saluting the flag- the meaning?

[nuweeb]

Hi!

I'm not an American and I'm a student. I'm doing a bit of research for my paper and i'm trying to find out whether there is some story or a deeper meaning behind saluting the flag, other than respect or etiquette. I'd really appreciate if someone could explain it to me or just post some links where I could find some more information.

Thanks!

[NAVA1974]

Note the wording: "I pledge allegiance to the flag, AND TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...." America's Pledge of Allegiance is a reaffirmation of every citizen's responsibility to their country, not just to honor the flag.

[gemama]

Hi, I am looking for the mean of the strips on the American what the red strips and the white strips represent? Thanks gemama

[Peter Ansoff]

Hi, I am looking for the mean of the strips on the American what the red strips and the white strips represent?

Hi! As I'm sure you know, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original states. The individual stripes do not have any specific meaning.

We don't know for sure why the colors red and white were selected for the stripes, but it was probably for practical, not symbolic, reasons. The first ships of the Continental Navy were ex-British merchant ships that already had "Red Ensign" flags (plain red, with the British union crosses in the canton). One possibility is that they added stripes to their existing flags to make them recognizably different. White would be the obvious color to add, simply because undyed cloth was cheaper and easier to get. However, they probably were not too particular. At least one ship of the first Continental squadron, the Columbus, seems to have had a flag with red and green stripes.

Peter Ansoff