Grammy-award-winning singer Macy Gray says the American flag, in its current form, "no longer represents ALL of us" and is calling for a new one with 52 stars of colors representing the various skin tones in the nation, and off-white stripes.
Her argument in an opinion piece for "Market Watch" is that in the protests at the Capitol on Jan. 6, "when the stormers rained on the nation's most precious hut, waving Old Glory," is that the American flag has replaced the Confederate battle flag, which is now "just recently tired."
The American flag was "hijacked as code" for a specific belief, and "they can have it," said Gray.
"Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect," she said. "It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag."
The current flag is "incorrect" because there are 50 stars, not 52, because Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are not represented, even though they have "been denied, since statehood would allow each territory’s elected officials seats in the house."
"Assuming D.C. reps would be African-American and Puerto Rican reps would be Hispanic, the ultimate assumption is that these elected officials would be Democratic," said Gray. "That alone is racist. "
With the stripes, the Smithsonian says the white stripes are there to represent "purity and innocence," Gray added. "America is great. Pure, it ain’t. It is broken and in pieces."
"What if the stars were the colors of ALL of us — your skin tone and mine — like the melanin scale?" she continues. As the blue on the flag represents vigilance and perseverance and the red stands for valor, they can stay, as "America is all of those things."
"In 1959, 17-year-old Bob Heft designed the current flag for a school project when there were only 48 states," Gray concludes. "Hawaii and Alaska were up for statehood and Bob had a hunch they’d get the nod. He crafted a NEW flag with 50 stars for the then-future, because things had changed. Sixty-two years later, in 2021, we have changed and it’s time for a reset, a transformation. One that represents all states and all of us."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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