Neighbors

I began this photo essay thinking about America and the symbol of America–– the American flag. We wear the American flag as clothing, fly it over battlefields, pledge allegiance to it in classrooms and wave them proudly from our homes. But in this polarized time, who does the American flag really represent? The liberals? The conservatives? Scientists? Anti-vaxxers? Which version of America does your American flag represent?

Good Americans

Of course, we all like to think we are good Americans. That our values and politics are the ones that are right and the correct ones to guide our country through difficult times. But a walk around my neighborhood quickly showed me that many of my neighbors had vastly different views about not only about politics, but aesthetics, lifestyles, religious beliefs, income and more. And yet, hanging from the flag poles and draped from front porches, was an American flag; a symbol of country, patriotism and unity.

“America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms.”

The American President, 1995

What Unites Us

As I began to expand my exploration across the United States, I started to appreciate what divides us, even more. Not just the obvious divisions (income, religion, education, politics, race, class, etc.) but also geography and climate. We live in a huge, geographically diverse country, “from sea to shining sea” . For example, how does the life of an American living in Hawaii compare with an American living in upstate New York? Do they eat the same kind of foods, have the same kinds of hobbies? How do they commute to work? Are they at risk of the same kind of natural disasters and climate change? Their lives could be like night and day, and yet there is the flag, fluttering proudly in the tropical breeze… in the snowy gale. They are Americans. How incredible that we agree on anything at all?

States represented in this collection of photos. I hope to include every state in this collection of photos.

The American Dream

For many, the American dream was owning a home. I began photographing homes flying American flags because of the shared patriotism and love of country, but the American flags were actually the least telling part of their homes. The rusting basketball hoop, the cat in the window, the hybrid in the driveway or pick-up at the curb, the fall decorations––– painted a much fuller picture of the Americans living inside.

Without ever meeting the residents, based solely on the exterior of their homes, I can tell you:

  • People who own dogs fly the American Flag

  • People who are gay fly the American Flag.

  • People who live in the city fly the American Flag.

  • People who voted for Donald Trump fly the American Flag.

  • People who support Black Lives Matter fly the American Flag.

  • People who live at the beach fly the American Flag.

  • People who are poor fly the American Flag.

  • People who have three car garages fly the American Flag.

  • People who are renovating fly the American Flag.

  • People who like to hunt fly the American Flag.

  • People who have kids fly the American Flag.

  • People who have hybrids fly the American Flag.

  • People who are Catholic fly the American Flag.

  • People who are Black fly the American Flag.

  • People who were born somewhere else fly the American flag.

  • And so on, and so on, and so on…

A Reminder

This a photo essay is intended to be a reminder: our diversity is one of our greatest assets and that the symbol of our country MUST be more than a flag.

I have tried to take comfort in that; that Americans are more complex than bumper stickers and flags. That guy wearing that tshirt with a political slogan that you loathe–– is also a person with a full life, with their own challenges and comforts; dreams and aspirations; neighbors and homes. He may even be your neighbor. And if he is, you may not talk to him much–– but when you do, I bet you’re polite. I bet you know his name and whether or not he is married, has kids or grandkids or pets––

How do we engage civilly with each other?
How do we find common ground and work together?
How can we treat each other like neighbors?

We are united in this great social experiment: We are parents and teachers and truck drivers and doctors and receptionists and homeowners and renters and liberals and conservatives–– We are neighbors AND we are Americans.