Regular as clockwork your over the pond correspondent chimes in.
This hanging a flag out is a curious thing.
Reading the comments above are quite revealing and moving. It obviously means a heck of a lot to Americans and cuts across the political divide.
Over here… *sigh* how else, but things are different.
In the United Kingdom the Union flag is usually only seen flying from government (local or national) buildings or at events sponsored by the government.
When you do see a flag fluttering (usually quite tattered and seen better days) in front of a private house chances are a certain type of person lives there… and they are usually not the most progressive.
They would almost certainly be conservative voters, and further right if they could.
Then there are the country flags. Though most people use England as shorthand for the UK, it consists of 4 nations.
St George's for England, St Andrews for Scotland, the "Red Dragon" for Wales and the St Patrick's Saltire for (Northern) Ireland.
Flying one of those indicates a fiercely nationalistic household or individual. Certainly in 2016 the St George's flag went hand in hand with posters for UKIP and LEAVE.
I have great unease with these overt displays of nationalism… in one of the LeCarré novels he writes:
"Nationalism needs enemies."