I like flying a variety of flags. I think it is a useful reminder of our multiple identities and layered loyalties. I am an American and proud to fly the Stars and Stripes. But the US Constitution (signed on this day in 1787!) divides power between the federal and state governments. My wife and I are both proud of our home states and happy to fly their flags (albeit, in the case of Mississippi, the historic Magnolia flag). Our ancestors came from a variety of countries and their cultures are part of our heritage too. Identity is not an either-or question. We are Americans and Virginians and Catholics whose roots are in Arizona and Mississippi, France, Germany, Sweden, and half a dozen other countries. And we hold all those identities at once.
September 17th is the birthday of Friedrick von Steuben, a German aristocrat who came to America to help our young republic fight for its independence. His birthday - or a day near it - has long been marked as a celebration of German-American heritage. From my German-American ancestors I inherited a penchant for hard work, Biblical faith, and hearty food. I'm happy to honor them.There are many stories that explain why the German flag three stripes of black, red, and gold. Many of these stories are legends which may or may not be historically true. But they tell us something about how people think about politics. My favorite explanation of the colors comes from the Weimar Republic, the attempt to create a democratic Germany after World War I. The black-red-gold flag that the Weimar Republic adopted is said to represent the three major political parties which worked to defend the republic against extremists on the left (Communists) and right (Nazis). These three parties were the Centre Party (black), Social Democrats (red), and Democratic Party (gold). The Centre Party was heavily Catholic, committed to seeing faith made manifest in the social and political life of the country, but also willing to compromise and work with other parties to see that realized. The Social Democrats were a party of the working class, closely tied to labor unions; they sought to protect the rights of workers and their families. The Democrats - whose heirs in modern Germany are the Free Democrats - were what we call "classical liberals," a party of the middle class committed to the free market, the rule of law, and efficient government.
Between them these three defenders of Weimar republicanism express a decent approximation of my own political views, namely Christian Democracy. We must always be mindful of the men and women whose labor - often manual - makes our country and its prosperity possible. But we also have a duty to ensure that this is done in a manner that is free, fair, and transparent; rather than creating a mess of regulations and bureaucracy, we should craft a simple set of rules in which all people can thrive. And all this should be done with love for our neighbor and acknowledgement of divine sovereignty, from which we derive our sense of justice and to which we own ultimate loyalty.
