It is probably quite safe to say that everyone has seen patriotic pins in one of their many guises. Just think of any politician being interviewed on television and there is a good chance he is wearing one in his lapel. The most often used symbol for these items is that of the country's flag, and is a useful aid to promoting a strong feeling of patriotism.
They are not a new idea, although people cannot decide exactly when they started to become popular. However they have always become more noticeable in times of trouble or shortly afterwards. Which bears out some people's argument that these items became popular during the American Civil War.
Sometimes it takes something as serious as a conflict to refocus the public on patriotism. Any suburban street in America will soon reiterate the idea of patriotism amongst the general population. The flags would be a bit cumbersome to carry round though, and so a small metallic version is ideal.
Sometimes it takes something like conflict to bring the public's feelings of patriotism to the fore. The prime example of this was America during the Second World War. Originally it was not deemed suitable for women to wear such items. Men were called up in ever increasing numbers, and it was the women who fulfilled the roles that they left behind. Which also happened to include the wearing of these pieces.
Not only was it the national flag that was being displayed. There were also designs being worn which denoted which service a loved one was in. There were designs for the Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy. Each design was worn with pride, and often more than one would be worn at the same time.
Armed conflict has not always been viewed so positively as WWII, for instance the protests that occurred over the involvement in Vietnam. To try and refocus the public the Nixon administration borrowed a ploy from the film The Candidate. Nixon decreed that all of his aides should wear a lapel badge to promote steadfastness and uniformity with the administration's policies.
The various units also had their own emblems produced as a way of increasing identity and solidarity between their troops. As they were not ideal for wearing on combat operations many were sent back home and were worn by family members there. Members of the veteran's associations often still wear their old unit insignia with pride.
There was another upsurge in the popularity of these items in the wake of the terror attacks of September 2001. In the aftermath Barrack Obama initially wore a badge, but then famously stopped wearing it saying that so many people were wearing them but not showing any other signs of patriotism. He has since gone back to wearing one. So maybe the public perception of what such an item portrays is all important.
These patriotic pins have mirrored the path of history as their popularity has climbed and fallen. Now people actively collect these symbols, maybe that is one way to learn about history. Even today you can still see people proudly wearing their badges, maybe they have loved ones serving overseas.
They are not a new idea, although people cannot decide exactly when they started to become popular. However they have always become more noticeable in times of trouble or shortly afterwards. Which bears out some people's argument that these items became popular during the American Civil War.
Sometimes it takes something as serious as a conflict to refocus the public on patriotism. Any suburban street in America will soon reiterate the idea of patriotism amongst the general population. The flags would be a bit cumbersome to carry round though, and so a small metallic version is ideal.
Sometimes it takes something like conflict to bring the public's feelings of patriotism to the fore. The prime example of this was America during the Second World War. Originally it was not deemed suitable for women to wear such items. Men were called up in ever increasing numbers, and it was the women who fulfilled the roles that they left behind. Which also happened to include the wearing of these pieces.
Not only was it the national flag that was being displayed. There were also designs being worn which denoted which service a loved one was in. There were designs for the Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy. Each design was worn with pride, and often more than one would be worn at the same time.
Armed conflict has not always been viewed so positively as WWII, for instance the protests that occurred over the involvement in Vietnam. To try and refocus the public the Nixon administration borrowed a ploy from the film The Candidate. Nixon decreed that all of his aides should wear a lapel badge to promote steadfastness and uniformity with the administration's policies.
The various units also had their own emblems produced as a way of increasing identity and solidarity between their troops. As they were not ideal for wearing on combat operations many were sent back home and were worn by family members there. Members of the veteran's associations often still wear their old unit insignia with pride.
There was another upsurge in the popularity of these items in the wake of the terror attacks of September 2001. In the aftermath Barrack Obama initially wore a badge, but then famously stopped wearing it saying that so many people were wearing them but not showing any other signs of patriotism. He has since gone back to wearing one. So maybe the public perception of what such an item portrays is all important.
These patriotic pins have mirrored the path of history as their popularity has climbed and fallen. Now people actively collect these symbols, maybe that is one way to learn about history. Even today you can still see people proudly wearing their badges, maybe they have loved ones serving overseas.
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This article collected, selected and written by: Author Van Hoc
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