Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Pop quiz on the flag! — UPDATED: What do you know about the flag that Senator Tisei doesn’t?

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UPDATE: That’s right, kids.  Senator Tisei — the Senate minority leader, and a co-sponsor of the flag education bill we’ve been talking about — thought that the flag had, maybe, twenty stripes.  Maybe he failed third grade.  Don’t believe it?  Here’s the WBZ story, and here’s the relevant audio:

Kudos to WBZ reporter David Wade for this particular bit of awesomeness.  đŸ˜€

————–

Pop quiz.  No looking, no Googling:

How many stars, how many stripes, and why?

Answers in the comments, please.

Now, why do I ask?  There’s a good reason.  Stay tuned … I’ll update later today, and all will become clear.

Also, for your entertainment, check out the discussion over at WBZ, which has picked up on our little quarrel with Senator Tisei over his flag education bill.  đŸ˜€  Apparently the story was on one of the WBZ morning news shows as well, but I haven’t found a video link.

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  2. Fifty stars, each representing a state. Find a movie made before 1959 that shows a flag and you’ll see the 48-star arrangement (6 x 8).

    <

    p>Thirteen stripes, each representing one of the original colonies. I believe that originally stripes were added for each state but when it got to be unsustainable, the 13-colony idea took hold. I’m not solidly sure of that, though.

    • When I was growing up many people flew flags on holidays.  In the 60s people still flew their 48 star flags as they were gradually being replaced.  As they were becoming rare, I recall seeing one on a drive with my family.  I commented, “There’s a 48 star flag.”  

      <

      p>A brother looked at me in amazement and said, “How can you count that so quickly?”  

      <

      p>I asked a friend once if it wasn’t just obvious the difference in the layout and was surprised that to him it wasn’t.  So I’ll ask here on BMG.   This is more so to those who remember the 48 star flag.  Is it obvious at a glance whether it is a 48 or 50 star flag?  Were the two people I cite perceiving things differently than most?  Or is my view not as normal as I think?

      • is perhaps the best argument against recognizing DC as a state.  It will be hard to find a pleasing symmetrical layout of 51 stars!  đŸ˜‰

        • 51 = 17×3.  
          51 = (8+9)x3.
          51 = (8×3)+(9×3).

          <

          p> * * * * * * * *
          * * * * * * * * *
           * * * * * * * *
          * * * * * * * * *
           * * * * * * * *
          * * * * * * * * *

            • Too horizontal.  Makes the flag look fat.  I don’t like seeing all those stars jammed in on a row anyway.

              <

              p>Sorry DC, but your application is denied for aesthetic reasons.  However, if we can get you and Puerto Rico in at the same time, we can talk.

        • I can spot the 48-star flag easily, too. It’s distinctive in that it is blocky looking. You have to go all the way back to the 35-star flag for a similar look.

          <

          p>

          <

          p>As an aside, I wonder why they didn’t go with a similar blocky 7 X 7 for the year before the 50th star for Hawai’i was added, rather than 7 rows of 7 set off-kilter from each other.

          <

          p>  

  3. Otherwise, isn’t the answer obvious to anyone engaged enough to participate in BMG?  (Of course, it should be obvious to any American, but sadly I’ve learned not to assume much.)  I’ll go ahead and give the standard answers, with a bit of explanation.

    <

    p>There are currently 50 stars on the US flag, one for every state in the Union.  A new star is added on the July 4th following the admission of a new state.  The design of the star pattern is now set by law, but earlier in our history there were no legal standards, though there were common customs.  The number was NOT reduced during the Civil War as secession was not recognized.  There are 13 stripes to represent the original 13 states.  When Vermont and Kentucky were added they got stripes too, hence the 15-striped “Star-Spangled Banner” flying at Ft. McHenry which inspired the song that became our national anthem.  When more states came in Congress realized we were going to end up with a big flag or very narrow stripes, so they decided to revert to 13 stripes and subsequently only add stars.  As the 6th state Massachusetts gets both a star and a stripe.

  4. Called my wife, same answer.

    <

    p>Walked over to two people near me at work, same answer.

    <

    p>I’ll come back to see why you ask.  Interesting….

  6. Pitiful! No one is mentioning the masonic codes built into the design of the flag. Where is that Last Horseman guy when you need him?

    <

    p>;v)

  7. Benoit Mandelbrot (of Mandelbrot Set fame), in his US citizenship interview, was asked how many stripes are on the US flag. His answer was “Six, or seven, depending how you look at it.”

  8. Your posting this because there is a proposal to teach more students in school about the US flag, it’s history and proper flag etiquette, right?
    I can’t remember where I heard or saw this, but I do remember it coming up in the news within the past week.

  9. Many may already know this… just have the urge to share.  If you are a former or current U.S. Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine you likely knew all this, especially if you ever served as Honor Guard or on a Flag Detail.

    <

    p>At the end of each duty day at military installations a large cannon goes off (simulated) signaling retreat.  This is the end of the official duty day and kicks off a short, but formal ceremony for honoring the flag.  The band (or music via loudspeakers) plays retreat and the honor guard or flag detail lowers the flag.  Any service member on the installation and within earshot of the cannon/retreat stops what they are doing, turns and faces the installations flagstaff, snaps to the position of attention and renders salute.  When the music stops, the Soldier returns to the position of attention momentarily and resumes whatever it was he was doing.

    <

    p>After the flag is lowered and removed from the flagstaff, the Honor Guard begins folding the flag.  Each fold is representative/symbolic.

    <

    p>It takes 12 folds.

    <

    p>(I’ll admit I cut and pasted parts of this from a website only because I didn’t want to mess up the order)

    <

    p>The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
    (flag is folded in half long way)

    <

    p>The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
    (flag is again folded in half long way)

    <

    p>The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
    (a triangular fold is made from the folded edge of the flag, to the open edge)

    <

    p>The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
    (triangular fold turning the outer pointed edge of the triangle inward)

    <

    p>The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
    (continue folding the “triangles” in the same manner)

    <

    p>The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
    (continue…)

    <

    p>The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
    (continue…)

    <

    p>The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
    (continue…)

    <

    p>The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
    (continue…)

    <

    p>The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
    (continue…)

    <

    p>The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
    (continue…)

    <

    p>The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
    When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God we Trust.”
    (continue… the very end of the flag gets tucked into the triangle.  If everthing was done just right you should be left with a triangular blue field of stars…)

    <

    p>Sorry if I bored you cause you either knew this stuff or find it not very interesting.

    <

    p>Hope you enjoyed.

    • …there was a specific number of triangular folds.  I’ve always physically had trouble getting it to come out correctly in the end.

  11. I can’t believe a State Senator wouldn’t know there are 13 stripes in the U.S. Flag.

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    p>Thanks for pointing this out.

    <

    p>It is ALMOST as disturbing as the President of the United States claiming he visited 57 States during his campaign.

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    p>But…Senator Tisei doesn’t share in your political ideology and has an (R) after his name.  It is so much fun to jump on these things when the stupidity comes from someone you disagree with.

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    p>President Obama is a Harvard Grad and more importantly a Democrat.  We must forgive him for his ignorance as to how many states there are in the U.S.A.  

    <

    p>Now…you are free to tell me how you THINK not knowing how many stripes are on our flag is worse then running for President and forgeting there are only 50 States.

    <

    p>The excuses start now…ready go:

    <

    p>

    • …between misspeaking and directly answering such an easy question incorrectly.  I doubt very highly that if you asked Obama point blank, “How many states are currently in the Union” that he would have answered anything other than 50.

    • The 57 states thing won’t die.

      <

      p>In context, Obama was referring to visiting states and territories. Visiting a territory is very similar to visiting a state. Is it not?

      <

      p>I assume, Kemo1972, that you never ever make minor errors in usage. You have never in your life mixed up “can” and “may” or “affect” and “effect”.

      <

      p>The rest of us don’t speak as perfectly. We have to be understood in context.

  12. And resign.

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    p>If he doesn’t know the design of his own flag, how can he claim to serve his country in an effective manner in a leadership position as a legislator.

    <

    p>The decline of the GOP continues.

    • …as an interesting historical aside, back in the early Republic John Adams demonstrated some confusion about the flag design, once saying that it consisted of alternating red, white, and blue stripes.  That said, I don’t think this is a resignable offence.

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