I Want a New Flag

Before I go down this road, let me just reassure everyone that I am very much a “WV Patriot.” In fact from time to time I feel more like a West Virginian or Appalachian than an American (such as right after watching “Matewan” or giving a lecture on college access in WV.)

So I say this with heavy heart, but "true is true, no matter what you do"; our state flag is ugly. That isn’t to say that I don’t fly it. I fly it on every reasonable occasion. However, it is an unfortunate example of how a committee or legislature designs a flag as opposed to how a creative person with a modicum of taste would design a flag.

Vexillology is the scientific study of flag history and symbolism. I should know, as during that ritual of many WV school children, the State Social Studies Fair, I researched the impact of flags and symbols on history. Well, as much as a 5th grader could research. I do still keep up to date on the field and still purchase new reference guides from time to time.

The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), the premier professional organization on the subject, has rated WV’s flag as one of the worst state or provencial flags in North America. Here is what it says on the WV flag, “The seal itself is complex, the white background is boring, and the overall design differs from other state flags only in its blue border.” (New Mexico was voted the best, Georgia the worst.)

I think a new flag for the state could be an opportunity to reunite our people, and the members out there of the Mountaineer Diaspora, and be used by the state as a marketing opportunity for business and tourism. After all, more than one company has reinvented itself with a new logo, why can’t we?I would like to invite you to submit a flag design for the “new” West Virginia. Just follow these rules from NAVA.org:

1. Keep It Simple - The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory…
2. Use Meaningful Symbolism - The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes…
3. Use 2–3 Basic Colors - Limit the number of colors on the flag to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set…
4. No Lettering or Seals - Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal…
5. Be Distinctive or Be Related - Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections…

When we have enough choices, I’ll put up a poll.