Flag of Sierra

The flag of Sierra is a horizontal of, , and  with a  star centered in a  circle aligned near the. The official flag of the Kingdom of Sierra, the banner was originally adopted on November 27, 1858 as the, and reaffirmed as the flag in the 1950 Charter. Designed personally by the first king of Sierra, Smith I, the flag is specifically outlined in Section 2 of Article I in the Sierran constitution. In wartime, the flag of the Sierran Crown Armed Forces is flown on military vehicles, vessels, and entities instead of the national flag. Taking the form of a -shaped, the flag was first introduced by General Tyler Sherman in 1893. Through the Military Flag Act of 1894, if ever Sierra is in a state of war or crisis, Sherman's military flag must be flown alongside the national flag at all public properties wherever the latter flag is available. Public schools, certain public facilities (community centers), private properties, businesses, and religious buildings are however exempt from this mandate.

The flag is associated with the Pledge of Allegiance and is frequently flown at national celebrations, political demonstrations, and other events. In addition, there are several alternative variants of the flag that are utilized, most often those associated with republicanism, in stark contrast to the clear monarchist element depicted in the Sierran flag.

History
The current flag of Sierra has been virtually the same as the flag first described and created under the Sierran constitution in 1858. Prior to the constitution, Sierra was known as the and the Californian government flew two different flags officially under its administration: the Lone Star Flag and the Bear Flag. The Lone Star Flag was first flown by American and Mexican rebels in the city of in revolt of the  in 1836. The revolt was crushed and the flag was captured by Mexican authorities who subsequently burnt it and threatened deporting anyone who flew similar flags in the area.

The flag was revived again once California earned its independence in 1846 although was short-lived in favor of the more popular Bear Flag. The Bear Flag was the flag used by rebels in who succeeded in their revolt as the Mexican government lost confidence in maintaining power over California paired with the fear of war with the United States and. Two months after the Californian government flew the Lone Star Flag, the government decided to adopt the Bear Flag instead viewing it as more revolutionary and aesthetically pleasing compared to the simpler flag.

Gallery of flags flown over historical Sierra

When California adopted a new constitution and renamed itself officially as the Kingdom of Sierra, naturally, a new flag design was needed. Some proposed retaining the Bear Flag with the only change being renaming the imprint of the flag from the "CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC" to "SIERRA" or the "KINGDOM OF SIERRA". Others thought of adopting a flag similar to the but the Sierran government sought to create a new distinct flag with no connections to the California Republic nor external countries including the United States.

The most popular design was created by Smith C. Miller, one of the prominent members of the Constitutional Committee, who drew the designs matching today's flag and had it sewn by his wife and her friends. The flag featured a blue, gold, and red tricolor containing a white circle affixed with a purple star. Many admired the flag's simplicity yet vivid appearance and appreciated the fact that it was a departure from the traditional white background fields found on the previous two flags of California. The Constitution included Miller's design in Section 8 of Article I and was hoisted for the first time on Sierra's creation on November 27, 1858. The flag earned its nickname, "The King's Flag" months after its creator, Smith C. Miller, was crowned the first king of Sierra as Smith I.

Symbolism
In contemporary times, there has been a general consensus on the symbolism behind the flag which were first popularized in the early 20th century by the "new movement". The movement embraced the unification and harmony of different races, religions, ideas, and cultures into mainstream Sierran society. The blue stripe represents freedom and liberty, two concepts which are central to Sierra's democratic traditions. The yellow stripe represents economic prosperity and happiness which reflect the spirit of and the free choice of the. The red stripe represents the blood of all those who have and willing to sacrifice their lives for Sierra. It also represents the multicultural society of Sierra which declares that all Sierrans are equal regardless of their race, color, faith, sex, orientation, or ideology. In that regard, red represents the collective blood of all humans which is indistinguishable among each other if based solely on external differences. The white circle represents purity and peace, which also reflects the general desire to maintain harmony and dignity. The purple star represents society although it can also be an allusion to the monarchy whose traditional color has been purple. Each point on the star with no specified location represents a pillar of Sierran society and supporter of the monarchy: civilians, soldiers, clergymen, businessmen, and officials.

The flag has been a popular symbol which has become commercialized and ingrained into Sierran culture. It is a common sight to see the flag flown on both public and private property and toted onto vehicles, products, or clothing. The of the Sierran flag, while protected as, is considered a great affront to Sierrans and an incessantly inflammatory act. The flag carries important significance among many Sierrans, some of which may even treat it as a quasi-religious icon.

Display and use


There are no federal laws governing the display or use although there are official protocols regarding the flag for observation by government officials and bodies.

According to protocols, for government buildings, the flag must be flown continuously year-round during the daytime and at night provided it is properly lit at its display site. The flag should never touch the ground or another object, should never be stepped on, should never be used as an attire, tool, or disposable item, and should be maintained in good shape. The flag may be properly discarded by burning if it has become damaged enough.

During public holidays, the display of flags by private persons and properties become much more prominent and widespread. During times of mourning, remembrance, or emergency, the flag is flown as.

When the flag must be displayed vertically, it is encouraged that a vertical version of the flag be displayed instead of using the normal flag. The rationale behind this is because when one displays the normal flag vertically, the star appears to be a which is considered to be the sign of. Tied with Sierra's strong traditions and superstition, it is considered an  to display the normal flag vertically. The vertical flag properly centers the star in relation to the flag and conversely; it may not be displayed horizontally.

The flag may be adorned with a golden fringe around its perimeter and/or purple s when on display. Both decorations are purely ceremonial and have no official purpose other to enhance the appearance of the flag.

Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance is an officially promoted form of expressing allegiance to the flag of Sierra, and to the Queen and her kingdom. Originally composed by Tristan Jasna in 1908, Parliament formally adopted Jasna's allegiance as the national pledge. The pledge, along with other ceremonial rituals, are officially used to open sessions in Parliament, meetings in the Supreme Court, and other major government functions. Many provincial, state, areal, territorial, or local governments also carry out the pledge to begin business. Some private organizations and businesses have also incorporated the pledge into their own meetings. The allegiance as part of both public and private school schedule is common throughout the Kingdom except in the Deseret and the Styxie where the latter regions have no laws allocating time for the pledge at schools. Pursuant to the constitutional protections of free speech and expression, the pledge is not mandatory although non-participants are encouraged to stand in silence while others recite the pledge as a form of respect and camaraderie. During the pledge, it is customary for one to place one's hand over the heart, and to remove any headgear that may obstruct the views of others. The end of the pledge is often concluded with a bow in the direction of the banner.

War flag


Through the Military Flag Act of 1894, the flag of the Sierran Crown Armed Forces may be flown or used alongside the national flag atop of government buildings or properties whenever a state of war or emergency is declared. While the Armed Forces uses the flag for both peacetime and wartime operations, government and civil buildings generally do not fly the flag during peacetime. In times of war, while civilians are not obligated to the fly the flag in place of the national flag, most government buildings are obligated to fly it alongside the national flag. Some public institutions including schools, parks, or community centers are exempted from this obligation.

Introduced by General Tyler Sherman for use by the Sierran Crown Armed Forces in 1893, the flag has been informally called "Sherman's Flag". As it was intended, the flag has become analogous with the military. A distinctly contrasting look to the national flag, it nevertheless maintains a distinctly Sierran appearance and is popularly toted by civilians who see it as a defiant and bold symbol of Sierran nationalism. While the flag is mandated during times of war or distress, the Flag Code makes no mention towards the conduct or handling of the military flag as it does with the national flag.

Deseret


The national flag of the Deseret is a white field with seven equal horizontal dark blue stripes, with a dark blue consisting of a large white star encircled by twelve smaller stars. The national government of the Deseret officially adopted the flag on August 17, 1950, although the Deseret had been using the flag since at least 1873 when it was still a territory of Sierra. The white symbolizes the purity and humility of the Deseret people while the blue represents the faith the people have in and. The twelve outer stars in the canton represent the while the centered star represents Jesus Christ. Alternatively, the twelve stars may represent the executive body of the Deseret, the Quorum of Twelve and the centered star, the President of the Church.

The design is deliberately similar to the as it pays homage to the fact that the majority of the Deseret's inhabitants are descendants of the Mormons who fled the United States (mostly the original states of, , , and ) from persecution.

Hawaii


The flag of Hawaii is known as the Kanaka Maoli flag (: Native Hawaiians' Flag). The flag consists of a field of nine stripes alternating in the colors green, red, and yellow from top to bottom, and a green shield placed in the center, featuring a royal diagonally crossed by two paddles. Claimed to be the original flag of the, the flag was adopted on October 9, 1950 following Hawaii's ascension as a constituent state.

The yellow represents the people's wariness of danger and the spirituality of the ; the red represents the strength of the class; the green represents the land and the people of Hawaii (the ).

Sierra


The national flag of Sierra was officially adopted on June 23, 1950, the day Sierra was demoted to a fellow constituent country of the Kingdom. As Sierra's old flag would be used by the Kingdom, lawmakers sought to differentiate the flag of Sierra from the Kingdom. A simple tricolor variant of the Kingdom flag without the signature encircled star was chosen to represent Sierra. Bearing very close resemblance to the flag used by Republicans during the Sierran Civil War and republican advocates, the flag is devoid of the royal elements now exclusively tied to the Kingdom at-large. As such, the flag is commonly referred to as the "Republican Flag" while the Kingdom's flag, the "King's Flag" or the "King's Standard". Although the use of the Kingdom flag is still favored and used more extensively by government officials and institutions, the national flag has gained traction among Sierran civilians, especially in sports gatherings and other international events where Sierra competes separately from the Deseret and Hawaii.