porkabilly.com Blog

Happy flag day everyone. Working here at a flag company we make a ridiculously big deal about it. I doubt most people even know there is a flag holiday. It is also the birth day of the Army. Hooah to all.

So here at this Flag company at 1:30pm we will be forced to walk outside and recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I am often forced to lead this because they assume I know it. It is a token of embarrassment I find similar to making Ira Hayes raise and lower the flag at the prison. Of course Ira was a hero and I am not but I feel pretty gross doing it. The idea of allegiance is so nationalistic in nature. Reciting an oath is so tribal and out dated, it really means nothing to me. Be a patriot by actions not words, slogans, bumper stickers, magnetic ribbons, and flags.

The whole ironic this of this pledge charade is that most of our employees are Mexican migrants of questionable documentation. Neither do they know the pledge nor give a shit, their allegiance is to Mexico and their families that they support there. Forcing them to recite this pledge is simply a charade for our owners to lie to themselves about the immigration status of their employees. After reciting the pledge we are rewarded with ice cream bars, a designated “employee benefit” as described in handbook. This “benefit” would be better served to me at cash value (1 dollar or so) than a dessert which I will not eat. Irregardless this is just an expression of our ignorance to the realities of the world and I am embarrassed to be part of it, just as Ira Hayes was probably embarrassed raising the “symbol of freedom” from inside the walls of jail.

Our experiences, sacrifices and patriotism are not contained in a piece of fabric sewn together by under payed disenfranchised migrants. Our patriotism is found in our hearts, minds and actions.