Memorial Day Weekend and the Partisan Nature of Patriotism
I had a busy Memorial Day weekend in Omaha, attending two events hosted by Patriotic Productions to mark the occasion. The nonprofit organization regularly holds patriotically themed events, often featuring a traveling photographic mural of fallen servicemembers. What I discovered, however, is that even some basic elements of patriotism in this country are unable to cross the political divide.
On Saturday, Patriotic Productions hosted a “Patriotic Parade” in Omaha’s Old Market to kick off Memorial Day weekend, featuring Gold Star family members walking alongside veterans of foreign wars from various decades—as well as a giant, inflatable Purple Heart.
On Monday morning, the organization held a Memorial Day event in Omaha’s Memorial Park. Its photographic memorial stood along Dodge Street as guests lined up for pancakes and sausage. Local historians showcased replica military uniforms and gear from various wars. The grassy lawn was decorated with a “Flanders Field of Flags,” and at 9:45 AM, parachutists descended from a plane overhead, one carrying a giant American flag.
While the events were nominally nonpartisan, there was a clear appeal to one side of the political aisle. The Douglas County Republican Party had an entry in Saturday’s parade and hosted a voter registration table at the corner of 12th and Jackson. At Monday’s event, Pete Ricketts, a headline sponsor, handed out sugar cookies to guests waiting in line.
On the Sunday between the two events, however, a different kind of event took place at Memorial Park—a protest against the Trump administration and Congressman Don Bacon for supporting a budget reconciliation bill that included work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients without children. Protests like these seem to occur nearly every week in Omaha, particularly since President Trump took office for a second term. Yet, they consistently receive coverage from local media, granting the organizers a broader platform than those passing by on Dodge Street.
I responded to one of these stories online, noting tongue-in-cheek that there were plenty of face masks at this protest but zero American flags. I’ve attended numerous political rallies over the years, particularly in 2021, when hot-button issues like vaccine mandates were fiercely debated. American flags were always on display at those events, even by Republicans while Biden was in the White House and Democrats controlled Congress. On Sunday, however, the abundance of flags at Memorial Park for the holiday weekend made their absence from this protest all the more striking.
One user responded to my comment, admitting to avoiding them: “No offense, but some people don’t like identifying with flags and paraphernalia that MAGA wields. Flags and patriotic displays, frankly, have been ruined for some of us.”
Another user was more blunt: “Good, the ‘American’ flag is a symbol of white ‘supremacy.’”
Not long ago, a friend remarked that one could identify Trump voters’ homes because they were the ones with American flags. I cynically replied that it was no longer just an American flag—it was a Trump flag now.
I’m starting to realize that the United States is not simply divided—it operates as two separate and distinct countries. One displays the Stars and Stripes, while the other flies the “Pride Progress” flag. One side recites the Pledge of Allegiance, while the other recites land acknowledgments.
Not even holidays can bring both sides together. One celebrates the Fourth of July, while the other observes Juneteenth. One honors Columbus Day, and the other recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day. One holds a Patriotic Parade on Saturday, and the other stages an anti-Trump protest on Sunday.
But one display at Monday’s Memorial Day service gave me reason for hope. A sign in front of a replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier briefly mentioned the Tomb of the Civil War Unknowns, which includes the remains of 2,111 soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies. It rests in Section 26 at Arlington National Cemetery.
While the Civil War divided this country like no other historic event, but decades after its conclusion, there still were attempts for years afterward for both sides to find reconciliation—even for those on the “wrong side of history.”
One can hope we will find the came kind of reconciliation today.
“Good, the ‘American’ flag is a symbol of white ‘supremacy.’”-- Sad, really sad. They really sucked up sewage nonsense.