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Disrespecting the Flag

United States Flag

The U.S. flag is a symbol of the United States of America. It should be treated with respect, as instructed in the United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, §8a, saying that The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

Respect for flag

It is obvious that burning the U.S. flag by protesting leftists is disrespect. Yet, I am not aware that any level of emotional upset constitutes dire distress of extreme danger to life or property. That is why carrying the U.S. flag upside-down in some rightist Tea Party parade is comparable to flag burning: Both express disrespect for the flag.

Of course, these are the same kind of people who put little U.S. flags in their gardens and let them touch the ground (a no-no), or fly their flags at night without illumination (another no-no), or let their flags fly until they are rags (another no-no), or wear their flags as shirts or pants (still another no-no).

Frankly, I do not want to read or hear any excuse for this abuse of flag etiquette. The flying of the U.S. flag upside-down is meant to signal a threat to one's very life or to one's house and family. If you think it is okay to fly an upside-down flag when you are upset with Obama (Clinton is far worse — that bastisch betrayed the unions and signed away thousands of good jobs to Mexico — but to my memory nobody flew an upside-down flag because of him), then you should never be allowed anywhere near a U.S. flag again.

As for the reason behind this Tea Party, read this essay and know that you are now too late.


Written by Andy West on 22 April 2010