A lot of people here treat the idea of being American like it’s a sports team.

Also, it isn’t classy. And it isn’t meant to be. It also serves to communicate that you are relatable to other non-classy people. That can mean that you are an 'easy going person who accepts people as they come" or it can mean the same “…if you are white” (and conservative).

There was a popular show here in the 70s called the Dukes of Hazard about outlaw redneck hooligans. They drove a car with a Confederate flag on it. That kind of crass display was part of the ‘fuck you, you can’t tell me what to do’ mentality, and it caught on for the aesthetics despite being racist. But I think it also opened the door here to people doing the same thing with the American flag.