When the Flock Goes MAGA, and Why

Here’s the story of what was my 2019 late winter and early spring sartorial strategy.  It was inspired by but also the way that I chose to show support for those brave young men from Covington Catholic High who selflessly embarked on a journey – a pilgrimage, really – to combat the forces of evil that see fit to destroy innocent human lives.

Hopefully you’ve guessed it: I gave the job to my already over-worked MAGA hat.  I wanted to be smart and make a statement of solidarity where it would have the most relevance.  So I added a new destination to its travels.  I started wearing it to the sort of venue where you might find courageous young folks like those fellas we’re talking about: high school sporting events.  I attended a number of these events at public, private, and parochial schools, all the while proudly wearing my red MAGA hat with white lettering.  Though, before I regale you with the vicissitudes of this MAGA hat wearer, we really should talk a little more about the gentlemen from Covington Catholic.

To put it bluntly, the gauntlet that those “kids” endured on-site and in the aftermath was uncannily and eerily similar to the jeering and unmitigated hatred that Jesus experienced as he carried the Cross on his way to Calvary.  Those big-hearted boys were mocked and derided for wearing hats that simply bore a saying attributable to a president of the United States of America.

But There’s More

Let us not forget that the hat was not the only reason those students were despised by those on the left.  The reason primarily for their peregrination was to defend life.  And get this – the hats honored the most pro-life president since Ronald Reagan.  So, in the final analysis, the hats actually served as a bona fide adjunct to the boys’ main mission.  It was like the perfect storm for triggering liberals.  Moreover, the liberal news media would rejoice if viewers did not make that connection and came away believing only that the hateful so-called adults who unfairly attacked these children had some sort of legitimate political grievance.

Well, guess what?  A hat is not a legitimate grievance, political or otherwise.  In fact, adults should never confront law-abiding minors they don’t know.  But if they do decide to say something, it should always be confined to “good day,” “nice weather,” or perhaps “How bout ‘dem Saints?”  (Had to throw that last one in.)

A Double Standard?

But before I get to my hat-wearing escapades, and in further defense of the Covington Catholic volunteers, let’s just step back for a moment and look at things from a slightly broader perspective.  The MAGA hat, as I mentioned previously, bears a slogan attributable to an American president.  So who among us is really, honestly prepared to claim that “Make America Great Again” is any less virtuous than the following:

• • “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” — President George Washington
  • “I will say now, however, I approve the declaration in favor of so amending the Constitution as to prohibit slavery throughout the nation.” — President Abraham Lincoln
  • “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” — President Theodore Roosevelt 
  • “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” — President John F. Kennedy 
  • “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” — President Ronald Reagan 
  • “Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.” — President Ronald Reagan
    

Oh, dang!  Did I list two quotes from Ronald Reagan?  Who, pray tell, would do something like that?

Let’s face it, presidents say things.  In the past, Americans – even those who don’t agree with certain presidential statements – have not completely but on the whole shown courtesy to other adults who do agree with and even reproduce these sayings.  However, one thing that always seemed to be off limits was attacking children.  This brave new paradigm is quickly becoming a central tenet of mob rule.  And only good people will be able to reverse something so unholy.

Game Time

All right, time for the play-by-play.  As mentioned, I started showing up to public, private, and parochial school sporting events wearing my MAGA hat.  In short, I was at no point confronted by school officials anywhere about my hat.  I kept getting this strange vibe that they wanted to.  They just never did it.  That’s actually good news, folks.  Acrimonious confrontation might be one of the central building blocks of evening news DNA, but it doesn’t do much for the regular flow of personal freedoms.  At the same time, we do live in a deeply red state; so perhaps I was enjoying a bit of home field advantage.  Though, I’d like to think that ultimately the aforementioned schools were simply exercising civility simply for the sake and merit of doing so.

That was the front office side of things.  Now for the fan reaction.  I was actually caught a little off guard by the number of compliments I received.  There were high school students of multiple races (yes, that includes black and white) who said they liked my hat, along with adult spectators who gave me pats on the back and words of encouragement.  I did not hesitate to explain my mission of support for the boys from CCH.

Then there was that one fly in the ointment.  I sat with thousands of spectators at multiple schools throughout the season, and not one person uttered a word of displeasure.  Except for this one woman.  It’s just a fact of life that dyed-in-the-wool liberals cannot keep their mouths shut.  They especially can’t respond in kind by wearing their own hat or t-shirt and calling it a day.  They just have to get in your face.

So I was moving amongst the crowd, and suddenly I heard this raspy voice proclaiming how “divisive” I was being.  I just looked over at the woman who said it, smiled and shrugged my shoulders, and moved on.  I never let liberals get to me.  It was just so surprising to me, and still is, that she was able to get those words out of her mouth without belching.  That’s because I was pretty sure she had just devoured Hansel and Gretel in one sitting.  (Sorry to confuse you, I know that in the original story they escape.  But in the liberal universe, death eagerly awaits innocent children.)

At any rate, she made herself noticeable one more time that evening.  It was during the Pledge of Allegiance (unfortunately, not every school I visited bothered with patriotism).  When asked, the crowd rose in near synchrony to face the flag and place their hands over their hearts.  Except for Miss Sunshine, who ended up positioned between Old Glory and I.  She rose, but I’m guessing only to avoid sticking out like hippies at a Frank Sinatra concert.  But instead of turning 90 degrees to the left in order to face the flag like everyone else, she remained 90 degrees opposed to it, then went so far as to turn her sour, dour visage roughly another 15 degrees to the right.  I’m guessing that move was to flush the flag from her own field of vision.  Then she stared off searchingly in the direction of a dark corner of the gym.  Had I needed to put my money on one number that night, I would have bet she was longing to witness a make out session between Patty Hearst and Jane Fonda.  Don’t worry, I kept one eye on the Flag the whole time.

The Bottom Line

Folks, unfortunately there’s not a whole lot we can do about people who don’t respect the flag, other than to set the right patriotic example in our everyday lives.  On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing they can do about our MAGA hats.  So don’t be afraid to wear them proudly, and don’t be afraid to show your support for those good boys from Covington Catholic High.  If there is one thing the good people of the greatest country on earth can never allow, it is a war on children – born or unborn.