Can I Still Be a Patriot?

It used to be so simple to proclaim love for your country. Now it takes some work.

- By Alexis Coe

I'm thinking about getting an American flag. It should be an easy choice: A flag would be a handsome, charming addition to my home, an 1860s farmhouse in a one-stoplight village. And it makes sense: I'm a presidential historian. My career is an expression of my patriotism. Raising a flag in front of a house financed by my books about presidents would be another.

That's if I get a flag. I'm worried about the optics, but there's time. I have until 2026, when the Declaration of Independence will turn 250.

Donald Trump is thinking about the anniversary, too. He's planning to party all year long-from the Oval Office. I thought our collective memory was the only thing at stake during the semiquincentennial, but it turns out the whole American experiment is up for grabs. What's a little controversial lawn accessory in comparison?

Well, first, there's the matter of coolness. A flag wouldn't cause a stir in my village, but flags didn't line my childhood streets in Los Angeles, and I can't recall more than a handful of neighbors with flags in San Francisco or Brooklyn, where I spent much of my adult life.