Where is love’s home, exactly?

Posted by on May 22, 2019 in Politics, Quotidian, Uncategorized, Writing | No Comments

Love, hate, and the American flag

Here is a funny juxtaposition I saw on my recent visit to Philadelphia. On the left is a sign that I see elsewhere in America, including in my area of California. It says “hate has no home here” and is translated into several languages, with the American flag design in the shape of a heart. The one on the right, my friend told me, replaced a TRUMP sign that was out of place in this neighborhood. The new sign has a small American flag and says “love lives here. Love of God, family, friends, country, community, and the US Constitution.”

I could say a lot of things, and I’m trying to be charitable today. But one thing that jumps out is that the “love” sign is in English and mentions family and community, which are subjective things. Who I consider my family or community might differ greatly from who these people do. And whose God? Yours? What if I don’t believe in the same exact creation story that you do? And the US Constitution? Why yes, I like that too. I don’t usually say “love” about a piece of paper though—maybe “respect” and “follow.” And if these people still support Trump, then I do not think “love” and “the US Constitution” mean what they think those words mean.

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