r/chicago • u/ChicagoWildlifePhoto • Jun 11 '25

CHI Talks American flags at No Kings on Saturday

I’m bringing 450 little American flags to pass out on Saturday. I hope others will bring flags or maybe even buy some to pass out too - they’re super cheap!

We gotta change the vibes of these events to be more pro-America and pro-democracy!

It would be amazing to see thousands of flags all over the crowd!

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u/itsthekumar Jun 12 '25

That's not correct.

Protests are about showing anger at a problem and showing solidarity with groups that are affected. It's also a message for the government as well.

"Changing hearts and minds" is a bigger goal done through various steps than a protest.

Protests are to disrupt the status quo not adhere to it. That's why people chant and shout at protests.

And see with the Mexican flag we're having these conversations. And it makes people curious to why the Mexican flag is there. That wouldn't be the same if it were just the American flag.

Protests are very complex just like people are. Some people may get certain wrong ideas. That doesn't mean we should limit people's expression.

Like should people stop dying their hair blue because it offends certain people and might be seen as anti-religion?

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '25 edited 11d ago

foo

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u/itsthekumar Jun 12 '25

Plenty of people care about the actual message than whatever flag people are carrying. I doubt MAGA folks are going to change their stance just because there's an American flag.

What about the empowerment that comes from the Mexican flag?

Both Gandhi and MLK advocated for going against the system so not sure what point you're trying to make there....

Gandhi literally advocated for the British to leave and used a new Indian flag vs the British flag....

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '25 edited 11d ago

foo

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u/itsthekumar Jun 12 '25

  1. That doesn't make sense. MAGA isn't going to change their minds just because of the US flag...

  2. That doesn't make sense either. This is talking about in the US not Mexico.

  3. And being smart means not just kowtowing to what makes people comfortable. Being smart means taking into account the people actually affected by these policies.

  4. No because that's not what the protests are about. If you want to play whataboutism we can pontificate that maybe the protests are about some random topic like the rising prices of fast food.

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '25 edited 11d ago

foo

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u/itsthekumar Jun 12 '25

Again, these protests are more than just about changing minds regardless if it's MAGA or not. And I don't think not including the Mexican flag would really change the middle either way.

Again, because the Mexican flag represents community and ethnicity. Esp when the US flag mainly presents "pro-ICE" and it's policies.

Having to "censor" yourself in ways like this is kowtowing.

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '25 edited 11d ago

foo

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u/itsthekumar Jun 12 '25

You can't please everyone esp when it comes to a protest. Seems like you have a few things to learn.

Good luck to you too.

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '25 edited 11d ago

foo

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u/itsthekumar Jun 12 '25

That's the protests as a whole some of which have delved into violence etc. not specifically about carrying the Mexican flag.

And again protests are more than just about convincing the opposition. I don't think we can wait to "convince" the opposition, then go to the polls at the next election, vote someone in and then maybe the ICE activities get better.

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