Flags

[Antarctic]

I saw something unusual today.I walked past a high school and it was flying a bright and crisp New Zealand flag.
That might not seem unusual to Americans but it is here...I live in a city of 120,000 people and I doubt if there are more than ten flags flying in the whole city.

Seeing the flag led to a discussion at work as to how we relate to our flag.My workmates range from 25 to 60.Not surprisingly none of us has ever owned a flag and none of us would be offended if somebody burnt or trampled on one.

Which leads me to a query...why do many Americans seemingly have a form of flag worship?I've travelled to the US over a dozen times and I love the country greatly but I'm constantly surprised by the vast number of flags,sometimes grotesquely large, flying on Government,commercial and private flagpoles.

Alongside the reverence in which the armed forces are held it's a major difference between our countries....why?