Republic of Georgia-US flag lapel pin for sale. Have you ever wondered why people who say flag pins are “empty gestures,” ironically always seem to be the same folks who think issue-ribbons (breast cancer, AIDS, etc) are meaningful (and vice versa). At any rate it’s an insulting statement to offer either way. Patriotism and national solidarity are abstract ideas within the individual mind. Expressing conviction in them symbolically is the only way to express them at all. And the ideals and loyalties of mankind are never empty gestures. They are profoundly important.