United We Stand

I took this photograph of “The World’s Largest American Flag” at a Flag Day event at Moffett Airfield in 1998. This majestic and humongous flag measured the size of three football fields. It required over a thousand people to hold it up so it would catch the wind and rise. We, the people, look like tiny matchsticks compared to the grandiosity of this enormous flag, which symbolizes how important each one of us is in holding up the values and principles by which our country lives.

After the tragedy of 9/11, I was inspired to turn this image into a “United We Stand” poster. The sight of so many individuals coming together to support and lift this massive flag became a powerful metaphor for the unity and resilience we exemplified in the aftermath of the attacks. This photograph, which celebrates the flag's grandeur, took on a new meaning during our darkest days.

Today, that period of unity that defined us a nation after 9/11 is a distant memory. The political divide and discord in our country today are intense.  When did we lose our mutual respect and civility for each other? Once, we could disagree and still find common ground, even if other’s views differed from our own. But now, disagreements too often turn into heated conflicts and violence, fueled by a polarized media and a culture that views compromise as weakness. 

How did we get here? More importantly, how do we find our way back to a place where differences are discussed and not weaponized? This isn’t the kind of world we want to live in, nor one we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. We’ve created this environment, and we’re the only ones who can change it. 

It’s up to each one of us to stand united, not just in times of crisis, but every day. Our future depends on each one of us upholding the morals and values that have made us the greatest nation in the world. 

This photograph was featured as a two-page spread in Popular Photography magazine and exhibited at the United States Capitol in 2000.