The First State – Delaware
With Delaware we begin our journey through the states and territories of the United States. I briefly considered taking this […]
Flags
The Stars and Stripes Forever
In 1818 Congress passed a plan which would come to be known as the Flag Act of 1818. This act established many of the characteristics of the flag we know today. The flag of the day was changed to include 20 stars, one for each of the states then admitted to the Union but the number of stripes was reduced to 13 to honor the original 13 colonies. The Act also specified that new versions of the flag would become official on the first 4 July following the admission of new states.
It would not be until 1912, with the adoption of the 48 star flag, that the arrangement of the stars in the blue field would be standardized into the staggered arrangement of nine rows with every other row having five or six stars.
The First Order and the Galactic Empire
Today our flags continue the journey into the realm of popular culture. The top flag is the flag of the
To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before
I don’t necessarily consider myself to be a “Trekkie” but I have watched all of the movies and the broadcast series. I remain most intensely fond of Star Trek: Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. I have long enjoyed the way that each episode, adhering to Gene Roddenberry’s original vision, uses the trope of a future civilization to comment on and analyze current social and political issues, often long before they reach the point of common consideration in modern culture. Star Trek has tackled everything from gay rights to racism with many other stops along the way. Sometimes, especially when portraying the first inter-racial kiss on television, the controversial action or dialogue was acceptable because it happened in a future timeline or in another civilization such that it wasn’t considered as radical or threatening as it might otherwise have been.
Love Trumps Hate
Perhaps it is silly of me, but I have been reading a compilation of the earliest editions of the Wonder Woman comics from the early 1940s. Unlike the other super-heroes of the time, Wonder Woman’s primary power was the power of love. Sure, she was incredible strong, she could deflect bullets, she flew an invisible plane, and she could force anyone to tell the truth or do as she instructed with her lasso, but through everything she did in the early days of her comic book appearances, she always tried to change the world to be a more loving place, to reduce the influence of Ares, or Mars, the God of War and to increase the influences of Aphrodite, or Venus, the Goddess of Love. Instead of incarceration of execution for villains, Wonder Woman tried to reform through love and kindness. Perhaps it would benefit us all to revisit the early editions of Wonder Woman, not the later more violent and vindictive versions of today, but the original intent.
Impeach Trump: Make America Great Again
In the United States impeachment is commonly thought to only apply to the President, but this is not the case. The Constitution states that: “The President, the Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States” are subject to impeachment. It is left unclear as to whether members of Congress are officers of the United States and in practice they have not been treated as such. However, one Supreme Court Justice and 14 Federal judges have been subjected to impeachment as well as two sitting Presidents.
Both Andrew Johnson and William J Clinton were successfully impeached by the United States House of Representatives, but contrary to popular belief, this did NOT result in them being removed from office. Impeachment is simply, as the definition implies, a statement of suspicion of wrongdoing similar to a legal indictment, or put more colloquially, a vote of no confidence. And impeachment is, in fact, a vote.
May the 4th Be With You
The top flag is the flag of the Star Wars Resistance movement, which has arisen from the original Rebel Alliance that was strongly featured in Episodes IV through VI. The main carryover players and leaders from the Rebel Alliance to the Resistance movement are Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar. Some of the new main players, such as Poe Dameron, had parents who were in the Rebel Alliance. In short, the Resistance fights against the new overlord of the galaxy, the despotic First Order with its mysterious leader, Supreme Leader Snoke.
Japan
Public perception of the national flag varies. Historically, both Western and Japanese sources claimed the flag was a powerful and enduring symbol to the Japanese. Since the end of World War II, the use of the flag and the national anthem has been a contentious issue for Japan’s public schools. Disputes about their use have led to protests and lawsuits. The flag is not frequently displayed in Japan due to its association with ultra-nationalism. For some nations that have been occupied by Japan, the flag is a symbol of aggression and imperialism.
Wallis and Futuna Islands – Where in the World Are They?
Communication costs are high, costing up to ten times as much as in western countries. The island of Wallis has about 62 mi of roadways, of which 16 are paved, while the island of Futuna has only 12 mi and none are paved. The territory has two main ports and harbours, Mata-Utu and Leava (on the island of Futuna), that support its merchant marine fleet consisting of three ships (two passenger ships and a petroleum tanker).
There are two airports, Hihifo Airport on Wallis and Pointe Vele Airport on Futuna. New Caledonia-based Aircalin operates the only commercial flights that go to Wallis, where it has an office in Mata-Utu. From Wallis it is possible to fly on, or back as the actual case happens to be, to Futuna.
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The Mysterious Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
The official flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, as is true of all of Overseas France, is the French Tricolour. However, there is a local and unofficial flag that is seen in use and that is the flag we were flying today. The unofficial flag was designed in 1982, likely by a local business owner, André Paturel. The flag is based on the Collectivity’s coat of arms. The flag is blue with a yellow ship, said to be Grande Hermine, which brought Jacques Cartier to Saint-Pierre on 15 June 1536. Three square fields placed along the hoist recall the origin of most inhabitants of the islands, from top to bottom, Basques, Bretons, and Normans.
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