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>> Kayleigh: AS AMERICANS
CELEBRATED FOURTH OF JULY WITH
PRIDE, SOME IN THE LIBERAL MEDIA
DECIDED IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO
TARGET THE AMERICAN FLAG.
A "NEW YORK TIMES" COLUMNIST
PENNED THIS OP-ED TITLED "THE
AMERICAN FLAG BELONGS TO ME,
TOO, AND THIS YEAR I’M TAKING IT
BACK," CLAIMING THE FLAG HAS
BEEN HIJACKED BY RED STATERS,
TRUMPERS, AND IT’S BEEN USURPED
BY THE MAGA CROWD.
IT’S LIKE THEY GET DNC TALKING
POINTS, OR SOMETHING.
"I’M OFFICIALLY RECLAIMING THE
U.S. FLAG FROM THE FASCISTS, THE
TRUMPET MOVEMENT TAINTED THIS
SYMBOL WITH BIGOTRY BUT WE CAN
TAKE IT BACK."
BUT THE LEFT BASHING THE
AMERICAN FLAG IS A SYMBOL OF
BIGOTRY DIDN’T JUST START THIS
WEEKEND.
REMEMBER THIS? ECO-I SAW DOZENS AND DOZENS OF
PICKUP TRUCKS WITH EXPLETIVES
AGAINST JOE BIDEN ON THE BACK OF
THEM, TRUMP FLAGS, AND IN SOME
CASES JUST DOZENS OF AMERICAN
FLAGS, WHICH IS ALSO DISTURBING
BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY THE MESSAGE
WAS CLEAR THAT IT WAS, "THIS IS
MY COUNTRY, THIS IS NOT YOUR
COUNTRY.
I OWN THIS."
>> WHEN I DRIVE INTO A
NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT’S NOT
JULY 4TH AND I’M NOT IN A
PREDOMINATELY MILITARYHOUSEHOLD
THERE ARE AMERICAN FLAGS
EVERYWHERE, ALONGSIDE TRUMP
FLAGS, ALONGSIDE FLAGS WITH
STARS IN A CIRCLE, I FEEL
THREATENED, BECAUSE THE MESSAGE
IS VERY CLEAR.
IT’S A MESSAGE OF WHITE
SUPREMACY, A MESSAGE OF RACISM,
AND A MESSAGE OF THEIR COUNTRY,
NOT MY COUNTRY.
>> Kayleigh: JUAN GUERRERO OF
THE "L.A. TIMES" STOPPED BY TO
GET AHEADGET A HEADBAND, GLASSES
ET CETERA, BUT THE FLAG HAS
CHANGED MEANING FOR MANY OF US.
AT THE DRUGSTORE I GRAB
SOMETHING QUICKLY AT THE
CHECKOUT THAT -- THE MARKETING
MASTER LEFT A MARK ON THE FLAG.
AMAZING.
SO YOU CAN’T EVEN BUY A FLAG.
>> Emily: AND MANY LATINOS AND
OTHER PEOPLE HE SCAPEGOATED
STILL RECOIL UPON SEEING IT.
WHO ARE THEY SPEAKING FOR AND
WHY ARE THEY SPEAKING IT?
IT IS ONE MORE ELITIST LIBERAL
THAT KNOWS BETTER THAN YOU,
PERSON OF COLOR.
THIS IS HOW YOU’RE GOING TO
FEEL, THIS IS HOW YOU’RE GOING
TO VOTE, LISTEN TO ME.
THIS IS WHAT SHOULD UPSET YOU
AND THIS IS WHY.
FROM "THE NEW YORK TIMES," A
SIMILAR DISGUSTING AND
REPREHENSIBLE ARTICLE WHERE SHE
SAID "OLD GLORY IS NOW HYDE
HIJACKED."
YOU KNOW WHO IS WEARING THIS
STUFF?
AND BUY THE STUFF I MEAN THE
AMERICAN FLAG.
SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN.
IN 36% OF ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED
WOMEN ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
22% ARE HISPANIC.
ONE AND FIVE ARE BLACK MEN.
AND THEY ARE PROUDLY WEARING
THIS FLAG, THEY KNOW WHAT IT
MEANS, WHICH IS FREEDOM, SAFE,
LIBERTY.
THEY HAVE BEEN WILLING TO DIE
FOR IT.
AND YET HERE THERE ARE PEOPLE
CALLING IT TACKY AND EQUATING IT
WITH WHITE NATIONALISM AGENDAS.
>> Kayleigh: HE WENT EVEN
FURTHER THAN THAT, EMILY.
HE DUMPED THE MERCHANDISE AND
SAID IT LOOKED CLANNISH AND
SINISTER LIKE THE AUTHORITARIAN
HIMSELF.
>> Raymond: THIS BELIES
SOMETHING, THEY DON’T EVEN
REALIZE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.
THAT FACTIONS OF AMERICA WOULD
ADOPT A MINDSET OF THE PEOPLE
THEY CLAIM TO DEPLOY HER, MAINLY
THE CONFEDERATES, WHO
GENERATIONS AGO SAID "THAT’S NOT
MY FLAG, THIS IS MY UNION, I
HAVE MY OWN FLAG."
THEY ARE NOW MOVING INTO THAT
POSITION, SAYING THE AMERICAN
FLAG IS NO GOOD, INDICATING THE
COUNTRY.
I’M SORRY, THIS IS ONE OF THE
FEW SOURCES OF UNITY WE HAD LEFT
IN UNITED STATES, A FLAG.
SHE DEFENDED AND GATHER AROUND
IT NO MATTER OUR POLITICAL
DIFFERENCES, AND WOE TO US IF WE
DON’T.
>> Harris: CHALLENGES ALWAYS
COME IN OUR MILITARY STEPS UP.
FOR THOSE WHO DEFENDED THE FLAG,
LIKEWHEN GUYS LIKE MY DAD SHOW U
READY TO FIGHT FOR YOU NO MATTER
WHAT YOU BELIEVE, GOD REST HIS
SOUL, WHEN THEY SHOW UP, MOVE
OVER AND LET US GET TO THE ONES
WHO ARE WAVING THE FLAG.
IS THAT REALLY WHAT THEY WANT TO
CONNECT WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT
AS AMERICANS.
BUT I’M WONDERING, DO THEY WANT
US TO BE SEPARATE?
THAT DOESN’T MAKE US EQUAL.
>> Kayleigh: IT’S AMAZING, AND
THE HEADLINES -- THIS IS NOT A
ONE-OFF.
IT WOULD BE ONE THING IF IT WAS
ONE "NEW YORK TIMES" COMMENTS OR
ONE "L.A. TIMES."
THIS GOES BACK TO AN NBC OPINION
PIECE THAT SOME TRUMP TRUMP
SUPPORTERS ARE CO-OPTING THE
FLAG, THAT WAS THE OPINION
PIECE.
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY SAYS THE
AMERICAN FLAG IS A SYMBOL OF
RACISM, IT CAN BE SEEN AS A
REPRESENTATION OF WHITE MALE
POWER.
"CHICAGO SUN-TIMES," AMERICAN
FLAG LOSES ITS MEANING.
THIS IS BEEN A STEADY THEME OVER
TIME AND IT’S MORE.
>> Shannon: IT MAKES ME SAD
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
THESE NEW NUMBERS SHOWING PEOPLE
ARE LESS PROUD OF AMERICA
REGARDLESS OF PARTY AND THAT’S
GOING UP MORE AND MORE.
WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT
UNITES US.
IT MAKES ME REALLY SAD THAT
PEOPLE ACTUALLY FEEL THREATENED
BY THE FLAG.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT SO MUCH
BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS HAS BEEN
POURED INTO.
EVEN THE ABILITY TO BRING THE
FLAG, THE SUPREME COURT SAYS YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
IT’S A SYMBOL OF WHAT GIVES US
THE POWER TO PROTEST AND EVEN
THE LATE JUSTICE SCALIA SAID
THAT HE WOULD LOVE TO THROW
EVERYONE IN JAIL WHO BURNS THE
FLAG, BUT LOOKING TO AT THE LAW
SAYS AND WITH THE CONSTITUTION
SAYS, IT GIVES US THE POWER TO
TALK BACK, TO PUSH BACK, TO
PROTEST, AND ALL OF THOSE
THINGS.
I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE JOY IN
THAT AS AMERICANS THAT
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE PERSON
YOU VOTED FOR IS RUNNING THIS
COUNTRY OR NOT, THERE IS SO MUCH
GOOD TO HEAR, AND WE HAVE WAYS
TO CHANGE OUR COUNTRY AND MAKE IT BETTER WHEN WE NEED TO
IT BETTER WHEN WE NEED TO
IMPROVE.