I don’t know if you know this, but there are certain rules
to flying an American flag. If that comes as a surprise to you, then please read on and educate yourself. As a matter of fact, there are very specific
rules germane to a lot of the conditions under which an American flag may find
itself under. Funny thing is, not many
people realize they exist. If you are
interested, here are a few credible websites that list out those rules:
- http://www.usa-flag-site.org/etiquette.shtml
- http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html
- http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30243.pdf
Personally, I was
made aware of these rules long ago when my father and I would go out in the
backyard together to raise or lower the flag he flew every day. He made it a point to make sure I knew there
was a proper way to do everything with the flag, all the way from folding it (blue field only!) to how to properly dispose
of it should the need arise. (by burning it oddly enough, unceremoniously and discreetly). He
told me the red and white stripes represented the 13 original colonies (white
for courage, red for bloodshed) while the blue field was the union of all the
states. Fascinating stuff! Who knew of
this hidden code!?(I was 7 mine you) He spoke of all the rules on how to raise and lower the flag and he made damn sure
I never let it touch the ground. As a small boy, this type of ceremony was
intriguing – like being a part of secret club - and seeing the pride in my Dads
eyes every time he touched Old Glory made me want to know what it was about
that specific material that made him so emotional.
Fast forward a bunch
of years and it safe to say, I take my flag flying very seriously. So much so,
I tend to get a little bent out of shape when I see someone doing it the wrong way. I don’t yell and scream, but if I
get the chance to educate them on what is “correct” I will gladly do it. And
if I can’t reach them to tell them what’s wrong, I blog about it. So… now that
you know why you are all here, let’s move on.
This is not a proper American flag.
It has nothing to do with whose picture is on it either. It
could have been Kate Beckinsale or Nikki Cox and it would still be wrong. (albeit
better looking. Am I right? Cmon look at them, you know I'm right)
 |
| The always lovely Kate |
 |
| Nikki before the crazy surgery. |
Congressional Research Service Report RL30243 was created to
let any who cared about proper flag etiquette, know what to do in most
circumstances dealing with the Stars and Stripes. It is available online and it’s free of charge.
(Imagine that!) There is a section in that code entitled, ‘The United States Flag: Federal Law Relating
to Display and Associated Questions’ and it clearly states this rule:
The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
That flag above does not follow those rules.
There was one gentleman a few years back, an owner of a
Montreal French Fries place in West Bridgewater that was chastised by residents
because he was flying an American flag with skull and crossbones on it. A good
move on his part? Hardly not, but it was an honest mistake. He is originally Canadian,
became a citizen of the US in 2002 and admittedly just thought he had a super
cool flag. OK, so people made him aware
and the situation was corrected. It
wasn’t any sort of declaration; just something he thought was cool. Chastised.
But this is different. That flag you see above is being
flown over the Lake County Florida Democratic Party headquarters. (I promise
you I couldn’t possibly make this stuff up). (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/14/us-flag-depicting-president-obama-removed-from-floridas-lake-county-democratic/)
Nancy Hurlbert is the chairwoman of the Lake County Democratic Party, and she is apparently a moron. Unlike the Montreal Fry Guy who just wanted to sell fries, she made a conscious choice to involve herself in politics. And someone like that, someone who feels so strongly about her convictions she became a chairperson for her party, should know a bit more about the proper rules of displaying the flag that represents the country I presume she feels so passionately about. That's why you go into politics, right? To make positive changes, to enrich the lives of those you touch?? To make this country better? When asked about the flag and its blatant misuse, she had this to say:
"I was surprised. No one had called us. We have a phone."I cant tell you how typical I feel it is that someone of her party affiliation, a chair person no less, not only doesn’t understand how to fly our nations colors, but looks to place the blame on somebody else that it was never brought to her attention after months of being raised.
What’s worse (if it could even get worse) is this blatant ignorance, in my opinion, sends clear messages on how her and those who work for her actually think and do business. This is not just ignorance, its arrogance. Mz Hurlbert's disregard for Old Glory is a very chilling insight into what she and her workers truly stand for. They don’t respect the union of states; if they did they would still have the stars represented on the field. They obviously don’t respect this Democracy and don’t care about this country as a whole. If they did, they would have taken the time to ask themselves why they have never seen an American flag with any Presidents face on it fly before, EVER. Heck, if they really cared about this country, they would have known the proper etiquette long before they started working for the DNP and that flag would never have gotten raised. Is it a stretch then, to say that if they lack the fundamental knowledge of how the symbol of our nation is supposed to be displayed, that they can’t possibly begin to understand what the people in that country need? To me, this just proves how blinding partisanship can be, Republican or Democrat. In this case, these zealots only want the person depicted on that flag as their leader. It has nothing to do with whether or not that person is right for this country or its people, they only want their agenda to be recognized as the truth and they have no desire to consider any other thoughts on the matter. How scary is that?
To some it’s just a flag. To the ones who know and care,
guys like me and my Dad, it’s a symbol of freedom, a symbol of unity, a symbol
of courage and of valor, and a symbol of a country that is greater than any
other on this planet. To Mz. Hurlbert it’s apparently just another means to
show her true colors. And that aren’t Old Glory Red, White, or Old Glory Blue.
BTW – While we’re here, can we all
make a concerted effort to NOT talk during the National Anthem? Its so
disrespectful and it drives me nuts.
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