The Column Rule | Arthur H. Gunther III /essays since 1981

April 21, 2026

NO JINGOISM

THE AMERICAN FLAG is the wood of our national forests painted in the red of sacrifice, the blue of heavenly hope and the white of false innocence that should humble, reminding us that the country’s experiment has not yet been fulfilled. The flag is covered with the scars of hard work on the farm, in industrial cities, in war, in the individual climbing the ladder. It offers confession for the sins of manifest destiny and progress, trampling some to rise others. Finally, the flag presents hope in its strength and durability.