Earlier this month, the organizers of the Emerald City Hoedown in Seattle kicked out a women’s country line dance team because their American flag shirts made some audience members feel “triggered and unsafe.”

The incident made me wonder if Fairfax County School Board member Melanie Meren was in the audience. In May 2023, Meren, now the board’s vice chairwoman, reportedly demanded the removal of artwork containing images of the American flag in the school board’s headquarters because it “triggered” her.