The global pandemic sweeping through the world is a major issue that requires drastic measures on the part of government and that of the people. However, even in crisis, it is the responsibility of the people to restrain the heavy-hand of government. The type of world that we return to is just as important as the decisions we make to save it. Civil liberties must be guarded and any policy put forth by government officials must be met with skepticism and restraint.
The only thing standing in the way of the collapse of American individualism is the protection of the American individual. In a moment of crisis, whether against a crazed killer or a tyrannical government, the only thing the American individual can rely on is his or her own liberty and the ability to protect his or her own individualism. Even if the government possesses the modern means to entirely overrun the people, it doesn’t lessen the liberty of the person.
The banners that we choose to represent us don’t necessarily embody who we are as a people. They embody who we wish to be. They point us in the direction of that which we have committed to strive for. Flags are more than just symbols, they are demands. It’s time that our common banner demanded from us.