Arsonists Are Targeting Homes With American Flags
In a Sacramento suburb, arsonists specifically targeted homes that were flying American flags, causing residents to question what could prompt such attacks.
According to a KOVR-TV report, police are investigating at least four incidents that occurred in Citrus Heights, just outside California’s capital, in the early morning hours of June 6 — the anniversary of the historic D-Day landing during World War II and just eight days before the United States celebrated Flag Day.
Marie Nuzzi, a resident of the Sungarden neighborhood where the crimes occurred, had her American flag set ablaze, leaving only a pile of soot under a blackened flagpole.
“If it had burned longer it would have caught the house on fire,” Nuzzi said. “Somebody’s lives, for what?”
The flagpole was attached to her home near the roof, which would have created a dangerous situation had the fire spread.
Nuzzi decided not to replace the flag.
“It’s not worth it for me to put my family through it,” she told KOVR.
Two other homes also had their flags burned, and the trees were torched in front of another property that had small American flags set out on the front lawn.
Police did not yet have a motive for the crimes, but another resident thought it might be more than just random arson.
“This is the first time anything’s happened,” 10-year resident Michael Howard told KOVR. “Gut reaction? Is it somebody with an agenda?”
It isn’t a far leap for someone like Howard to wonder whether these small incidents of flag-burning are related to the larger civil unrest that is still simmering in the nation after the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died in police custody after an officer knelt on his neck for almost 9 minutes.
After video of the incident went viral, protests erupted in American cities, including nearby Sacramento, and many protesters have destroyed symbols of America including Old Glory.
It isn’t just the American flag that is under attack during these, but all of the symbols of America as protesters take out their anger on not just police, but also the very founding of the United States.
While there might be an argument to be made against taking down antiquated and controversial symbols such as the Confederate flag or pro-slavery Civil War heroes, there’s also a process for doing so, through legal methods, petitioning local officials and winning elections.
Disdaining the democratic process, the mob has come for just about every representation of America and its history.
“NEW: Protesters yank down Christopher Columbus statue outside Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul,” ABC News tweeted with video of the statue tumbling down as bystanders cheer.
NEW: Protesters yank down Christopher Columbus statue outside Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. https://t.co/uL6qM3U0jO pic.twitter.com/g2gEiUllg5
— ABC News (@ABC) June 10, 2020
Rioters have also torched a historic church and defaced war monuments along with the other property destruction and looting.
It is going to be difficult to repair not only the physical damage the protesters have left behind, but also to the social fabric of America that seems torn beyond repair.
Without a proper contextual understanding of American heroes and history, which it increasingly appears protesters don’t have, there is little hope that the country can pick up the shattered pieces to become 50 truly United States once again.
It is very possible the incidents outside of Sacramento were just punk kids causing trouble and hoping for additional shock value by targeting flags, but with the current climate of hatred towards the United States and all it stands for, this couldn’t have come at a worse time.
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