And it was refreshing. You don’t see our flag that much at the other protests that have taken place since Trump was elected as President. I participated in the Women’s March on D.C. the day after his inauguration and for the most part, the American flag was missing in action.

When I searched images of the simultaneous marches that took place across the country, our flag was hard to find. Viewing photos of the protest against the Iraq war in 2003, it didn’t pop out there, either.

In 2007, when then.-Sen Barack Obama caught flak about why he didn’t wear a flag pin, he responded that he was less concerned with what you were wearing on your lapel than what’s in your heart.

Too many of those of us who believe that our country is failing to live up to its ideals and cultural values seem to have abandoned the flag. It seems we can’t square the patriotic act of protesting with the pride of carrying our flag.