A prominent American politician has responded to an opinion piece written by a young Australian lady residing in the United States regarding the ubiquity of American flags in the nation.
TikTok user @meanderwithmedia posted a video of Mia Chloe strolling in a suburban area, in which she expressed her displeasure with what she saw as an excessive display of patriotism.
She speaks frankly, saying, “I’m simply going to say it… there are way too many American flags. They can be found on buildings, vehicles, etc. I even found them on several of the sofa pillows.
Mia comments, “You’re the only country that I know of that does this,” contrasting the prevalence of national flags in the United States with that in her native Australia. Only on the Sydney Harbour Bridge have I ever seen an Australian flag, thus I have no idea what it looks like.
Mia jokes that her acquaintance with the American flag is limited to the fact that “I know it’s, like, blue and has some stars on it,” indicating that she is aware of the flag’s basic characteristics.
She wishes for Americans to “take it down a notch” and says, “It’s a bit much” while discussing the appropriateness of flag displays. We should maintain a low profile.
The wide variety of responses to the video when it was reposted on Twitter by the powerful right-wing account Libs of TikTok is indicative of the breadth of opinions on the subject.
Some Americans are quick to reiterate their joy in flying the flag, but others can relate to Mia’s position since they recognize the cultural differences between the two countries when it comes to exhibiting patriotism.
Mia’s TikTok comments, in essence, highlights the diverse methods in which people of different cultures express their national pride and patriotism.