How to do it:

If you fly an American flag, or used to, add a second flag to your pole. Options include one of the many pride flags, a peace symbol, etc. You know how this works — they do it with blue stripes and yellow “Don’t tread” flags. You see them and you immediately know the politics of the place. After all, they went out of their way to tell you. Don’t let them have the last word.

If you currently fly another flag (say from your porch) consider adding a U.S. flag. Follow U.S. flag code for the biggest impact. Many conservative-leaning folks are irritated by the MAGA desecration of the flag with improper display and alterations. We can do better: if it really meant Freedom and liberty for all, we’d respect it. When we fly it, it does.

Don’t want to deal with flag handling, or don’t have a place to fly two flags? Car window clings, stickers and pins all offer similar opportunities. We can’t rebuild American into what we want without reclaiming the symbols to stand for those values. If symbols didn’t matter, advertisers wouldn’t spend millions on branding. Take back the flag.