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US State and National Flags


GoValpo

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The problem is that the "native" Hawaiian flag was the Royal standard of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It's always represented the head of the Hawaiian Royal family, never the Hawaiian people as a whole. The current Hawaiian flag, whether you deem it distinctive or not, has always represented the nation (ie people) of Hawaii, be it as an independent Kingdom, Republic, or State within the American Union.

The "distinctive"/"lets go with an aesthetically pleasing design" argument is nice, and I understand where you and a lot of others are coming from (this is a community that caters to people who appreciate design after all) but you cannot simply go with what looks good at the extent of history, especially when it comes to a national/state/provincial flag. The flag of Hawaii has a long history behind it, and that factors into its allure as a design. Plus it's the only flag in the world that includes the Union Jack for reasons other then having been a former British colony. That in and of itself makes it unique.

Back to potential Confederate-based state flags for a moment. Some people claim that the flags of Florida and Alabama honour the design of the Confederate flag without actually using the design.

Florida:

750px-Flag_of_Floridasvg.png

Alabama:

744px-Flag_of_Alabamasvg.png

Confederate Naval Jack (most common Confederate flag used by pro-CSA groups today):

800px-Confederate_Rebel_Flagsvg.png

Saltier aside, however, the resemblance is a stretch. Instead I find both flags to be closer o the Cross of Burgundy flag:

750px-Flag_of_New_Spainsvg.png

The Cross of Burgundy flag was the flag flown by the Spanish Royal Navy, and became the flag of Spain's colonial empire. Seeing as both Florida and Alabama were part of that colonial empire, I see their choice to homage the Cross of Burgundy flag to be reasonable. I don't think you can include Florida and Alabama on a list of states whose flags are honouring the Confederacy.

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States

1. New Mexico

2. Maryland

3. Tennessee

50. Illinois

Countries

1. Barbados

2. Argentina

3. Canada

Sigh, I sadly agree. The Illinois State flag is too cluttered and vacant for it's own good and worst yet has had 4 major renovations before settling on the current design. On subject.

States

1. Maryland

2. California

3. South Carolina

National

1. United Kingdom

2. Brazil

3. Hong Kong

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Maybe i'm in the minority, but I dislike our flag.

canada_flag.gif

I'm not unpatriotic, I'll still salute it. I just dislike the design, something about a Maple Leaf being the centrepiece, just doesn't do it for me. I guess something is better then nothing though, without it, we'd be a brighter red version of Peru.

Of the designs considered in '65 I prefer the Pearson Pennant, actually.

Though, to be perfectly honest, part of me really likes the old Red Ensign.

This thread brought me out of anonymous lurking. :) I personally prefer the Red Ensign above what we have now, partly because of design and partly because of how they went about choosing the flag--most regrettable but going back is probably nigh on impossible at this point.

In my travels I actually came across a Canadian flag proposal from the 1930s that I prefer to even the Red Ensign:

268354_10150230329613051_506788050_7282070_535558_n.jpg

The only change I would make would be to have red stars and not blue--or white stars on a red field. To me the North Star/Ursus Major combo that would later land on the Alaska flag is a more universal symbol for Canadians than a leaf that can only be found in the eastern half of the country. At the same time I realise that the Maple Leaf has been considered a national symbol for a long time. I don't particularly hate the maple leaf as a symbol, it just doesn't fit into my sense of patriotic pride.

One criticism would be it's similarity to the flags of Australia/New Zealand. It seem to me that one of the primary historical uses for a flag would be identification in battle. Given that the Commonwealth Realms have always been allies, I don't think this holds water.

Also, the Union Jack in the canton is a nod to a common history amongst the nations. All in all, while I see the need for unique flags to a point, some common elements are not a bad thing.

And now, I return to my lurking.

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My Top Ten States:

10. District of Columbia- Not a state but still better than most of them.

9. Alaska- Simple and cool design.

8. South Carolina- Distinctive and simple.

7. Colorado- I love the C, it just looks fantastic.

6. Hawaii- Red, white, and blue stripes and the Union jack... Pretty awesome combo.

5. Tennessee- Love the three star design.

4. Maryland- Some say ugly, I say badass.

3. New Mexico- Bright, simple, unique, and pretty much perfect.

2. Arizona- The sunrise, the big star, and the bright colors make for an outstanding flag.

1. Ohio- I'm biased but I don't care. I'm in love with the Ohio burgee. History here. But to overcome my bias I do have some backup. First of all I believe this flag is the best compliment to the American flag ever made. They go together seamlessly unlike other flags that may represent a state better on its own. But how often do you have state flags without American ones as well? Also, this flag can be 'upside down' and can be hung up sideways without losing any of its aesthetic value. In addition, the swallow-tail design makes it fantastic in the wind. I don't think Ohio is as its flag but this banner is still a proper representation of the state; between the O (Ohio and buckeye symbolism), the stars (17th state), and stripes (rivers/roads) I don't have any qualms about this flag.

I'm also quite smitten with the Serapis flag. It might not seem like much but when it is flown in person I've never seen a better looking flag to be honest with you.

us-sera2.gif

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I wish Maine would go back to this:

500px-Flag_of_Maine_1901.svg.png

Beautiful, simple, unique. The only thing it could possibly need is some sort of blue stripes to represent water.

Looks good...but infringing a little bit on South Carolina there. ^_^

Heh, yeah. But you guys got a good design, the best from the Original 13 Colonies (that's not Maryland). Sorry we stole it, but then inexplicably replaced it with this monstrosity:

500px-Flag_of_Maine.svg.png

It's just bad because the theme is overdone. State crest on a blue field. Yawn.

The ensign of the old Maine State Navy would be a vast improvement, not only because of the simplicity of the design, but it incorporates several elements of our state (the pine tree, the anchor, the state motto). It just represents Maine really well.

500px-Naval_Ensign_of_Maine.svg.png

At this point, anything will be better than what we have right now.

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