Would you change Oregon's flag?
It's a signature of our state.
The blue and yellow state flag, complete with the year Oregon became part of the union and our mascot, the beaver, on back.
Now, a Gresham resident wants to change the look because he feels Oregon's flag looks like 19 other state flags. He's persuaded Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson, D-Gresham, to introduce a bill to change it.
Anderson said she agreed to sponsor the bill after several years of persuading by the Gresham man.
The new flag would feature a beaver on front of the flag. The colors would remain blue and yellow, representing water and agriculture. A star on the far right side of the flag would represent Oregon's place in the United States.
It's unclear how far the bill will go, but a few people question whether it's even worth discussing. KATU's Erica Nochlin talked with several folks on Friday. Many said they thought the concept was a waste of time. Others said they liked the current flag.
What do you think? We included pictures of other states' flags as a comparison to the Beaver State's emblem.
No. However I would like to change the Governor.
He should stick to delivering packages and leave history be.
It should be changed to a HUGE Cannabis Leaf.Â
NO! Our history is represented on the flag of Oregon. I am proud of our two sided flag. Please leave it alone.
I fought for my country and would have died for that flag , so leave it alone
I am so glad to see the the legislature is going to take up such an important matter like changing the state flag. I mean why waste time on creating jobs; Oregon only has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Maybe we can take the flag and mask that fact.Â
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Leaving aside the pedestrian issue of money -- not so easy to leave aside when, among other essential services on the chopping block. My real gripe is with the appalling lack of understanding of our flagâs symbolism. When I attended grade school in Eugene, we were taught the state flower -- Mahonia, the Oregon grape -- And we were taught the meaning of the symbols on the state flag. Here's the official description of the state seal: . . . an escutcheon, supported by 33 stars [the number of states in 1859], and divided by an ordinary, with the inscription, "The Union." In chief mountains, an elk with branching antlers, a wagon, the Pacific Ocean, on which there are a British man-of-war departing and an American steamer arriving. The second quartering with a sheaf, plow and a pickax. Crest The American eagle. Legend - State of Oregon, 1859. As a resident of Astoria it's interesting to me that much of the state's seal reflects important events at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River. The British Man-of-War, sails unfurled, is leaving Fort George (first and afterwards Astoria) after President Polk had negotiated the full transfer of the Oregon Territory from Britain in 1846. The American frigate, sails furled, is entering the harbor as the sun sets on the British Empire, symbolizing a new day for Oregon. The flag also sports symbols for the wheat fields of eastern Oregon and the wagon trains of the Oregon Trail. Perhaps most importantly, the seal includes the the words âThe Union.â Oregon was admitted to the Union in 1859. What was happening in America then? Only the greatest debate in American history: Whether America would be a slave nation or a free nation. Oregon chose the motto âThe Unionâ to make forever clear that it stood with the anti-slavery forces and against the idea of a nation divided. The notion carries forward to the present day, and has particular poignance with the recent re-election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Many buildings in our nation's capitol display all the flags of our united states. The Oregon flag is easy to spot. It has our name on it. Yes, there are some graphically hip flags like Arizona and New Mexico;the Mississippi and Alabama flags are controversial because they have yet to be purged of the symbols of slavery. Was Oregonâs history so noble? No. The Klan held much sway for many decades, and Native Americans, along with Americans of Chinese, African and Japanese descent, were treated abominably. But, at a critical moment in Oregon history, Oregonians lined up with the angels of the nationâs better nature. So, as the OSU Admissions blog says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Keep the Flag. Don't bother our legislators, who surely have more important work, with this falderal.
That's the worst looking design for a flag I've ever seen, looks like something a demented UPS driver
would think up....
Oh, and who is 'a Gresham resident'? At least give us a name so we can drive by and shout obscenities at him. :)
Hate it. For one thing...the one star sitting there alone, well, it makes this flag resemble something from the middle east. That's not a good thing. For another thing...the color blocks make the flag look very boring...there's no reason for those colors. The current flag at least stands for something...the center is Oregon's state seal. It shows our mountains, elk, the covered wagon and the Pacific Ocean. It show a sailing ship sailing away from us, and an American ship arriving which means the end of when England ruled us. It shows farm and mining implements that pay homage to our agricultural and mining history. It shows 33 stars that represented the US when we became a state in 1859. I don't know about anyone else...but I'm pretty proud of Oregon. On Valentine's Day, Oregon and I will celebrate our birthdays...I'm much younger...and pretty happy to be an Oregonian :) This supposed "new" flag? Doesn't show me a thing as to who we are.
I think our current state flag is Ugly
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But that proposed flag up there is hideous
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What they do need to change is replace that golden statue of a man at the top of the Capitol building in Salem. That building is to ugliest state capitol building, and that statue at the top is not helping at all!
What an utter waste of time and taxpayer money. I have an idea. How about we let "Einstein" design his own flag and fly it at his house! Then, everyone will know who he is. I think that Senator Monnes Anderson should have one, too, for sponsoring such idiotic legislation. Good grief.
Someone please calculate the cost of replacing every state flag, not to mention they time/money spent in the legislature over the issue.
Leave the flag alone. We many more important issues to deal with.
Laurie, it is just ugly as can be. If Mt. Hood and say the ocean were on it that might make sense. That flag is an eye sore and offensive. As to the beaver how many of us that have lived our life here have every seen a wild beaver. Not me. I did see my first bear last year. I personally wouln't mind if it was a different background color. I like California's flag. I always recognize it.
 @my2cents My husband says that if you want to see beaver, you can't leave Portland. Certain streets are more likely than others. Although they're not really wild, more like...accessible.
@my2cents Wierd Al !
Flags are suppose to represent what the state stands for; keep the Beaver, Gay symbol, welcome mat for illegals, and bicycles with love sign and car with the big dreaded red circle with an X. That sums up what Oregon is about.
That flag looks horrible. What a waste of time. Our flag looks too much like other flags? We are a united group of people. Perhaps they should look similar.
It looks ok, it just needs a likness of Wierd Al Yankovich on it!
All seriousness aside, that's the dumbest flag I have ever seen.
OR, a likeness of,,,,,,,,  oodathunked   YEAH!!
 @oodathunked  You have my vote! And those of my deceased grandparents!
Stupid idea, and an ugly, plain jane concept. I would like to know why one man has the power to get the Oregon legislators to act on this. A little ca-ching in their pockets perhaps? I certainly hope that the Oregonians are allowed a vote on this idiotic waste of taxpayer dollars. Frankly, Oregon should not even be wasting one dime on this issue - the legislators have much more important issues to deal with, IMO.
Yikes! This is an assault on all we Oregon Natives hold dear! Most of you are probably too young to remember when complete knowledge of "The Oregon Blue Book" was required to graduate from 8th grade. It very clearly describes the significance of each component of the current flag and the pride with which Oregonians display it. The different icons on the flag also correspond to our State song, "Oregon, My Oregon". Hope this motion fails for lack of second in State senate as it most certainly should!
Our tax dollars at work?
A S I SAID BEFORE,THAT DESIGN STINKS! WHERE DID THAT UPS DRIVER COME UP WITH THAT IDEA? HE MUST OF BEEN SMOKING THAT FUNNY STUFF. WHERE IS OUR STATE SEAL? THAT YEAR WE ENTERED THE UNION.FOR THE BENEFIT OF THAT UPS DRIVER,STAY WITH YOUR DAY JOB..YOU ARE NO FLAG DESIGNER...COME UP WITH A BETTER IDEA IF YOU STILL HAVE THAT FLAG DESIGN IDEA.
While we're at it, why don't we toss our Constitution? Everyone knows it's outdated and boring. (Sarc)
I know, lets have a new flag every 5 years; that way it will be just like our license plate program!
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If the Ducks can change their uniform every game, why can we change our flag every 100 years or so?
 @Scotty9 We need a rich sponser also to pay to replace the flags.
 @my2centsÂ
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I think OSU should do it since they had free advertising all these years!
Don't give them any ideas, or we'll also have a duck joining the beaver on the flag! LOL
That new idea is about the ugliest thing I have ever seen! In addition to that we have to deal with too much change as it is....pass word changes, street name changes, company mergers...this list goes on and on....why change something that doesn't need to be changed? I like our flag. It looks like Oregon.... not Portlandia!
Absolutley not we need to remember those who forged their way west. Oregon is not about an animal it is about people!Â
A non-gender, non-racial, non-specific stick-figure?
why would you change it it looks blank and boring keep the same!
No, leave the flag alone!! Â What ever happened to respect and pride in your State or American Flag? Â If you don't like the way things are here, leave. Â I feel the current flag tells the story of Oregon.
That new idea of our flag is UGLY! I like the one we have, it shows our history. If he doesn't like our state...LEAVE IT!  that design is so plain..no identity,no state seal, and most of all,no OREGON or the year that our state enter the union. Give us a better design if you want a change. That design stinks.Â
No! Stop changing things! Leave it alone! First the compulsion to change major street names, now this? I like our flag, I always have.
How about a shaved beaver on one side and dead fir trees on the other?
Change it to what? Marijuana leaf on one side and no guns symbol on the other?
I dont like the new design.
I vote with the better things to do crowd. Though grand scheme of things it's not like they have really done anything beneficial lately.............change my vote to undecided.
Ugly waste of time and money! Â Must be nothing to do in Salem! Â Is this guy from California? Â Besides, where is the DUCK? Â
@rwsp420 Your just now realizing that this is the beaver state?
No. Â Go change your underwear if you want to change something. Â Everything worked pretty darn well before all of these progressive liberal change do-gooders started changing things around this country.
@Reeldeal101 I mean, what's wrong with being a British colony, anyway
 @john Yeah, exactly.
When is the last time anyone saw a beaver?
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Lets keep the blue and yellow, but change to a red star, since China owns the place. Then replace the beaver with things we see everyday. I'd go with a bicycle, a homeless guy and an orange traffic cone.
 @al_02 "I'd go with a bicycle, a homeless guy and an orange traffic cone."
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Now that earned a chuckle!
@al_02 Saw them all the time growing up. You can still see them if you get outdoors from time to time.
@al_02 I saw a beaver last week.
 @Jeepers  @al_02 Yeah sure.  Doubt it.