Sunday is Flag Day in the United States. Many churches across the country will be celebrating the return to the latest “new normal” by having something resembling their traditional church services that day.

Church is a place to worship in each person’s own way of showing their belief in a supreme being not a place to worship a flag or any other icon.

But at a time when our cities are rioting and people are demanding change, it would be quite appropriate to include a call for coming together as citizens of this great nation by using a selection of at least one hymn (for the churches not banning singing) that includes honoring, not worshiping, the greatest nation on earth.

Don’t expect it to happen as most are choosing to live in fear rather than hope and faith. The most positive thing happening concerning Flag Day is the ban on displaying the Confederate flag. That flag is and has always been a visible symbol of hate and divisiveness.

The leftover symbol from the Civil War was a true visual of the southern position of hatred against the United States and the intent to secede as well as the celebration of the intent to continue slavery.

It wasn’t about who could turn left the fastest. Race tracks across the country and especially in the South are announcing the banning of hate symbols, and that includes the display of maybe the most iconic rebel flag, the Confederate battle flag.

Public schools have been increasingly banning it from school district property over the past decade. It is time to quit promoting hate as a part of an industry and NASCAR has awakened to that finally.

The U.S. flag has a long history which begins with the Second Continental Congress adopting a flag design on June 14, 1777, two years after the War of Independence started.

Even then, Congress moved at a snail’s pace. In 1885, a Wisconsin teacher was credited with starting a movement to honor the flag, and it was officially adopted by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 apparently without either party trying to attach partisan projects to it.

Always a target of protests and destruction, the flag was granted some protection in 1968 which disallowed the burning or desecration of the flag by the Flag Protection Act.

It was overturned by the Supreme Court 20 years later as it being illegal to prohibit the rights of Americans to demonstrate against the government.

President Dwight David Eisenhower stood at attention with the high school student who designed it in 1958 as the first flag representing the 50 states was raised displaying 50 stars.

Flag Day is a holiday that doesn’t get much attention. It needs more because we are tearing apart the nation which it represents.

People of all races are hurting. Neighbors are torn apart because of a lack of ability for us to understand and accept each other. We wish it was as simple as passing laws, tearing down second-place trophies from the Civil War and erasing the history books and all the ugliness glorified in them.

We didn’t get here overnight, and we aren’t going to change it without suffering. That is a sad reality. More demonstrations, protests and probably destruction is coming before all the wounds are clearly opened and able to start healing.

You can be a part of it or you can leave it to the next generation to fight the same battles again in their lifetime. Which is it going to be?

— RV