Why Politicians Wear the Flag Lapel Pin

As we see politicians debate and run campaigns, we generally see them wearing the flag pin on their lapel. In this image below, we see President Obama wearing his lapel pin while visiting a plant in Michigan. Many people argue that it is a disgrace against our country and that one is not patriotic if they are not wearing the flag pin. Before becoming president, Obama did not wear a flag lapel pin. When asked about it, he said that he would rather confess his beliefs and that that would be a testimony of his patriotism, but this stirred up a lot of controversy. When Obama was scrutinized from not wearing a pin, he then decided to wear one every single day. The pin is the easiest and quickest way for people to identify one's patriotism and what one stands for. It dates back to the beginning of our country and is a symbol of conflict but also peace and independence. As we see in this image, the flag sticks out, our eyes are drawn to it. We immediately identify that he supports our country and represents our country. Even though he is somewhere unfamiliar or somewhere that may not be considered "patriotic" we know that he is patriotic and is always thinking about our country from the lapel pin. Some people may say "either you're with us or against us" and by wearing a flag pin, we will automatically know who is "with us".