On Flag Day, let’s recall that one of the things that makes America great is that you don’t have to fly the flag if you don’t want to.

This isn’t the Third Reich.  It isn’t even North Korea.  There is no penalty for being insufficiently patriotic (unless you play in the NFL, but that’s another story), and no one is going to knock on your door in the middle of the night and ask where your flag is.

So, if a person chooses to display a U.S. flag outside, it is a completely voluntary act.  Unfortunately, like many other voluntary acts – voting comes to mind – some people do it surprisingly badly.

You can walk around any town in America and see tattered and torn flags caught up on gutters or trees, advertising signs demeaning the flag, and ‘proud’ Americans wearing flag-patterned hats, jackets, shorts, and bathing suits. Please note that the U.S. Flag Code states that the flag should never be displayed in a manner that permits it to become “torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.”  The Flag Code also prohibits use of the flag for advertising purposes or as apparel.

So, if you are inclined to fly the flag every day, please do so properly. Take care of the thing, and show it the same respect that you would show a pair of socks or a Grateful Dead T-shirt.

Here are a couple of images of the U.S flag being “proudly” displayed.

Flag Apparel photo:  https://itsaperfectmess.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/4th-clothes-1.jpg

Flag Advertising photo:  https://forgottenhistoryblog.com/use-of-the-flag-in-advertising-is-illegal/

June 14, 2018