My answer for a question what your plan for this long weekend was always returned in mocking sense, “Oh please, flag independence ceremony?”
Instead of supporting the pity comment with grumbling and mumbling, this year I see the flag ceremony obligation as a privilege. When could we sing our anthem before our flying flag? While we don’t achieve many awards that required our anthem sung abroad, August 17 is the moment.
Comparing to fighting in the independence war, the singing anthem thing sounds very effortless to do. Listening the anthem sung made my eyes fogged in pride that we could stand as an independent nation among other independent nations in the world. I could feel how patriotic our soldiers fighting the Dutch without thinking whether they would be able to enjoy the independence or not.
However, the independence itself is not about singing our anthem before the flying flag. It’s only a symbol. As a symbol, the flag ceremony could be a reminder for us to contribute something to this country. Unless we can do something (paying tax is a contribution too folks!), at least we don’t corrupt the country.
Flag ceremony is also a reminder that it’s not easy to have independent country. Our neighbor Timor Leste is almost stated as a fail state for insisting to have it’s own independence.
Do we exaggerate this flag thing by having a flag ceremony every Monday at schools or every year at government offices? I don’t think so. Even today, America campaigns by its flag. It is an unwritten (or written, who knows) rule that there must be an American flag in every Hollywood movie whether it is related or unrelated with the script. Please notice the next Hollywood movie.
Happy Independence Day, MERDEKA!
Tags: american flag in hollywood movie, independence day, Indonesia flag ceremony, Indonesian flag, Indonesian independnece
Agustus 10, 2009 pada 2:30 pm
Nice Post!
Many kinds of ceremonies, including the commemoration of the independence day and every Monday-flag ceremonies,indicate that our country is keen on the formality and simbolism. However, it doesn’t matter as long as the formality n simbolism are applied in real life. Many corruption n collusion in our society indicate that such ceremonies do not imply anything to make this country better.
Thank u
Best regards