On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere waited for a signal from the bell tower of what is now known as the Old North Church in Boston. If the British started moving, one light would signal they were coming by land. Two lights signaled an attack from the sea. Seeing two lights, Revere set out to warn the colonists at Lexington.
Friday, April 18, 2025 was the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride. To commemorate the start of the American Revolution, Boston held various activities such as a reenactment of Revere’s ride, a drone display, and the lighting of two lanterns in the Old North Church bell tower.
In solidarity with the Old North Church and churches across the nation, the Owego United Methodist Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the First Presbyterian Union Church all rang their bells Friday at 6 p.m.
According to Bill O’Connell, a Vietnam veteran and the bell ringer at St. Paul’s, “With the current regime, there are certain parallels to 1775. I was very happy to participate in the nationwide remembrance of the literal birth of our nation.”
On Saturday, April 19, local residents gathered at the Owego Courthouse Square to protest the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration. Despite it being a holiday weekend, over 80 people attended. While the signs covered many topics, especially funding cuts, an apparent overarching message was about a need to stand up for freedom and democracy. Signs read, “Remember our history: No Kings! Respect the Constitution,” “Freedom not Fascism,” “And with Justice for All,” “Free Speech for All,” and “Defend democracy now.”
Jesse Howard, an Owego Free Academy 1980s graduate, happened by the demonstration. When asked what he thought about the protest, he replied, “I love it.” Howard went on to say, “There is a lot of history that a lot of people forget, and when they do, it’s just going to repeat itself.” Howard spent years in the Army National Guard, first as a construction equipment operator, then as an instructor, and later in logistics. He also spent 17 days at the World Trade Center after 9/11. He went on to say, “So I know what it’s like to have served.”
A lack of historical knowledge may have led to a misinterpretation of the upside-down U.S. flag at the April 15 protest.
According to Emma Bowman in an NPR article from June 3, 2024 titled “The upside-down American flag goes mainstream as a form of right-wing protest,” this practice dates back to at least the 18th century on American lifeboats as an extreme distress signal.
It was used at an anti-slavery rally on July 4, 1854 in Massachusetts and in the 1960s against the Vietnam War.
On April 15, the view in Owego of the upside-down flag was hidden by two men deliberately standing in front of it with another flag. When the two men were asked to move to the side so that both expressions of free speech could be observed, their response was a refusal, claiming that holding the flag upside down was disrespectful. Ironically, they seem to reject the principle of free speech that the flag stands for.
In January 2021, an upside-down flag was flown on the property of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. At the time, the outrage wasn’t over disrespect for the flag, but rather over the violation of the principle that Supreme Court Justices are supposed to be apolitical.
Sincerely,
Joan Davis
Tioga County Democratic Committee Secretary
Owego, N.Y.
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