Mommy Life

September 4, 2009 11:47 AM

China's flag to be raised at White House 9/20

Love,

Posted in Obama Nation | Permalink

Comments

Barbara, your link is broken -- it has an extra http at the beginning and an :// at the end -- and when I took those parts off my virus scanner popped up and warned me of a possible virus. I did a Google search and found this interesting article about it:

http://www.jbs.org/jbs-news-feed/5302

The People’s Republic of China is celebrating 60 years of hard core communism ... by raising the flag of that communist country on the south lawn of the White House on September 20.

Well, that is what two Chinese sources are reporting. China Daily reported — apparently unnoticed until last week — that the Fujian Association had applied to the White House for permission to hold a celebration to honor the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and to hoist that country’s red flag on the south lawn of the White House.

Chen Ronghua, a Spokesman for the Fujian Association, said that permission was approved because of closer China-U.S. relations in recent years. And because, “Many Americans admire China due to the success of last year’s Beijing’s Olympics,” he said.

Also involved in the celebration are the Union of Chinese American Professional Organizations and the coordination Council of Chinese-American Associations. The ceremony is to be hosted by other “overseas Chinese organizations,” according to the Chinese publication Global Times.

Approximately 1,000 people are expected to attend the flag-raising ceremony.

While the flags of many nations are flown at the White House when dignitaries of those countries visit, this seems to be the first time a foreign nation’s flag will be hoisted to celebrate that country’s founding, communist or not.

There is no flag rule or regulation that prohibits the flying of flags from foreign nations at the White House; although the Capitol grounds are another matter. The updated 2008 federal flag code is a bit confusing, but it says no flag can fly higher on American soil than the U.S. flag, except for the UN flag at UN headquarters. So there is no direct violation of the U.S. flag code here.

But it does seem to be culturally and universally understood by patriots of all nations that one wouldn’t want to fly the flag of a rival nation that has a governmental philosophy that is diametrically opposed to the founding principles of your own nation.

If the Chinese flag is raised on the south lawn of the White House on September 20, then perhaps the present occupants of the White House, appointees and advisors, see little difference between their own political beliefs — statist-to-socialist — compared to the statist-to-full-fledged-communist outlook of their confreres in Beijing.

Veterans and other patriotic groups should be adamantly opposed to any plan to hoist a communist flag over American soil. Many placed their lives on the line, fighting and witnessing the utter brutality of communist regimes in Russia, Korea, North Vietnam — all of whom are supported by the Soviets and the Chinese Communists. Today, the human rights record inside China is as dismal as they come. Their murderously enforced one-child family policy is an abomination as well. But all this matters not to the White House.

“It was always my dream to raise a Chinese flag in the center of Washington, D.C.," says Chen Ronghua. “This year, my motherland’s 60th birthday, is the perfect time for it.”

September 20 will be the day we find out whether Chinese sources were correct in their reporting and the Chinese flag is raised on U.S. soil in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the deadliest regime in all of history. And if so, what's next: May Day parades to celebrate the Russian communist worker, or Mao's image on Mount Rushmore?

Posted by: Michelle Potter | September 4, 2009 2:43 PM

According to Fox, the White House is now claiming that the "rumor" that it was going to fly the flag on the South Lawn is innacurate. Fox reports, "A ceremony, indeed, will take place. But it won't happen on the White House grounds -- rather, on the Ellipse, on the other side of E Street from the presidential residence."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/04/white-house-debunks-reports-fly-chinas-flag-south-lawn/

However, the Chinese media is still claiming that it will be on the South Lawn: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/13/content_8422505.htm

Either way, I don't like the idea of honoring the 60th anniversary of the Red takeover of China ANYWHERE in our nation's capital (or on American soil), period!

America was built on the principles of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness", and the idea that speech, religion, assembly, and other freedoms were basic rights which EVERYONE is entitled to, and which no government has a right to infringe upon.

And yet, in this land where we celebrate freedom and democracy as foundational cornerstones of our society, President Obama is going to help the Chinese celebrate 60 years of communist oppression?

Can you imagine us allowing the Soviets to fly the flag of oppression over the heart of the land of freedom? Since when did Marxism, the suppression of basic human rights and the slaughter of dissidents become deserving of honor?

Posted by: Rachel | September 5, 2009 7:27 PM

Fox News reporting the celebration of 60 years of PRC communism that is to be held on Sept. 20th (at 10AM to show love to the motherland according to http://world.globaltimes.cn) in the Ellipse is as much an outrage as if celebrated on the south lawn of the White House. The Dept. of the Interior, whose mission is to protect our cultural and natural heritage oversees the National Park Service, under whose purview the President's Park South--also known as Ellipse--belongs. The National Park Service's mission is to leave our historic objects unimpaired for future generations to enjoy. The Ellipse maintains great symbolic and historic significance. The center of the ellipse "Zero Milestone" is from where all distances in the USA were measured. Our national Prime Meridien was mandated by President Thomas Jefferson to run from the President's House front door through the middle of the Ellipse. Union troops, cattle, horses, and mules were contained here. Emergency barracks were built here during WWII and not torn down until 1954. Our first and oldest Infantry Division, active since 1917, is memorialized here. Our Second Division, Infantry lost over 7000 lives to stop the communist spring offensive during the Korean War and is thus memorialized within the Ellipse. Though Hu Jintaou's communism is different from decades past, and though we should all show respect for the many contributions Chinese made to humanity...sacred patriot lives sacrificed while protecting our constitutional rights as free citizens and to protect us from the encroachment of non-constitutional ideology would impair the enjoyment of honor and national pride and our own heritage for generations to come. We the People, the NPS and the Dept. of Interior have an obligation to protect our own cultural identity. "The Big Red One" of the "Fighting First" (First Division, Army Infantry) is part of our national cultural and historical identity. The Red Chinese Flag and celebrating 60 years of communism has no place within the sanctity of our national treasures. It would create the heat to boil red blood of U.S. patriots. It would demoralize our current soldier patriots if such a travesty and mockery of patriot blood spilt were permitted. The Ellipse is so very close to the White House, that the significance of our patriot memorials within our very historic Ellipse, should instantly gently remind our President, each time he looks out from his House, that his duty and postion is to be in service to patriots past as well as current patiots. We the People must protect our identity and our heritage. Respect other nations and dignify alliances by permitting their flags to be flown during offical State Visits, a resounding yes, but celebrate 60 years of communism within our own nation's historic Ellipse would be a travesty and dishonor to each patriot memorialized there and would bring shame to our citizenry.

Posted by: Abigail | September 7, 2009 4:37 AM

I was there today on The Ellipse, were this ceremony was held. It was NOT held on the White House lawn. After 90 minutes of entertainment, consisting mainly of American children's dance and gym routines, the Star Spangled Banner was played as the US flag was raised on one of two poles. Then the PRC flag was raised as their national song played. It was as benign as it sounds. The PRC ambassador spoke and called for good relations between China and the US that are "everlasting". So please, calm down everyone - there was no commie take over of the White House today! Just cute children dancing and singing.

[Dear R. White: the original report was that the flag would be raised on the White House lawn. The venue was changed in response to conservative reaction. And just as the conservative reaction to Obama's public school power grab 9/8 resulted in a relatively benign speech sans propagandistic curriculum, I'm sure that what we saw was carefully crafted to be equally nonthreatening,

Your comment would have been stronger without the snarky final word. No one said that this signaled a "commiee takeover," although in context with Obama's other outreaches to dictatorial and human-rights abusing regimes, many of us have substantial concerns. Where is your substance?]

Posted by: R White | September 20, 2009 5:04 PM

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