respect for the American Flag while promoting our communities and our beautiful States…from Sea to ShiningSea.

2}  Educate about proper use and display of the American Flag.

3}  Encourage patriotism. Americanism, as well as community pride and spirit.

4}  Enrich community and country.

Sincerely Yours,

Steven Thompson

Call me at 679-FLAG (3524)or my cell phone at 431-FLAG

{area code is 208}

Please tell your city leaders you want your city to be an official American Flag City. If you are a city leader, please enroll today.