Friday, October 17, 2014

Broad Stripes and Bright Stars


The first official U.S. flag had 13 stars representing the original colonies on a blue background. Thirteen stripes alternating in red and white made up the rest of the flag. The number of stripes still numbers thirteen.
There were several variations of the flag that were flown before and after the Continental Congress accepted the official look on June 14, 1777. Some of the variations continued putting the 13 stars in a circle while other versions set the stars into uniform rows.
The red, white and blue colors had been consistent years before the official ruling about the looks of the flag. Many different opinions suggested what each color represented. The meanings of the colors weren’t officially named until the government created the United States Seal.

The Continental Congress authorized an official seal during their historic session on July 4, 1776. It must have been a very busy day as it included the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Creating a seal for the new country might have been an afterthought, but it was as significant a decision as the move to standardize the design of the flag the following year. The final design of the seal was not accepted until six years later on June 20, 1782. That’s when the meanings of the red, white and blue became official.

Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reported to the Congress why the three colors, the stars and the stripes were used to create the seal:

White signifies purity, and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice. The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial. The stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.”

The same definitions of the elements in the U.S. Seal apply to the country’s flag. Our Founding Fathers must have realized that the U.S. Seal and Old Glory would both function as material representations of the bravery that led to our country’s freedom. Designing them to look similar was an intentional decision.

Several variations of the seal are used in the departments of the United States. The President and the Vice President both have their own seals that identify the Executive Office. The appropriate seal is always positioned on the front of the podium used by the number one and number two top executives.
The Judicial Branch has its own seal as does the Legislative Branch. Each branch of the military has its own distinctive seal. The various seals look similar and are easily recognizable as symbols of the United States.

When a seal is transported, it’s carried in a protective covering and treated with respect. Flags are moved much more often and also require special treatment.
The flag of the United States is folded in a particular way each time it’s lowered. This same procedure is used when a flag is taken off the coffin of a veteran. Then the flag is folded and handed to a family member in its unique form.
When folding a flag in the correct way, it resembles a triangle with only the blue field showing. Tradition holds that the three-corned shape represents hats used by military people throughout the country’s battles during the Revolutionary War and later.

Why is Election Day on the first Tuesday of November? Read the answer in this space during the last week of the month.

Check my website, www.joevlatino.com, for information about my book of short stories, “The Device.” You can also read a piece of flash fiction there.

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