(KPEL-FM) – Flag Day lands on Sunday, June 14, and most of us will fly Old Glory without giving the rules a second thought. Thing is, there are rules. The U.S. Flag Code lays out how the flag is supposed to be treated, and a lot of us break it without even knowing. Nobody’s getting a ticket over it. The code has no penalty attached. It’s about respect. I’m been guilty of more than one of these over the years, and it’s always good to get a refresher. So before you hang one off the porch this weekend, here’s what you’re not supposed to do.
Don’t let it touch the ground
This is the big one. The flag shouldn’t touch the floor, the dirt, the water, or anything beneath it. Doesn’t matter if it’s spotless after. The point is it stays up and off the ground at all times.
Don’t fly it at night without a light
The flag is meant to be displayed from sunrise to sunset. I’ve done this on multiple occasions, forgetting to take it down at night. If you want to leave it up around the clock, that’s fine, but it needs to be lit after dark. A simple spotlight on the pole does the job.
Don’t leave it out in bad weather
Unless you’ve got an all-weather flag built for it, take it down when the rain and wind roll in. And down here, that’s most afternoons in the summer. A faded, frayed flag isn’t doing anyone any favors.
Don’t wear it or use it as decoration
The flag isn’t a tablecloth, a curtain, a costume, or a beach towel. It shouldn’t be used as apparel or draped over things as a decoration. Want the patriotic look? Use bunting in red, white, and blue instead. That’s exactly what it’s made for.
Don’t write on it or slap a logo on it
No names, no marks, no insignia, no advertising. The flag stays the flag. Putting a company logo or a slogan on it is a no-go under the code.
Don’t fly it upside down for fun
A flag flown upside down is a signal of serious distress, like life-or-death danger. It’s not a joke or a statement piece. Keep the blue field up in the top left corner where it belongs.
Don’t toss a worn one in the trash
When a flag is too tattered to fly, it gets retired with dignity, usually burned in a respectful ceremony. You don’t have to do it yourself. Local American Legion and VFW posts around Acadiana collect worn flags and handle it the right way. Call ahead, since their hours can vary.
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Now, the above list is related directly to the flag itself. There are also regulations regarding the use of images and representations of the flag that should be avoided.
Rules Regarding What You Shouldn’t Do Related to Flag Imagery
- Don’t print it on throwaway stuff. The code says the flag shouldn’t be embroidered on cushions or handkerchiefs, or printed on paper napkins, boxes, or anything designed for temporary use and then thrown away. The logic is that a flag image shouldn’t end up crumpled in the trash after a cookout. This is the provision that, taken literally, would rule out most flag-printed paper plates, napkins, and party goods you see every Fourth of July.
- Don’t use it to sell things. The flag, including its likeness, isn’t supposed to be used for advertising purposes “in any manner whatsoever,” per the code. Slapping the flag on a product or an ad to move merchandise runs against it.
- Don’t put anything on the flag itself. No mark, word, figure, picture, or drawing is supposed to be placed on the flag or any part of it. So a flag with a logo, a name, or artwork added on top is a no-go under the code.
- Costumes and uniforms get a carve-out. The flag shouldn’t be worn as a costume or an athletic uniform. But there’s a specific exception: a flag patch is fine on the uniforms of military members, police, firefighters, and patriotic organizations, and a lapel pin (being a replica, not the flag itself) is meant to be worn on the left lapel, near the heart.
Now the part that is as clear as mud:
None of it is enforceable. The Flag Code has no penalty attached, and beyond that, the Supreme Court settled in the late 1980s that flag treatment, including burning and altering it, is protected speech under the First Amendment. So legally you can put the flag on whatever you want. The code is etiquette and tradition, not law. Out of respect for the country we live in, those who have fought and died to protect our freedoms (to do what we want with our free speech), please keep the above notes in mind regarding how to properly respect this national symbol…