Yara and I went to a baseball game and received a little flag for being one of the first 5000 fans. There was a kickin’ fireworks show after the game. During the game, Yara asked me whether I knew if there was a special way that flags were supposed to be discarded. I didn’t know, but I knew that the Internet would. Here’s the answer: Flags should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning when they are no longer fit to serve as emblems of our nation. I found this at the Betsy Ross website. She’s the lady who is supposed to have done the first Stars and Stripes. Now we all know how to get rid of our flags when all the July 4th hoopla is over. Also, another curious fact is that proper etiquette dictates that a flag should never be used for advertisement or have words or designs printed on it. So all those Power of Pride bumper stickers are actually an affront to our nation’s emblem. Shame on them.
November 12th, 2003 at 3:41 pm
It’s my job to do the daily publishing of the Half-staff news at http://www.FiveStarFlags.com, which compiles half-staff flyings around the country.
Interestingly enough, only the governors and the president can issue an executive order to fly the flag in ’state’.
As to the advertising and etiquette, well - that’s etiquette; at a constitutional law level, there’s a clear and distinct clash between advertising use of the flag and the 1st Amendment. The close cousin is the homeowner association or community association contractually prohibiting ‘Joe Veteran’ from flying a flag on his property.
If your not stripping tags, click here for Half-staff flag news: and click here for a small assemblage of HOA legislation info!
November 12th, 2003 at 3:43 pm
OK, it looks like the links don’t work, to see the Half-staff Flag News click on my name ‘byran’ and there’s a link to the HOA stuff below the news.