Galen Farrington

Did Betsy Ross Design the Flag of the United States?

When I attended high school during the mid-1960’s, I was not one to appreciate the efforts of historians and history teachers as I sat in an overcrowded New York City classroom memorizing the dates of American History class. I believe it was then that I learned that Betsy Ross was the most significant figure in developing the flag that today we know as the “Stars and Stripes.” The actual flag story is genuinely lengthy and fascinating. I will attempt to relay some of the highlights that I did not learn as a teen.

On June 14, 1777 the American Congress “… resolved that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes alternating red and white, that the union be thirteen stars white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Pretty simple. Too simple.

Although Flag Day is not a federal holiday, on June 14, 1877 the flag of the United States (the new descriptor of the new country when Congress substituted the term “United States of America” for the “United Colonies” on September 09,1776) was flown for the first time over every government building to celebrate the flag’s centennial adoption. And who designed this flag? Why red, white, and blue?

The legend of Betsy Ross designing and sewing the first American flag didn’t surface for some 90 years when a relative spoke publicly of her historical importance as a noted seamstress in Boston. Indeed, she had sewn the Navy flags that ships flew on the open seas which had been standardized at General George Washington’s request so that combatants would be able to distinguish between friend or foe. Please, no “friendly fire” (a military term originating in World War I when an ordinance fell short of its objective and landed on friendly forces).

The colors were chosen to inspire our young rebel Army. The color red symbolizes hardiness and valor. The color white represents purity and innocence. And the color blue is to communicate vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

The Ross family archives feature a repeated story through the generations revealing the decisive encounter of Betsy Ross meeting with a secrete Continental Congress Committee comprised of General George Washington, Robert Morris, and Colonel George Ross. Widow Ross (married three times, all husbands died) knew all three men. General Washington not only attended the same church, her pew was adjacent to his. Robert Morris was considered the wealthiest man in the new country. And Colonel Ross was a relative through marriage. She was presented with a rudimentary design that legend states she only changed the six-pointed star to a five-pointed one because it would be easier to produce. The stars were not in a circle as depicted in my high school history book.

Flag makers were granted the freedom to put the stars in the field of blue (the “canton”) in any design and most were in rows. It wasn’t until 1893 that artist Charles Weisgerber published his painting, “Birth of Our Nation’s Flag,” that we are presented with a circular star orientation. How many years later?!

Apparently history has revealed in Congressional Records (1780) that the designer of the American flag as we know it was Congressman Francis Hopkinson who petitioned for financial compensation for the design but was denied due to his wealth. But the Congress did allow he was the original designer.

Finally, in 1912 President William Taft signed Executive Order 1556 which provided standardized specifications for the flag. Today we know that Executive Order as the Federal Flag Code as established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1942. Ultimately, when a territory was granted statehood, the official recognition would occur on the following July 4th and the flag would be redesigned to accommodate the new state(s).

In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson unofficially declared June 14 as Flag Day and proclaimed the “Star Spangled Banner” as America’s National Anthem. In an interesting side bar, Francis Scott Key wrote the anthem while viewing our only 15-striped flag during the Battle of Baltimore (War of 1812) as it flew over Fort McHenry. President Harry Truman officially declared June 14 as Flag Day in 1949.

The Federal Flag Code (Public Law 94-344) is the comprehensive civilian guideline for flag presentation but there are some conditions that should never be overlooked by the American citizen flying the flag. First, the flag is generally flown from sunrise to sunset unless it has a dedicated light for night display. Second, the flag should never touch anything beneath it. Third, the flag is never dipped for anyone or any thing. Fourth, no part of the flag may be worn as a costume or athletic uniform. Fifth, a worn flag may be repaired. Sixth, a flag worn beyond its dignity as the symbol of the United States of America must be destroyed with respect. In Ruidoso a person may contact the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Ruidoso Police, or the US Post Office for proper disposal.

For those mathematicians among us, please refer to Title 4 of the United States Code, Chapter 1, and Federal Specification DDD-F-416F “…which outlines the design, construction, and display guidelines for the flag.” And you’ll never take “Old Glory” (itself an interesting story) for granted again.

The Flag is an American sacred symbol. General George Washington had the young country’s first flag mottoed with an “Appeal to Heaven” – a nation under God. (Ever wonder why every star in the canton points upward?!).

On this Flag Day please remember that it is our most respected service personnel who, according to the Federal Flag Code, are permitted to wear the flag patch on their uniforms: military personnel, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and members of patriotic organizations. For us mortals, lapel pins are appropriate.

Please fly your American flag proudly this Flag Day.

Galen Farrington is a Ruidoso resident.

Tom Wright

Stated another way, the U.S. has a $37 trillion national debt and we all owe a portion. How did we get here? Our Congress spends more than the government takes in through revenue. The last time the U.S. had a balanced budget was in 2001, under President Bill Clinton, when Newt Gingrich led the House. Balancing the budget doesn’t mean we would be debt free, but it would demonstrate fiscal responsibility. The last time the U.S. was debt free was in 1835, under President Andrew Jackson.

Understanding this is important because the GOP-controlled House of Representatives narrowly passed the reconciliation bill, a measure being called “President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill” because it contains both expanded spending and cuts, on which he campaigned. The now goes to the Senate, which is not likely to approve it without making changes and adding amendments.

The bill proposes making the tax cuts of 2017 permanent. It focuses on tax reductions for middle-and-lower-income Americans by eliminating taxes on tips, overtime income and social security benefits. It proposes funding for border security, including removal of illegal immigrants and continued construction of the border wall. It proposes modest cuts to Medicaid and other social programs, imposing work requirements and compliance measures. It is intended to stimulate economic growth, through tax and regulation relief. It also raises the debt ceiling.

On the surface this seems like a pretty good deal, but some Senate GOP leaders are resisting raising the debt ceiling, while promising to cut spending. Cutting social programs is another rub.

Spending originates in the House of Representatives. The president presents a budget to the House for consideration, which entails debate in numerous committees. In this Republican controlled House, the president was able to garner a one vote majority to advance his promised agenda. Enter, the Resistance.

Opposition by Democrats in the Senate, along with a few Republicans, could prevent the Trump agenda from advancing. For the opposition, what could be sweeter?

The Biden administration borrowed $7 trillion and ran up the national debt to $37 trillion, leaving the government with a $3 billion-per-day interest payment. President Trump wants to stimulate economic expansion to increase government revenue by giving tax incentives while reducing social programs. Confused yet? Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has refused to lower interest rates, despite growing employment reports, lower inflation, lower energy costs and increasing corporate profits, which mean savings, increased job growth and increased tax revenue. A lower mortgage rate would stimulate home sales and business expansion. Powell and the president don’t get along. Does Powell want to see the Trump agenda fail?

The Department of Government Efficiency has found billions in waste and misuse in government spending – some of it in social programs, even where illegal aliens are riding the Medicaid horse. Congress is not advocating massive cuts in Medicare or eliminating the SNAP program but is attempting to reign in wasteful spending and fraud. Gov. Michelle

Lujan Grisham claims the cuts will cause the death of many in New Mexico while ignoring mounting debt, the need for spending reform, and isolated inefficiency that hinders responsible government assistance. Instead, our governor disgorges verbal hatred toward President Trump, as an alternative to offering solutions of her own. Could she also be among those who want to see the Trump agenda fail?

Budget sobriety depends on Congress and numerous Congresses have created the debt mess, though often at the suggestion of presidents. It is time for responsible politicians to retire their partisan opinions and find solutions for the people of this country and not simply resisting, just to see the president’s agenda fail. Such behavior is childish and irresponsible and offers no solutions to debt resolution. A bipartisan supermajority may be impossible for the reconciliation bill, but I do hope the Senate refuses to raise the debt ceiling. A higher ceiling is a temptation to spend.

Tom Wright is a Santa Fe columnist and El Rito Media investor.

Mary Sanchez

“At a time when hate feels close, we respond not with fear, but with unity. Not with silence, but with resolve.”

The statement was crafted and issued by a synagogue after the murders of two young Jewish adults, employees at the Israeli Embassy in D.C.

Their deaths are personal to Kansas City.

One of the victims, 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim, grew up in a Kansas City suburb. Her family has deep ties to the area. Her family’s synagogue issued the statement shortly after she and her boyfriend were executed after exiting the Capital Jewish Museum.

Then, the white nationalists showed up. She wasn’t even buried yet.

On the Saturday afternoon following the shooting deaths, an assortment of white nationalists, members of the Patriot Front, tumbled out of the back ends of rented U-Hauls in Midtown KC.

They unfurled a wide assortment of American and Confederate flags and paraded through downtown streets, faces covered, chanting nonsense in a desperate attempt to appear tough.

An illogical form of overreaction followed.

Some in Kansas City lost the common sense and rational thought patterns for which the Midwest is known. There were those who immediately reached to blame police, to find fault where none existed. The police didn’t arrest any of the group, which numbered about 150.

The group had kept to the sidewalks, and didn’t really impede traffic, as it was a weekend afternoon. They’re vocal racists, but free speech applies to all.

On social media, people tried to paint law enforcement as akin to the white nationalists. Cops tend to lean conservative, sure. And some police, like members of the military, have been found amongst racist, neo-Nazi and other white nationalist groups.

But to liken the whole department as such, for the reason that police didn’t arrest anyone from the Patriot Front? That’s a huge illogical stretch that says more about those making it, than it reasonably says of police.

Police also made sure that a few counter protesters who heard about the demonstration on social media weren’t drawn into a rumble with the white nationalists.

U-Haul quickly banned those who had rented the vans, for allowing human cargo to be driven around in them. That also would have been the only municipal charge that could have been made against the group.

The Patriot Front didn’t make a statement for why they chose Kansas City for what they later called their annual Memorial Day march. It might not have been the murder of Milgrim, her ties to the area, and her soon-to-be fiance, Yaron Lischinsky.

It might have been to stage their phony patriotism on the steps of the beautiful National WWI Museum and Memorial.

Hate groups are an opportunistic lot. They seek vulnerable, lost souls looking for a cause, people who might be lured in by the circular talk of the leadership’s speeches, heavy with fake bravado.

In the week that followed, it was clear that many people wanted to shout the white nationalists down, the verbal equivalent of showing them who’s boss. There was also a strong desire to send a clear message that the Patriot Front is not welcome in Kansas City.

Cowards became the leading descriptor of the group.

But what now – for Kansas City and the next place this crew shows up in?

There will be a counter rally soon in a favored KC park, likely filled with eloquent speeches of unity, as members of Milgrim’s synagogue called for after her death.

But the real work that could disrupt such hate groups would be for people to be aware – to call out and challenge those who buy into conspiracy theories.

Some of the wives, children, and brothers of those who paraded through town while masked are probably aware, or at least suspicious, of their loved one’s beliefs.

The strongest step might be to intervene when groups like this carve out a new recruit.

We should all be more willing to befriend, speak reasonably, and with an open heart, to someone who might buy into the hatred, someone who is a bit of a lost soul, trying to find a role, a way to be seen or feel important.

Listen for the young man who starts to spew conspiracy theories, beliefs like the idea that immigrants and Jewish people are here to replace white people. Or their mumblings that this is a Christian nation, and that no other faiths are allowed.

Frankly, it’s conservative white people who are most likely to be successful in this, to even be present to hear the diatribe of a new recruit.

Patriot Front showed up in Kansas City without notice.

A lot of people maybe hadn’t heard of them before. After all, white nationalists, paramilitary groups, and neo-Nazis tend to splinter fairly regularly, and form into something aligned, but new.

It’s a lot to follow.

Cutting off their access to pliable mindsets is a challenge for communities, but one that is feasible. We should unite around that goal.

Readers can reach Mary Sanchez at msanchezcolumn@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @msanchezcolumn.)