Flag Etiquette

[tigira]

Well, meadmaker and I have had this discussion a few times...

Flag etiquette seems to be sadly lacking in this country. How many times have you driven down the road and seen battered, beaten, weathered flags on an overpass? Or in front of a building?

Something I was not aware of, which is interesting, is that it is permissible to display a US flag in inclement weather, BUT ONLY IF IT IS AN ALL WEATHER FLAG.

As a girl scout, at the direction of our leader (my mother, a member of the DAR), we used to assist the local VFW in preparing flags for proper disposal. If you have one that is no longer fit for display or use, please please please get it to the local VFW or Elks Club (they're the ones that founded Flag Day - Truman was a a member of the BPOE). It's nice to also provide a small donation. They will properly dispose of the flag in a respectful manner.

I'm not going to even get started on the folks who leave their flags up in the dark.

For more flag etiquette: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html

Comments

Respect for the flag

[tisana.livejournal.com]

I only knew some of them (which, strangely, I never learned from GS--just the one about it touching the ground), but the ones I did know about, when I saw them being ignored, irked me. Like the flag up at night with no light on, or in the rain (I hadn't known about the all-weather clause), or in bad shape...
I stopped ranting when I realized I was being ignorant of one convention, though: it bugged me seeing the flag hung with the field of stars to the upper left, I thought it should be on the right, like if you were looking at it upright and just realeased the top corner...but I was corrected. So I tried to stop talking out of my ass about it. Still.
You should be able to display the flag of your country, you really should. I remember the controversy at UMass, and though I respect the prof's right to free speech, I think people should be able to display it without being villified. It's not a stinkin' religious symbol, sheesh.

[leenah.livejournal.com]

i too used to be upset over flag display. yup, i was a girl scout. i once called a local (in VA) hotel to tell them to get a new flag, theirs looked like shite. i think i confused them mightily.

i would LOVE to dispose of flags. mmmmmmm, fire.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Those things are tough to burn, though! Let me tell ya.

I hate it when people have those bumper stickers with flags that say, "These colors don't run". Well, they may not run, but the people who have those sure do let them fade! Yeesh.

i may be a flag burning radical leftist, but

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

this is one of my oft repeated rants (see for example: http://www.livejournal.com/~amber_phoenix/6337.html :)

it's a ritual object people! show it some respect!

[sunspiral.livejournal.com]

Then you have the Patriots who attach a flag to the antenna of their giant SUV, and let it get completely shredded in the wind as they drive. Plus, undoubtedly these flags are made in China.