Celebrating Communism; raising the Chinese flag in Philadelphia

 Tomorrow, on September 30, Philadelphia's Office of Immigrant Affairs is planning to raise the red flag emblazoned with the star of the Chinese Communist Party to celebrate the anniversary of the establishment of the CCP.  There's more than just a mere touch of irony involved here. Less than a mile from City Hall, the site of the proposed CCP flag-raising, Betsy Ross stitched the first American flag in a small house on Arch Street, at the direct request of President George Washington. The Stars and Stripes was adopted by the incipient United States on June 14, 1777. It was proudly flown during the Revolutionary War that resulted in our independence. Very near to Betsy Ross's house is the site of John Dunlap's press that disseminated the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1788.  

Celebrating the authoritarianism represented by the CCP is antithetical to the essence of freedom and American values. Is this 'virtue-signaling, tolerance for diversity, or just a patent disgrace? Philadelphia has long been the center of gravity for American freedom. A public celebration of the Chinese Communist Party, which is fast becoming the single greatest national security threat to the United States in the 21st century, is warped.

The proposed event is being sponsored by the Pennsylvania United Chinese Coalition, part of a network of organizations attempting to boost the CCP's reputation and influence within the US under the guise of 'cultural exchange'. While it may have been intended to be a symbolic gesture, it is nonetheless crass and vacuous. Here is the real underpinning irony; many Chinese-Americans are in Philadelphia because they were seeking the freedom and opportunity denied to them by the CCP. The Chinese in Philadelphia are likely loathe to celebrate the regime that persecuted them. This 'ceremony' is likely more of an insult to them, not to mention a reminder that they're not far enough removed for the CCP. Philadelphia's Office of Immigrant Affairs needs to rethink this. We should be celebrating American Freedom, not Communist oppression. Just ask the Chinese immigrants...