Vote “no” on the proposed flag design. Maine needs a new flag design, but not this. This is not our last chance.

A strikingly similar flag, the Christian nationalist “Appeal to Heaven” revolutionary flag, was flown during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. It represents revolution against the government. If you search for a “pine tree flag” image you will mostly find this. It was used until the American Revolution. We do not want a symbol associated with revolution as our state flag.

Maine’s “historic” pine tree flag was in use for only eight years before the current state flag was adopted in 1909 and was essentially based on the same revolutionary history symbology and imagery.

The pine tree signifies strength, and we can also draw from our history and Wabanaki pine tree symbolology when choosing a unique design for the Pine Tree State that we can all be proud of.

The truth is that the design you voted for was meticulously determined in a law passed by the legislature, without voter input (LD 86) on January 7, 2024, without the governor’s signature, after several other efforts failed. Every symbol, color, size, proportion, background and symbol placement on the flag was determined according to the specifications of the law. This summer’s “flag design competition” only allowed entries on precise details of the shape of the floating pine tree and what exact hex codes should be determined for each shade of color. The results of the competition determined only these elements. Now, a “yes” vote in November will serve to finalize the Legislature’s mandatory design.

You may like the new flag design, in which case you will vote “yes”. If you want a new flag but maybe not the levitating tree in the background, a “no” vote will keep our options open for a new flag design we can all get behind.

By the time the law was passed, at least seven companies, mostly out of state, were distributing their own versions of the 1901 flag on commercial products. Secretary Bellows’ competition ensured that he would not show favoritism to any company’s tree shape.

Do you want for-profit organizations to dictate to Mainers that a “deal is done”? Are you voting “yes” because things are better than what we have now? Or is it “too late” because they are everywhere? Not so.

For example, Maine already has a beautiful and unique design featuring a pine tree and star, which resulted from an open, statewide, Legislature-sponsored, bona fide design competition in 2019 overseen by then-Secretary of State Matt Dunlap. The final design received 59% support from 6,500 online survey participants. like that Maine’s Bicentennial Flag.

I once saw this design fleetingly, but never again; It has disappeared along with our public lives and centennial celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as business organizations flooded the market with banners of support, I knew Maine had something better. It took me much longer than it should have to find it, but I finally did, and even found the name of the Mainer who designed it.

Jeff Van West’s winning design features a pine tree in the foreground extending from the flag border, giving the impression of standing next to it in the forest and looking out at the water. Beyond that, light blue represents Maine’s rivers, ponds, and oceanfront. Above the water is the deep blue of the sky, and the north star shines above it. The original presentation featured a simple five-pointed white star. The Bicentennial star is more complex.

This flag is a winner in every sense; it ticks all the boxes: stunning graphics that are easy to replicate, beautiful colors, historical reference to the pine tree, the waters of Maine, and the North Star. It feels like home.

Vote “no” on the reinforcement flag. We could choose a better symbol for our state that we can all be proud of.

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