United States Flag – Should it Be Hung Upside Down?
Labels:
flag code,
flags,
Jim Harris,
Obama,
Terry Vance,
United States,
United States Flag,
upside down,
USC
Why have people been displaying flag upside down? It is an official signal of distress. Some believe this to be disrespectful. Should this be viewed as a sign of distress or a sign of disrespect?
Title 36, U.S.C. Chapter 10 as amended by P.L. 344, 94th Congress, Approved July 7, 1976 it states,
“No disrespect should be shown to the flag of of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.”
What does disrespect actually mean, other than dipping it to any person or thing? Not allowing the flag to touch the ground is pretty much known. Disrespect can be defined as “to regard or treat without respect; regard or treat with contempt or rudeness.”
Note some have also written on the flag while holding it upside down.
Note some have also written on the flag while holding it upside down.
Flag Code, Title 4, Chapter 1 8(a)
“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.”
Dire distress, protest or disrespect?
Some are flying the flag upside down for the sake of protest. However, under the code, the flying of the flag should only be done in “extreme danger to life or property.” This is why many in the service find the upside down flag to be disrespectful.
Over time many have desecrated the flag, via burning or other means. These normally were upheld as freedom of expression, or the judicial branch had no interest or found nothing sufficiently compelling to justify legal restriction.
Many flew the flag upside down after the election of 2012, showing protest against the , on Obama’s winning the Presidency.
veteran
flew his flags upside down, having signs reading “No Hope” and “Enslaved by the 47 Percent.” Believing the display would incite passers-by, said, “I seriously feel this country is in dire distress.”
Terry Vance, a highly decorated and disabled Vietnam War veteran served as the adjutant quartermaster of the in disagrees.
“A lot of us fought and died for freedom of speech,” Mr. Vance said. “But it seems to me there are more respectful ways to express your political opinions. Whether you like the president or not, he is the commander in chief of the United States of America.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Post a Comment