Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Our Flag Was Still There?

Town Hall Turret Saturday morning

You sagacious local types may have noticed the official town flag disappeared sometime on Friday afternoon, and as of this morning was not yet back in its perch.  As usual the wind was to blame.

Of course this past weekend was peak time for all the returning clients to our lifeblood, our salvation, our reasons for being: UMass/Amherst, Amherst College and yes, even Hampshire College.

 Amherst Town Flag

Although Amherst is 256 years old the official town flag only became a reality two years ago, but don't ask why wheat plays a major design role since it was never an Amherst thing even back in the good old pre higher education agrarian days.

The Chamber of Commerce picked up the tab for six of the flags ($88.48 each), with one going to hang in the Boston Statehouse Hall of Flags.



One of the many reasons I fight so hard for the 29 commemorative American flags to fly every 9/11 rather than every five years (on "milestone anniversaries"), is precisely because of our returning students.

To those of us who were old enough to drive on that stunning day no symbolic reminders are necessary.

But if you were age six and under -- as many thousands of incoming college freshman were -- nothing adequately captures the misery of those moments forever frozen in time, when those majestic towers of glass and steel vaporizing before your eyes.

While some in Amherst -- okay, maybe only one -- view the American flag as a symbol of "terrorism and death and fear and destruction and oppression," to the vast majority of us it represents hope.

An ideal worth trumpeting -- especially on the saddest anniversary in our recent history. 

28 comments:

Jackie M'Vemba said...

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Anonymous said...

Oh, that's so quaint, Jackie.

Anonymous said...

A lovely post Jackie.

Watch the haters tear it apart.

Richard Marsh

Jackie M'Vemba said...

Quaint? Now That's quaint.

Jackie M'Vemba said...

I can live with that. But feel free to copy and paste if you miss the PoA in school .

Anonymous said...

I find the Amherst town flag to be a symbol of oppression.

Dr. Ed said...

I again say what I did on 9-10-01:

Flying those flags shows that Amherst welcomes everyone, including those of us who don't hate our country.

I have a lot of problems with our country, starting with the schmuck currently residing at 1600 Penn Ave, but the bottom line is that we saw Americans at their best on September 11th and I fail to see why the flags are flown on Labor Day but not 9-11.

Besides, they mark the business district and hence help identify it as such, serving as additional advertising for merchants in the depths of Obama's Depression.

Anonymous said...

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Anonymous said...

Hey, what's that book depicted on the town flag?

Anonymous said...

They don't recite it in school anymore, is that an Amherst thing, or is it everywhere?
Richard Marsh

Larry Kelley said...

According to State House News this morning:

CONVENES: The Senate convened at 11:04 a.m., Sen. Donoghue of Lowell presiding. Sens. Ross and Lovely were also present.

PLEDGE: Members and guests rose to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Furthermore:

CONVENES: The House convened at 11 a.m. with Rep. Louis Kafka (D-Stoughton) presiding. Reps. Hill, Provost, Brodeur, Wong, and Whipps Lee were in the chamber.

PLEDGE: Members and guests rose to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Anonymous said...

Love it or leave it.
I will help you pack.

Anonymous said...

I prefer to sleep nights, Squeaky.

Anonymous said...

What was wrong with the book and plow? Nobody knows what a plow is?

Anonymous said...

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Anonymous said...

Took out the clause about God, eh? Lol. Suit yourself. I bet you spend the money, though. You know -with that other inconvenient God clause. Still, it's a free country.

Anonymous said...

Still...what IS that book? Could it possibly be a...Bible? Or just a text on how to grow wheat. Or weed.

Anonymous said...

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Anonymous said...

You folks are all nuts.

Anonymous said...

Maybe, but you keep reading.

Jeffery Amherst said...

I pledge allegiance to this blog and to the Republic of Amherst for which it is maintained and commented on by slimy fruitcakes. One pancake, on my plate, delicious, with syrup and sausages for all.

Anonymous said...

Same old maudlin Kelley.

The story appears to be about the town flag, but you can shift gears to 9/11 from any place in any story. Anything you can do to bring up 9/11 you will do it. Over and over and over and over. You use it when your posts get boring. So obvious. So transparent.

There are a few of these sensationalized events you keep going back to whenever your other stuff is not attracting attention. (And most of your posts are boring.)You like to beat up on the schools, you like flags and you old coochie snorcher, you like to write the word vagina.

You really have to have the attention, eh, Kelley? Is that why you kept collecting trophies and medals? You just need others to see you and know you are a winner? "look at me everybody! Look at me everybody!"

You may have been a winner in the judo circuit but your pseudo-journalism is far more pseudo than journalism.

Now tell me how is it that we can blame the Amherst schools for deflate-gate?

-Betsy Ross

Anonymous said...

Slimy fruitcakes including.. Let's see...You!

Retsy Boss said...

2:23 PM, you wouldn't recognize a reference to Negativeland if it hit you in the 180 and the letter G.

There is no other possibility.

Anonymous said...

Had enough of Pearl Harbor too I suppose?

Anonymous said...

You probably don't wanna believe it, but Kelley has plenty of like-minded individuals who believe in the same things writing in. You have a voice here. So do we all.

Anonymous said...

They don't spell it that way. For a second there I thought you were too hip.

Anonymous said...

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.