WIST Quotations

Rogers, Will -- Article (1924-06-25), “Rogers Sees Harrison as Rival Monologuist,” New York Times, Democratic Convention Article 3, New York City

Dave — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 20:26:05 +0000

The building is literally lined with flags. I could never understand the exact connection between the flag and a bunch of politicians.
Why a political speaker’s platform should be draped in flags, any more than a factory where men work, or an office building, is beyond me.

Will Rogers (1879–1935) American humorist
Article (1924-06-25), “Rogers Sees Harrison as Rival Monologuist,” New York Times, Democratic Convention Article 3, New York City
(Source)

Variant (labeled 1924-06-23):

I could never understand the exact connection between the flag and a bunch of politicians. It's beyond me why a political speaker's platform should be draped in flags, any more than a factory where honest men work.

Moyers, Bill -- Essay (2003-02-28), “Patriotism and the Flag,” NOW with Bill Moyers (PBS)

Dave — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 22:40:36 +0000

When I see flags sprouting on official lapels, I think of the time in China when I saw Mao’s Little Red Book on every official’s desk, omnipresent and unread.

Bill Moyers (1934–2025) American journalist and public commentator
Essay (2003-02-28), “Patriotism and the Flag,” NOW with Bill Moyers (PBS)
(Source)

Moyers quoted the comments a few years later in a speech to the National Conference for Media Reform (St Louis) (2005-05-15); the phrase is often cited to that occasion.

Commager, Henry Steele -- Essay (1947-07), “Who Is Loyal to America?” sec. 4, Harper’s Magazine, Vol. 195, No. 1168

Dave — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:57:49 +0000

It is easier to say what loyalty is not than to say what it is. It is not conformity. It is not passive acquiescence in the status quo. It is not preference for everything American over everything foreign. It is not an ostrich-like ignorance of other countries and other institutions. It is not the indulgence in ceremony — a flag salute, an oath of allegiance, a fervid verbal declaration. It is not a particular creed, a particular version of history, a particular body of economic practices, a particular philosophy.

Henry Steele Commager (1902–1998) American historian, writer, activist
Essay (1947-07), “Who Is Loyal to America?” sec. 4, Harper’s Magazine, Vol. 195, No. 1168
(Source)

Reprinted in Freedom, Loyalty, Dissent (1954).

Baldwin, James -- Speech (1965-02-17), Opening Comments, “The American Dream is at the Expense of the American Negro,” debate with William F. Buckley, Jr., Cambridge University, England

Dave — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 18:10:56 +0000

It comes as a great shock around the age of 5, or 6, or 7, to discover that the flag to which you have pledged allegiance, along with everybody else, has not pledged allegiance to you.

James Baldwin (1924–1987) American novelist, playwright, activist
Speech (1965-02-17), Opening Comments, “The American Dream is at the Expense of the American Negro,” debate with William F. Buckley, Jr., Cambridge University, England
(Source)

(Source (Video))

Inge, William Ralph -- “Patriotism,” Outspoken Essays: First Series (1915)

Dave — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 18:54:17 +0000

Devil-worship remains what it was, even when the idol is draped in the national flag.

William Ralph Inge (1860–1954) English prelate [Dean Inge]
“Patriotism,” Outspoken Essays: First Series (1915)

Lewis, Sinclair -- (Spurious)

Dave — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 16:53:21 +0000

When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.

Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) American novelist, playwright
(Spurious)

Not found in Lewis' writing. Variants:

James Waterman Wise, Jr., Christian Century (5 Feb 1936): "In a recent address here before the liberal John Reed club said that Hearst and Coughlin are the two chief exponents of fascism in America. If fascism comes, he added, it will not be identified with any 'shirt' movement, nor with an 'insignia,' but it will probably be 'wrapped up in the American flag and heralded as a plea for liberty and preservation of the constitution.'"
Halford E. Luccock, Keeping Life Out of Confusion (1938): "When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled 'made in Germany'; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, 'Americanism.'"
Harrison Evans Salisbury, The Many Americas Shall Be One (1971): "Sinclair Lewis aptly predicted in It Can't Happen Here that if fascism came to America it would come wrapped in the flag and whistling 'The Star Spangled Banner.'" [The quotation is not found in that book.]

Lloyd George, David -- (Attributed)

Dave — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 13:49:54 +0000

The man who tries to make the flag an object of a single party is a greater traitor to that flag than any man who fires at it.

David Lloyd George (1863–1945) Welsh politician, statesman, UK Prime Minister (1916–22)
(Attributed)

Lodge, Henry Cabot -- “What the Flag Means” (1915)

Dave — Wed, 28 May 2014 12:13:28 +0000

It is the flag just as much of the man who was naturalized yesterday as of the man whose people have been here many generations.

Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr. (1850–1924) American politician and historian
“What the Flag Means” (1915)

Ivins, Molly -- (Misattributed)

Dave — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:33:57 +0000

I prefer a man who will burn the flag and then wrap himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag.

Molly Ivins (1944–2007) American writer, political columnist [Mary Tyler Ivins]
(Misattributed)
(Source)

While this appeared in her regular syndicated column (1997-06-29), Ivins was actually quoting a comment previously made by Texas state representative Craig Washington on the floor of the Texas Senate. It is frequently misattributed to Ivins herself.

Variant: "I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag."