Flag etiquette for Memorial Day

While many people display the U.S. Flag on a regular basis, some do so only on holidays and special days like Memorial Day, so I thought a little reminder of the etiquette for displaying our flag would be nice.

Most know that the flag is flown at half staff (it's only 'mast' on a watercraft) until noon and then raised to full-staff for the rest of the day. However, not everyone realizes that to fly a flag at half-staff you first raise it to the peak for a moment before lowering it to the half-way mark.

The Flag Code has no provisions for those of us with an angled flag pole jutting out from our house or porch and without an ability to place the flag at half staff. It is recommended that you affix a streamer of black crepe to the staff immediately below the spearhead of the U.S. flag. It should be no wider than 1 foot, but may be less wide to match the proportionality of the flag. It should be about 1-1/2 times the hoist of the fly (the shorter dimension; the height of the flag). It can be attached a with a bow-knot to the spearhead (top) of the pole, allowing the streamer to fall naturally. Alternately, you can affix black bow-knots, with or without streamers, placed at the fastening points.

Since we'll be attending many parades this weekend, remember to salute the flag as it it passes in procession by placing your hand over your heart, as you do when you pledge allegiance. Also remember that a salute is proper when raising and lowering the flag. The Flag Code says that a salute is held until the flag is unsnapped from the halyard or through the last note of music, which often accompanies the action, whichever is the longest.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

Reaction to walking on the flag at UMF

Yesterday, I linked to a video of an "art project" wherein the U.S. Flag was placed on the ground at the University of Maine at Farmington, and students were expected to walk on it.

This, of course, received criticism from some veterans who, upon learning of the 'art' showed up at the university.

In this article from Maine's Morning Sentinel paper, the student explains that it was supposed to be a social experiment about respect, but police threatened to arrest a Veteran Charlie Bennet who, in trying to 'respect' the flag, wanted to pick them up.

Bennet is the veteran in the video and he is available for interviews - especially in light of his return today to the campus for his own 'parade flag.' Arkansas Republican Assembly blog has details and some good links to the story.

Congrats to the UMF College Republicans for letting us all know about this!

* Fox News has a blurb on this with more details about the project and the support of the University administrators. Thankfully, according to this report, 95% of the students walked around the flags. However, it doesn't say if anyone other than Veteran Charlie Bennet tried to pick them up.

What would you have done if you'd come across this display?

UPDATED: A 'right' to desecrate the flag?

If you have the 'right' to desecrate the United State flag under the guise of 'art,' I have the right to pick it up and treat it with respect!

Background from the blog author: Art students did a project where they laid American flags on the floor of the student center for people to walk on. They brought the cops in to protect it when some College GOP kids and vets came to try to pick them up off the ground. In the video, the university provost actually says, "It's just a piece of cloth" to the VFW guy, and one of the faculty tells the VFW chief that they are 'actually protecting his freedom of speech' by doing this.

Note from me: In the video, you can see some students actually walking around the flags - not on them.

UPDATE: More details on this event...

The best thread on this is at a forum called AsMaineGoes

The school is the University of Maine at Farmington. Rumor has it they have another story brewing about a 'campus beautification program' that rejected the display of the American flag, saying specifically that it 'didn't beautify' the campus.

Allen Berger is the University Provost. His number is 207-778-7279 and email is aberger@maine.edu . He is the one in the video who told the veteran that he didn't fight for a piece of cloth.

Now, Provost Berger may, technically, be correct, but I wouldn't be telling any veteran what they did or did not fight for. And I wouldn't be arguing with a veteran who risked everything for me. And I'll reiterate what I said above: if those students have the 'right' to put the flag on the floor and encourage people to walk on it, I have the 'right' to pick it up and treat it with the respect it deserves.

Note that the link to AsMaineGoes has some details about a rally the veteran in the video will be holding on that campus.