Published in Washington Post - 2001aldi

I have recently heard tales of corporations mandating that their employees take down flags and other patriotic materials that they began displaying on their desks as a result of the attacks on September 11th. I know of condo associations that do not allow residents to fly a flag outside of their homes. In a time when the country is reeling from the loss of lives and destruction resulting from the acts of terrorism the nation watched, there has never been a better time to display the flag. It is a symbol of strength, a symbol of freedom and a symbol of hope. Francis Scott Key said it best. "... And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"
During a tragedy of this magnitude the country needs to have a symbol to look to. Regardless of politics, the American flag is a steadfast symbol of all that we as a country believe in, a symbol that masses through the last 225 years have been willing to fight for and give their lives for.
I, like many people in the area, have been searching for a flag. The fact that I have been unable to locate one speaks volumes for the people of this country. Instead of prohibiting flags, each and every business, association, and neighbor should be promoting it. Let the terrorists see that when our nation is threatened, Americans band together and show our true colors.
Leigh Michele Trimaldi