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Opinion: US flag portrays disunity
Dear Editor,
The United States of America (USA) will be celebrating its Independence Day on July 4, 2020. Every independent nation has its own national symbols to reflect the nature of that country and its identity.
Ironically, the United States of America which should have had a national flag portraying UNITY and ONENESS has as many as sixty four (64) SEPARATED features on their flag. That does not show UNITY but DISUNITY.
The entire present design of the US flag which has existed since the year 1777, therefore, leaves much to be desired because it had incredibly been changed for about 28 times.
I have a few observations about the US flag which could be reviewed and considered.
- The 50 tiny and very difficult to arrange stars with blue background representing each state is squeezed on the quarter corned space of the flag.
- The 13 red and white stripes also representing the original 13 states have unequal horizontal lines even though all those states are equally revered.
- The fragile-looking 50 white stars will again be increased in number whenever new states are created. HOW? Is that not inconsistent?
- The flag shows the original 13 states by space which are more important than the present 50 states which still included the favoured 13 states, etc. That sounds complex.
Though, I am not an American but a Ghanaian, we live in A GLOBAL VILLAGE where SIMPLICITY is the order of the time, so I am humbly appealing to the US authorities in Ghana or elsewhere through this medium to consider my meticulous observations to aptly redesign the US flag to suit the now simplified world.
I think my proposed US flag with a few features not numbering up to 10 would be up to that task to let the flag portray UNITY.
Conclusively, in my view, the best designed flag in the world is the ever-conspicuous and outstanding Japanese flag which has only two very glaring features and looks the same anyhow one turns that flag around. That is beautiful and wonderful.
United States of America (USA) over to you. IN GOD WE TRUST.
John B.K. Amoah
KASOA
Tel: +233 0244 062 998
Email: jamoahus@yahoo.com
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Speaker of Parliament inaugurates open Parliament Steering Committee, launches action plan
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has launched the Open Parliament Steering Committee and the Open Parliament Action Plan.
The ceremony was under the theme “Achieving Gender Equality: Action by Action.”
The Speaker highlighted the critical role Parliament plays in translating the will of the people into inclusive legislation, responsive policies, and accountable governance.
“The International Day of Parliamentarianism is worth celebrating, as it offers an opportunity not only to recognise and promote achievements in strengthening democratic governance, but also to pause and reflect on the remaining gaps in institutionalising parliamentary democracy,” he said.
He noted that the event was scheduled to coincide with the International Day of Parliamentarianism to reinforce the importance of open and inclusive governance.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, stated that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is intended to recognise the vital role Parliaments play globally as pillars of democratic governance.
He noted that this marks the first time Ghana is formally observing the day.
“The gravity of our observance is further accentuated as we convene to witness the launch of the Open Parliament Action Plan by the Open Government Partnership Caucus,” he said.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, described the Open Parliament Action Plan as a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening the relationship between Parliament and the public.
She said the plan represents a bold commitment to making Parliament more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the needs of Ghanaians.
The Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, described the launch as a key milestone in the effort to build a citizen-focused and accountable Parliament.
He added that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is a call to action to recommit to the highest standards of public service and democratic accountability.
The inauguration was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including the Majority and Minority Members of Parliament, members of the Open Parliament Steering Committee, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Caucus, Parliamentary Network Africa, representatives from civil society organisations, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional and religious leaders, student bodies, the Parliamentary Press Corps, and other media partners.
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NACOC declares drug menace a national emergency
The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior has paid a working visit to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to engage with its leadership and assess operational challenges hampering the fight against illicit drugs.
In a detailed presentation, Dr. Basha Ligbi, Head of the Commission’s Research Bureau, highlighted critical setbacks including broken body scanners at airport terminals, inadequate office infrastructure, overcrowded detention facilities, and deteriorating vehicles.
He also called for the Commission’s headquarters to be reclassified as a security zone, citing growing security risks due to private encroachment and nearby high-rise developments.
Director General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obiba Mantey, described the escalating drug trade as a national emergency, warning that drug barons now rival armed robbers in threat level and are gaining influence at the highest levels.
He appealed for stronger institutional support and morale-boosting interventions to preserve the integrity of NACOC officers.
Chairman of the Committee and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga, assured the Commission of the Committee’s commitment to escalate the concerns to Parliament and engage key justice sector stakeholders to fast-track reforms in support of NACOC’s mandate.
