Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, on Friday introduced the Star and Stripes Act of 2021, a bill that would reverse the State Department’s guidance encouraging consulates and embassies to fly Black Lives Matter flags.
In two pages, the legislation states that diplomatic posts may fly the following: the American flag, state or territorial flags, the host country’s flag, departmental or secretarial flags, the Armed Force’s flag or the POW/MIA flag.
“It is inappropriate … to authorize and encourage the display of inherently political flags that are in no way affiliated with the U.S. Government over American embassies overseas,” Malliotakis said in a press release.
“The Administration’s directive is an insult to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our flag and our nation—especially as we head into Memorial Day weekend—and it is absolutely ridiculous that legislation is needed to correct this issue,” she continued.
If the bill passes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken would have to prevent diplomatic posts from flying any other flags.
Malliotakis advanced the bill less than a week after the State Department circulated a memo, dated May 22, that permits displays of the violent Marxist organization‘s flag.
“We encourage [diplomatic] posts to focus on the need to eliminate systemic racism and its continued impact,” the memo said.
But critics say BLM’s overtly partisan agenda has little to do with eradicating racism and more to do with perpetuating racial discord, as well as and systemic class inequality and oppression.
According to its recently stealth-edited credo, BLM aims to uproot Western civilization, including the two-parent family, free exchange, Christianity, the rule of law and republican self-government.
The State Department said it intended the memo’s guidance to honor George Floyd, who died of a likely drug overdose while in police custody last Memorial Day.
“This tragedy joined a long line of [b]lack men and women who have suffered at the
hands of police brutality,” the memo said. “These national and global protests sparked a movement to confront systems perpetuating deep-seated inequities rooted in colonialism and the oppression of racial, tribal, ethnic, and other minority communities.”
Malliotakis introduced the bill with support from prominent Republicans, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.
“Our beautiful American flag should fly over our U.S. embassies around the world—not the flag of a political organization founded by Marxists,” Stefanik said in the press release.
