Star spangled stupidity: American politics and public discourse

American Flag

After the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, the United States sat silent and unmoving for several days. Everyone was in shock, not believing that this country could actually be so vulnerable to outside forces. Then, as the nation began to face what had happened, a strange breed of American arose, or called the "overnight patriot" by author Dick Teresi. In the past, this individual would have pejoratively been named a redneck, but now he was actually accepted in all areas of the U.S., not only in the deep South or West. He was a modern-day patriot who was using the American flag to demonstrate his dislike for what had occurred and everything else associated with it -- the rise of terrorism, the U.S. fear of nonwhite, middle America and the desire to rid the country of anyone of Arab or Muslim background. Ironically, such stereotypes were the complete opposite of what the country stood for since it was first founded during Revolutionary times. The bottom line, according to Teresi, is the flag is a symbol for something that is at the heart of the U.S. -- freedom. and, as such, should be treated with reverence and respect.

There is specifically a correct and incorrect way to show this reverence. The flag is not supposed to be dragged across the front of a truck's hood, stuck all over the bumpers of a car or out day and night, rain, snow and shine. It is not supposed to be forgotten each night or on weekends when people head on home from work. nor, is it supposed to wave ragged outside homes. This is, in short, flag abuse, which continues to this day.

Instead, when the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.

When it is flown at half-staff because of a death or series of deaths, it should be first hoisted to the top of the pole for an instant and then lowered to halfway. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. "Half-staff" means lowering the flag to one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff. Crepe streamers may be affixed to spear heads or flagstaffs in a parade only by order of the President of the United States.

Here's one of the procedures least followed: When the flag is displayed in a way besides being flown from a staff, it should be displayed flat, whether indoors or out. When shown either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window it needs to be seen in the same way, that is with the union or blue field to the left of the viewer in the street. When festoons, rosettes or drapings are desired, bunting of blue, white and red should be used, but never the flag.