Long before Betsy Ross scissor-snipped her first star or stitched her first stripe, young America had experimented with various and sundry banners to magnificently represent its new-found independence! Some of the contestants should have, without question, been voted off early in the competition. The well-known Navy Jack was no doubt an early elimination. DONT TREAD ON ME. An unfortunate punctuation faux pas. If they had only had spell-check back in the day, the guy may have had a chance to make it into the finals. Damned apostrophes! Betsy was voted through, wisely avoiding text, to beat the competition. Stars and stripes forever! So after the drumroll, confetti, hugs, tears, and no doubt much flag-waving, we had our winner. Who knew that 230-plus years later her winning design would still be flying high (albeit a bit starrier)? A long-standing, award-winning design like that certainly warrants respect, of course, and ought not be taken lightly. It is a symbol, after all, of our free...