I have noted now. On various walks, that the American flags are back as they were in 2016, in that other, savage election year.

The proportions in Baltimore County and adjacent Baltimore City, both with roughly a 75% Caucasian population, were in 2016 and this year in 2020, roughly 1 in 20 City houses and 1 in 20 County houses.

The houses with flags, then as now, were more likely to have military veteran postings and/or security bars and security signs.

Something is different though.

What is it?

First, American flags, even where flag poles stand ready to fly them, are less common on secondary streets and main streets.

American flags are just as common on side streets.

American flags now tend to be clustered in groups, with close neighbors flying flags more often than flags being evenly dispersed.

The biggest difference is that the additional flags making up for the missing flags on the main streets and secondary streets, are not up on side streets. These compensatory flags that bring the overall impression to one even with 2016, are to be found in the backyards of row houses, in the alleys behind the side streets.

The overall impression is that the conservative minority is just as likely to show support for law and order over Bantu pillaging, but that this support is less visible, in less highly trafficked locations and more likely to be clustered. For instance, I have never before seen three or more homes in a row flying American flags in Baltimore City of County, but I am seeing that now. In concise terms, the conservative minority is behaving as if they feel like they are under more threat than they were in 2016, though not by a significant margin a margin that may simply be accounted for by urban and suburban flight.

I will continue to check these impressions as the 4th of July nears, for that was the peak flag season in 2016 as it is every year. I should also note that Ebony on Ivory crime has lessened in these areas since the Cordovan Plague, that now, just as in 2016, virtually all flags were flown by Ivory folk [BLM flags included] and that the increased violence in the Baltimore area is Ebony on Ebony and Agave on Ebony.

Ivory foot traffic is up 20 times normal.

Ebony foot traffic is down to 1 in 10 of normal.

Agave foot traffic has not changed.