50 stars, 13 stripes, three colors; the American flag represents our nation, collective history, and what we stand for.
America is a relatively young country, but it has a very rich history. We enjoy God-given freedoms in this country that the people of other nations envy. Personally, I love this nation and our flag.
When I taught high-school history, I looked forward to reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with my students each morning. To this day, I proudly display the American flag and make it a point to dress up flags when I find them in disarray. If you have an American flag around your home, worn on your clothes, or on your vehicle, you may not be aware that you are displaying or treating it the right way.
Always uphold the correct flag etiquette if you love this country as much as I do.
Flying the Flag
There is more to flying a flag than just hanging it from a high point. Regardless of how the flag is hung (horizontally or vertically), the blue field should be in the top left. If a flag is displayed at an angle on a pole outside of a house, the stars, or canton, should be at the highest point.
The flag should be flown from sunrise to sunset and only flown at night if a light is on it. When it is handled and placed on a flagpole, the person holding it should make sure it does not touch the ground. In bad weather, it should be taken down. When displayed with other flags during a speaker’s address, the American flag should appear to the speaker’s right with all other flags to the left.
It should go without saying that when the flag is being recognized, and the pledge of allegiance is being recited, onlookers should place their hands over their hearts and remove their head coverings. Service men and women should salute the flag when the pledge or national anthem is being recited or sung, when the flag is raised or lowered, or when it is passing. It may surprise some that indoors, service men and women do not typically salute but rather stand at attention for the pledge/anthem.
Storing a Flag
When a flag is not flown, it should be stored in a consistent manner. This is typically in a folded form and most easily done with two people to keep it taut as it is manipulated.
Holding the flag with the stars in the top-left corner, fold the bottom striped edge lengthwise up to the top edge. Fold the flag lengthwise a second time, ensuring the stars face outward.
Next, working from the end opposite the stars, fold the bottom corner diagonally up to the top edge to form a triangle. Continue folding this triangle over and over along the length of the flag. To finish, tuck the final remaining corner of the stars securely into the pocket formed by the previous folds.
When done correctly, only the panel of stars will be visible, and the flag will form a triangular shape. This shape is symbolic of the cocked hats worn by those who fought for General George Washington.
A total of 13 folds are needed to properly store a flag, and even though 13 is the same number of original colonies, the 13 folds represent much more. This folded flag can be placed on display in a respectful way or set aside for safekeeping.
Disrespecting the Flag
Nothing grinds my gears quite like an individual or group that chooses to disrespect the American flag. If it were not for the fighting men of WWII who wore that flag on their uniforms, my Filipino relatives would be speaking Japanese, and my Polish relatives would be speaking German today.
It isn’t easy to put all the ways a person can disrespect the American flag into a single article, but broadly speaking, it should come down to common sense. Some examples won’t be reposted in photos here that you can easily look up online. The flag should never be burned, worn in a disrespectful way as clothing, used in off-color marketing, or flown upside down. That last example is acceptable only in dire emergencies, however.
Disrespect for the American flag exists on a sliding scale, and while some are more easily offended than others, some do not seem to be bothered at all. To those people, I wonder if they recall their history?
What is worth noting is the freedom people have in this country to express their beliefs. Our speech and expression are God-given and recognized by the Constitution. Even though I disagree with what others may say, I will defend their right to say it. I think others who have forgotten their history probably don’t realize how, in some countries, imprisonment was common for speaking up and speaking out.
When a Flag Needs to Be Replaced
When an American flag is torn, faded, or otherwise weathered, you may wish to retire it. Don’t make the mistake of saying you need to “trash” or “dispose” of it. Your flag is retired, not trashed. This process is one that is commonly carried out by the Boy Scouts or the American Legion in a respectful ceremony, usually on June 14th, Flag Day.
Sometimes, finding a BSA or American Legion post isn’t convenient. To properly retire the American flag, a few simple steps need to be carried out. The patch of stars is cut from the stripes, leaving you with a cloth of stars and one of stripes. This is done to remove the symbolism from the two pieces of cloth. At that point, you no longer have a flag. These pieces can then be placed in a brown bag and placed in a fire or buried.
When I have retired flags in the past, I have recited the Pledge of Allegiance at the same time out of respect.
When you adopt this habit, you will not hesitate to do the same when you see a flag that should be replaced. Whenever practical, I do the same for any American flag, whether cloth, paper, or vinyl. I just don’t feel right placing our stars and stripes in a trash can and would rather set aside a panel of stars and a panel of stripes for proper retirement.
America is celebrating 250 years this year, and there will undoubtedly be more flags displayed in the coming months as the Fourth of July draws near. As you pass by these flags on the street, think about what that flag stands for, who has carried it, where it has traveled, and what it symbolizes. Even if you are not a fan of your local politician, don’t let your disapproval of them pour over into disapproval of the flag or the country it represents.
Take time to honor the flag when you can and reflect on its importance. Respectfully correct those who may be ignorant and free up a flag when you see one rolled over itself or otherwise not flying freely. Practice good American flag etiquette and make sure the red, white, and blue are given the respect it deserves.
