From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
Celebrate the third annual DC Flag Day. (Luis Gomez Photos)
As many of you living in DC already know, District of Columbia residents have neither representation in Congress nor representation on the American flag. You are probably well aware of this because you live or work here and the issue seems to come up frequently. But outside of Washington, or the DMV if we’re being generous, this issue is less than a blip on most people’s radar, at best.
And so today, we find ourselves on the third annual DC Flag Day. The first thing that DC Flag Day organizers are asking you to do is to change your Facebook photo to a picture of the DC flag or a picture of you with the DC flag. If you head over to their Facebook page or the Facebook pages for LetUsVoteDC or Neighbors United for DC Statehood, you can show support by “liking” their pages, but you might also fins some photos that you’ll be able to use for your profile picture. Their goal with this particular initiative is to raise awareness across the country and the world of an issue that many people are unaware of.
DC Flag Day Rally
Later today, DC Flag Day will be holding a rally in Dupont Circle. The information for that is as follows:
- When: Friday, June 14, 2013, 6:00 pm
- Where: Dupont Circle
- Program: Shadow Senator Paul Strauss
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton - Sponsors: LUV DC, DC Vote, LuxuryDC, We Deserve Statehood
- LUV DC will be distributing DC flag stickers and temporary DC flag tattoos at the event, which is expected to draw a large number of DC residents. Show off you DC pride by wearing DC flag apparel, DC flag tattoos (both real and temporary) and waving DC flags. There will also be an unveiling of a DC Voting Rights banner that residents are crowdfundin. The 16-foot banner will be hung across a street in DC on a later date if the fundraising goals are met by midnight on Friday June 14th. If you’d like to support this effort, you can do so here.
About DC Flag Day
DC Flag Day was born back in 2011 by Allyson Behnke and Brooke Lynn Locke. As Allyson says, “DC has a rapidly growing population of highly educated people, small business owners and urbanites. We also have a lot of longtime locals who love this beautiful city… but no one who lives in Washington, D.C. has representation in Congress or on the American Flag. Back in 2011 I had friends who got arrested in the name of DC Statehood, including my good friend Brooke Lynn Locke. We decided to found DC Flag Day to bring awareness to DC’s lack of representation.” As Allyson also pointed out in an email, “The iconic DC flag symbol consists of the bold ‘two bars and three stars’ modeled after none other than George Washington’s family crest. Washington fought against taxation without representation. Ironically, two centuries later, citizens in Washington, DC have yet to win that battle.”
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Check out the photos of last year's Flag Day at Dupont Circle. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
If you have a tattoo of the DC flag, now is the time to flaunt it.
An anthem to taxation without representation, DC’s flag is distinct, defiant and resilient. And like a popular punk rock lyric, it’s no wonder the District’s flag is permanently etched into so many people’s skin.
Thursday, June 14 is Flag Day all throughout the U.S. However, here in DC, we like to do things a bit differently (and no, I am not referring to the way we devour cupcakes and use acronyms like they are real words). In DC, we celebrate flags in a more permanent way; and nothing is more permanent than a tattoo.
This year, celebrate Flag Day with your fellow DC flag tattoo aficionados (and a DC flag tattoo flash mob) in Dupont Circle from 5 pm until 8 pm. The celebration continues until midnight at Eighteenth Street Lounge, with musical performances from Bluebrain, Jonny Grave & The Tombstones, Fire and the Wheel and Adrian Parsons.
From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida[AT]borderstan.com.
Borderstan, if you want more flag-related things to see and do this weekend (our unrepresented status in Congress notwithstanding), consider the Star-Spangled Sailabration in Baltimore!
The Sailabration launches Maryland’s efforts to celebraye the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and kicks off in Baltimore Harbor this weekend. Numbers of Navy ships and tall ships from the U.S. and elsewhere have been gathering in the Harbor and will be open for free on-board tours.As a reminder, the U.S. national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, was written about a key battle for Baltimore’s Fort McHenry (which overlooks the city’s Inner Harbor) during the War of 1812 and refers to the successful American defense of the Fort in 1814. The “banner” the song refers to was an enormous U.S. flag commissioned by Fort McHenry’s commanding officer: it measured 30 x 42 feet and was created in 1813 by five Baltimore women in just seven week’s time (the cotton stars on the flag were two feet wide from point to point).
Happy flag day, no matter where you will celebrate it, Borderstan!
For more information, follow #DCFlagDay on Twitter or visit District Love for more about DC Flag Tattoos.
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News from Dupont-Logan-U Street (mostly).
By Michelle Lancaster. Got a hot tip? Tell her on Twitter @MichLancaster.
Police Respond to Mt. Pleasant Barricade Situation
This is so bizarre — sharpshooters and cops arrived Tuesday afternoon in Mt. Pleasant responding to a possible barricade situation. Why do I think it is so odd? Well, he’s apparently barricaded with a “screwdriver” and is not believed to have a gun. Check out the pictures in Washington City Paper to see how the police responded to the distraught man. Hope everyone stays safe.
DC Flag Tattoos a Hit on Flag Day
To bring attention to the still-conspicuously-absent lack of a D.C. vote in Congress, D.C. Flag Tattoo Day was organized last night in Dupont Circle. I have seen some awesome ones, notably on some tasty chefs around the city. District Love organized, and has some great pics already up on their site. Add your own to our Flickr pool!
