It's time to stop displaying our flag!

[Ozzie]

Did that title get your attention? It was meant to.

Our flag should be displayed on a flag pole, in a window or other suitable location!!! It is not meant to be hung on a car antenna or the plastic doo-hickey that clamps on car windows.

Why?? Every day I take a walk for my health along a busy street where traffic averages 40mph. At least once a week I find a flag from such an application laying somewhere, either in the gutter or being driven on by countless vehicles. By the time I pick them up they are torn and dirty and are beyond salvage.

My relatives and friends fought in the 2nd World War, (Yes, I am old enough to have lived thru those years.), Korea, Vietnam and the ones that followed. Some gave their lives and others their mental health to protect that flag for all of us. The flag is not just a colored piece of cloth! It is our most precious symbol of our freedom and should be respected as such! It is a shame that our younger generation doesn't understand what it stands for.

You would think that the people whose cars the flags came from would have at least stopped and tried to retrieve them.

The one I found today came from a car dealer's lot somewhere and was originally used for advertising. I was not able to figure out which dealer it came from so I could not tell them what I thought of their patriotism.

What do you think? Am I right or wrong?

If you should come accross one in a similar situation please pick it up. You can take it to a local VFW post and they will dispose of it in a respectfull manner.

[master53yoda]

You are absolutely right. The flag of the United States represents the highest level of freedom any place in the world. My son spent 2 years in Brazil when he finished high school and before he started working. One of his comments when he speaks of that time in his life is that every young person should spend some time in a third world country to appreciate what we have in this country that exists in no other.

We fly the flag at our home when ever the weather is appropriate and replace it when it starts becoming tattered. We donate our used flags to the local scout troop so that they can see when a flag should be retired and be taught the reference and respect in disposing of a flag.

[cwsmith]

Ozzie,

I totally agree with you. Personally I am rather sick and tired of seeing our flag so pathetically treated. Perhaps it is just a lack of understanding or education of such things or what, to me, appears to be a flagrant lack of respect for 'Old Glory".

A few years ago I wrote a letter about the "pink, dirty, and grey" rags that our community seemed all to happy to fly from their cars, hang limp on their porches, or fly tattered and filthy from local business flag poles.

Even the company where I worked was indifferent and just labelled me as a trouble maker when I pointed out that their flag had flown for over a year without attention. They figured that flying it 24/7/365 was a righteous display of thier patritism, regardless of weather, darkness, or storm.

Such is life I guess, but no one seems to understand that our nation's flag should be flown proudly and respectfully and when it becomes soiled or worn, it should be disposed in a traditional and respectful way.

One of the biggest peeves that I have is that many of our local establishments have taken to flying the flag at half staff when someone significant in their community passes away. While I mean no disrespect for the organization, or the deceased, it needs to be understood that our nation's flag should never be lowered to half staff unless it is ordered by the President or by Congressional order.

The answer by all too many is that, "Its MY flag, and I'll do whatever I wish to it!" Sadly our "Nation's Flag" has become of matter of disrepectful neglect.

CWS

[Schleeper]

Did that title get your attention? It was meant to.

Our flag should be displayed on a flag pole, in a window or other suitable location!!! It is not meant to be hung on a car antenna or the plastic doo-hickey that clamps on car windows.

Why?? Every day I take a walk for my health along a busy street where traffic averages 40mph. At least once a week I find a flag from such an application laying somewhere, either in the gutter or being driven on by countless vehicles. By the time I pick them up they are torn and dirty and are beyond salvage.

My relatives and friends fought in the 2nd World War, (Yes, I am old enough to have lived thru those years.), Korea, Vietnam and the ones that followed. Some gave their lives and others their mental health to protect that flag for all of us. The flag is not just a colored piece of cloth! It is our most precious symbol of our freedom and should be respected as such! It is a shame that our younger generation doesn't understand what it stands for.

You would think that the people whose cars the flags came from would have at least stopped and tried to retrieve them.

The one I found today came from a car dealer's lot somewhere and was originally used for advertising. I was not able to figure out which dealer it came from so I could not tell them what I thought of their patriotism.

What do you think? Am I right or wrong?

If you should come accross one in a similar situation please pick it up. You can take it to a local VFW post and they will dispose of it in a respectfull manner.

Local VFW, you say? Thanks for that info. We display the flag from a pole we have on our porch, and I've been holding onto two old, tattered ones for some time because I didn't know how to dispose of them.

[LCHIEN]

...
One of the biggest peeves that I have is that many of our local establishments have taken to flying the flag at half staff when someone significant in their community passes away. While I mean no disrespect for the organization, or the deceased, it needs to be understood that our nation's flag should never be lowered to half staff unless it is ordered by the President or by Congressional order.
...

CWS

I don't disagree that half-staff is probably overused. However I want to point out another legally authorized declaration of half-staff:

The Flag Code title 36 Ch 10 section 175m also states that a states governor may direct national flags on state building be flown at half staff for the death of significant public state officials.

In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff.

I believe also that the presidential proclamation is for federal buildings and properties. the flying of flags at half staff for private individuals and business is voluntary but usually follows the presidential proclamation. Here is Pres. Bush's proclamation for Memorial day of last year:


I also request the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half staff until noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States, and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.

Careful reading of the flag code and proclamations as above lead me to some conclusions:
1. the Pres may request H-S for govt officials and foreign dignitaries (presumably with close ties to the US)
2. Governors may request H-S for state officials
3. The pres may request H-S for tragedies such as 9/11, this is not stated explicitly by the flag code but referred to as "recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law"
4. Compliance with flying flags at H-S is voluntary, its a request by the president. You don't have to if you don't agree.
5. Flying the flag at H-S at other times is not prohibited by the code. The code is very specific about everything, not flying upside down, which way it faces on your shoulder, detailing everything you can or can't do. so it seems no accident that the code does not say that you can't fly it H-S when not so directed by the president. Therefore it seems a right that you can fly it at H-S anytime you wish, provided you raise it F-S before lowering to H-S and back to H-S before lowerinig it for the day.

[eccentrictinkerer]

Local VFW, you say? Thanks for that info. We display the flag from a pole we have on our porch, and I've been holding onto two old, tattered ones for some time because I didn't know how to dispose of them.

Contact your local Scout troop. Most troops have an annual ceremony for proper handling of worn-out flags..

My dad was WWII vet and I'm a Vietnam-era vet and it bothers those of us who served to see our flag handled so poorly.

When I saw the magazine cover picture of Bill Ayers standing on our flag in a dirty alley I wanted to reach through the computer screen to strangle the creep! Just my opinion.

[Ed62]

I've even seen flags in bad shape being flown on some government owned public buildings. That really gets my ire up.

Ed

[430752]

What? And, umm..to pull rank, my family fought in the revolutionary war, war of 1812, civil war (both sides), skipped the spanish-american war, WWI and WWII, then skipped the rest, and we don't have a problem with it flying on a car, or a boat, or a plane, or a bicycle, or a tricycle, or a catamaran, a big wheel, a tobaggon, a bobsled, a hangglider, a tractor, a trailer, a chromed out hog, or a tricked out southern california low-rider. After all, I regularly see the flag displayed on the fender of the presidential limo, generals' limos, army jeeps (including hanging off the antenna), etc. And no soldier or politician is above the citizens.

People should be proud of their flag. They should display it everywhere and anywhere they choose, in my opinion. But one thing is agreed, they shouldn't allow it to fall into disrepair, neglect or damage (unless part of any obvious political statement). Put it on the car, but take it off if tattered, and yes, go back and pick it up if you notice it came off. That's just common decency.

[Sam Conder]

Contact your local Scout troop. Most troops have an annual ceremony for proper handling of worn-out flags...

Both orginazitions are great resources for retiring flags. I am especially fond of Scouts.

However, anyone has the "authority" to retire a flag. It is a great thing to do with your family, and is a great thing for your kids to participate in. Just make sure to do it respectfully. Any "ceremony" can easily be adapted to a family activity. Here are a few links...

http://www.flagkeepers.org/ProperDisposalCeremony.asp
http://www.scoutingbear.com/USA/flagret.htm
http://www.troop849.org/pdfs/T849FlagRetirement.pdf

Google will turn up thousands more.

[Alex Franke]

I was a kid in '76 and I remember zillions of little toothpick flags scattered about everywhere after Independence Day. They were everywhere -- I think they must have been tossing them off the parade floats by the handful. Even though lots of those little flags were on the ground, in the grass, in gutters, stuck into tree bark, etc, I remember that time as being overwhelmingly patriotic -- kind of like after 9/11.

They may not all have been properly displayed, but that feeling of "everywhere I look, I see a flag" as a kid really help mold my patriotism.

...when I pointed out that their flag had flown for over a year without attention. They figured that flying it 24/7/365 was a righteous display of thier patritism, regardless of weather, darkness, or storm.

I'm pretty sure that it's perfectly acceptable to fly a flag 24/7/365 if it is properly lit at night, and it is an all-weather flag. (We often do, and I remember verifying that when we put it up.) Of course, when it becomes worn it should always be replaced, and the old one disposed of in a dignified way.

And here's one I learned just a month or so ago: It's also acceptable to fly the flag upside down when signifying life-or-death emergency.