Human beings have used symbols as a physical manifestation of ideas since the dawn of man, whether in drawing, story or invention. A symbol is an "outward sign" of something else. The empty cross, in Christianity, stands for the triumph of life over death. A ribbon stands for awareness of some cause- breast cancer, autism, AIDs. We use symbols to show off what we stand for and what we're proud of.
We use symbols to remember- what was going on at the time this symbol was conceived? How has it been used, what comes to mind when someone sees it, not simply just when I see it? In particular, flags (FUN WITH FLAGS TIME!) have been used as a signal or declaration. Flags have been used as a means of communication, particularly during warfare or the establishing of a territory.
Let's consider another symbol, the statue. A flag, like a statue, is often used in the process of commemorating some bit of history, or to show pride in roots. Most statues I've seen in the US seem historically neutral, or else a celebration of some accomplishment the people in that area are proud of, something that moved history forward. Flags can be used in the same way to show that history has moved forward, such as the flag of a newly united nation, or the founding of a country/smaller area). Founders get statues, heroes get statues. One person is not commemorated in a flag, like in a statue, but a group of people can be. We hail flags in the way that we hail a hero- almost giving them a strong reverence that is else-wise reserved for spiritual worship. In this way, this symbol holds power and weight, and symbols can bring up mighty strong emotions in people.
We use symbols to define us and stand for us. Our clothes, our hobbies, even the food we enjoy- all full of symbols. But the symbols of companies and clothing brands rarely have centuries of history behind them. Companies are under the curse of constantly rebranding themselves, changing their images and symbols to fit what they think will sell to the consumer. A company's brand symbol may change a little or a whole lot, but it continues to stand, in most cases, for the same cause- the products created by that company.
Flags are rarely "rebranded" in modern history, because they continue to stand for what they stood for at their conception. Some flags are added to over time, but rarely do they lose their original meaning. The Confederate flag we recognize today, with its blue starred cross and red background, was not a symbol of the Southern states of America. This flag was used as a battle flag during the Civil War. This flag bore a lesser resemblance to the stars and stripes flag we know today, as it was meant to stand out in the battle field against the Northern states. Out of battle, the national flag for the Confederacy was a "stars and bars" design which did not so much resemble the battle flag, though the battle flag we know today (confusingly) as the Confederate flag became a symbol of fallen heroes on the Southern side of the Civil War, a constant reminder of what was lost in the war over slavery (mainly, the right to hold slaves, but also lives lost).
http://www.historynet.com/embattled-banner-the-convoluted-history-of-the-confederate-flag.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/22/confederate-flag-racist_n_7639788.html
No comments:
Post a Comment