“Our country’s resources should be used to highlight our unity, not our political divisions,” Guest said.
Today, Congressman Michael Guest (R-MS) cosponsored the Stars and Stripes Act of 2021, legislation to ensure that only American flags, host nation flags, U.S. state flags, federal entity flags, armed forces flags, and POW/MIA flags are flown on United States of America embassy grounds.
The legislation was introduced by Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) after Secretary of State Antony Blinken “strongly encouraged” foreign embassies to use department resources to fly Black Lives Matter (BLM) flags on the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd.
“The death of George Floyd opened important discussions surrounding police reform in the United States. However, using United States resources to display a non-governmental flag over United States embassies is not permissible. I encourage all Americans to exercise their First Amendment right to free speech and to continue civil dialogue around this matter. However, these discussions should not be aired out on an international stage. Our country’s resources should be used to highlight our unity, not our political divisions,” Guest said.
BLM is a decentralized social movement that has been incorporated by numerous organizations, some contradictory to one another. Protestors displaying BLM flags have threatened police officers, and the official organization supports defunding the police. Recently, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation stepped down amid criticisms from other Black Lives Matter chapters for the foundation’s lack of transparency involving funds collected under BLM sponsored fundraising.
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Release from Congressman Michael Guest.
