I was riding on a boat in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and I noticed something. About one in four of the houses was proudly displaying an american flag; one of them even had a pole high enough to rise above the trees; presumably, it makes them extra-patriotic. It got me thinking: what is the purpose of flying an American flag? Ostensibly, it’s to show one’s support for America. But isn’t that pretty much implied by the fact that you live here? It’s like flying a flag that says “I believe murder should be illegal,” or “I want world peace.”

I think that it’s