§8. Respect for flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.- The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
I don't know Reader, maybe it's all the military parades my dad took me to when I was little, or the air shows or Marine gun drills, but I am one Patriotic son-of-a-bitch.
I happen to think that I am fortunate enough to live in the greatest country in the world.
Now, I know what you're thinking: Dorge! Put down the Kool-Aid! And trust me, I get'cha, I'm not a nationalist, I'm a patriot, and there is a difference.
I don't like that my daughter's school taught her The Pledge of Allegiance without my permission, just because of what it's called: Pledge of Allegiance. If she's going to go around making pledges I think she should know what the hell she's saying. After all, was the indoctrination of the Hitler Youth much different? The current Pope sure doesn't think so.
I don't like that "under God" was added in 1954. It doesn't have any business being in my oath to this country.
I don't like that patriotism gets mixed up in dogma at all; Southerners, abortion isn't going away, they just want your votes.
And seriously? If I loved a man and wanted to commit myself to him in marriage? That's just what I'm going to do. You can fuck off, Arkansas.
Healthcare? Bailouts? Congress?
Ok, breather...
So, in addressing that this country still has plenty of flaws and can be a pretty messed up place from time to time, it still pisses me off to see the flag being displayed incorrectly.
Most of the time it's the mild mistake of hanging the flag so that the union (the stars and blue) are to the right; the union is always to be displayed to the left, shopkeepers.
But, the other day while I was on a walk with my daughter I noticed an attractive mid-size house displaying their flag upside down. My initial reaction surprised me: anger. A big 'ole WTF just slid right through me.
It's their right to do that, I thought, backing away from the ledge, that's why I love this country.
Seeing the three men who made up the lawn care service toiling under it, raking up leaves for this house just seemed...well, shouldn't one of them have had a questioning look on their face?
The neighborhood I was in was known as the shit-don't-stink side of my town, residents comprised of doctors, lawyers and the retired white sort. I suppose that lends to why it was so surprising; after all, I don't think twice to see some horde of militants firing AK-47s and burning the flag on the news, at least their claims seemed legitimate. I was left wondering what sort of complaint this house could possibly level at the United States of America that could constitute flying the flag upside down.
Was I going to march up there and ask? Hell no, Reader. Remember, this is the guy who gets uncomfortable just having people standing behind him, much less demanding to know the origin of their dissent.
Remembering that Veterans' Day had just passed I wondered if a family member of the household had died in recent military service, but I wasn't really getting the Pat Tillman vibe here. And if that were the case, wouldn't the disrespect of the flag be the disrespect of that Service person as well? So it seemed doubtful that's the message they were going for.
Scanning the bumper stickers out front didn't tell me anything either, unless their favorite radio station was trying to start a revolution during the morning commute...
And if this was an instance of "dire distress" I would have liked to have seen something like, well, flames would have worked. Maybe some anti-aircraft rounds going off in the back?
Likely, these people didn't even know their flag was hanging incorrectly.
How could they not, is what's nagging me.
I'm an American.
That is not an apology.
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