American Flag question?

Question

I thought you weren't supposed to fly a flag at night without a light on it or in the rain. Also I thought when flags are worn you were supposed to donated them to the boy scouts for proper handling. Is this not true anymore? I see flags everywhere in the rain, at night with no respect

Answer 1

I love American Flag etiquette.

Here's all you ever wanted to know:

Federal law stipulates many aspects of flag etiquette. The section of law dealing with American Flag etiquette is generally referred to as the Flag Code. Some general guidelines from the Flag Code answer many of the most common questions:

* The flag should be lighted at all times, either by sunlight or by an appropriate light source.
* The flag should be flown in fair weather, unless the flag is designed for inclement weather use.
* The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
* The flag should not be used for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
* The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard.
* The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
* The flag should never have any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind placed on it, or attached to it.
* The flag should never be used for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
* When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.
* The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.
* When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.



American Flag Protocol: Rules for Display of the American Flag

Display Outdoors

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.

Flown at Half-staff
Should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. By "half-staff" is meant 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.

Flown on the Same Halyard with Non-Nation Flags
The American Flag should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the right of the flag of the United States.

Suspended Over a Sidewalk
The flag may be suspended from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.

From a Staff Projecting Horizontally or at an Angle
The flag may be projected from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, with the union of the flag placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff.

In a Parade with Other Flags
The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag, or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

With Non-National Flags
The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

With Other National Flags
When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.

With Another Flag Against a Wall from Crossed Staffs
Should be on the right, the flag's own right which is the viewer's left, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.

Display Indoors
From a Staff in a Church or Public Auditorium on a Podium
The flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker (to the right of the audience).

From a Staff in a Church or Public Auditorium off the Podium
Custom and not the flag code hold that the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence as part of the audience, in the position of honor at the audience's right.


Used to Cover a Casket
It should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.

Other than being Flown from a Staff
The flag should be displayed flat, whether indoors or out. When displayed 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 should be displayed in the same way, that is with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street. When festoons, rosettes or drapings are desired, bunting of blue, white and red should be used, but never the flag.

Answer 2

1. There are few laws about the American Flag, and the Flag Code is more a series of guidelines for the respectful treatment of our national emblem.

2. The Federal Flag Code does not cover as much as many people think it does. For example, flags the touch the ground do not have to be burned, flags can be washed, and flags too old to use should be discarded in a dignified way- no special ceremony or process is even mentioned. (A common technique is to 'deflag it'- or rip it up until it no longer resembles a flag- then throw it away)

3. 'All-weather' flags may be flown in the rain, and most places that fly them at night would argue that if you can see it, it is illuminated.

4. Businesses are often caught between a rock and a hard place with their larger display flags- to make them safe and protect them from theft- and because of sheer size, they are often hard to put up and take down.

5. While the Scouts were big into flag recycling during WWII, that is rarely true any more. Some troops still do it, but more and more the VFW is doing it in most communities. Even so- there is no requirment for a special ceremony, just a little dignity. (Burying it is considered more dignified than tossing it like trash, and anyone can bury their own flag. See also point #2.)

6. Sadly, the Flag Code is more like every other code of ethics or politeness in the US and is being ignored, forgotten, or abused bit by bit every day.

Answer 3

The flag is a symbol. Its not something in and of itself.
The rules about the flag are completely arbitrary and should be followed if agreed with-so what if its raining, youre no longer patriotic?
You need to show respect in the way that you believe respect should be paid. I think its fine if someone has a flag flying in the rain or at night unlit. Im sure if it gets worn out they will get a new one to continue showing patriotism-Many people dont even fly flags at all.
You know, theres people in the world that think we're too patriotic because we got flags everywhere! So there you go, while you think its bad that the flag isnt "respected" others think that its a sign of being overly patriotic!
What about people getting drunk on the 4th of July? What about american flags on bikinis? on regular old t-shirts?
If you establish too many rules for a symbol you lose the idea or motive for having the symbol in the first place.
The intention is what matters-I believe.

Answer 4

No Youre not supposed to fly the flag at night without a light directed onto it. the american flag is there to be looked at and seen and enjoyed
your not really supposed to fly it all of the time day and night anyway. it is really only for a special occasion to be 24hours with lighting - other than those flags allowed to fly at locations permitted by the US Government,.
A flag can only take so much battering from the wionds and other elements sunlight and dust in the atmosphere etc, it is inevitable that after a while the flag will become frayed or faded or ragged. if people were encouraged to take there flags down at night and put them back the next day - theyd be more inclined to check its condition more closely and change it when it needs changing with a new flag.

flags in the rain.
now when the flag code was made in the 1920s and put into US law in 1940s there was no such thing as a nylon flag. they started testing nylon for flags in late 1940s and 50s ad is now one of the most common fabrics used for flagmaking as it is strong durable will fly in lower winds and is resistant to rain. (therefore the flag code needs to be updated)
it is perfectly acceptable to be flying a nylon flag in the rain.
flying a cotton flag or any other non waterproof flag in the rain is not really acceptable though as when these flags get wet they get heavy and may damage itself or even the halyard (the flagpole rope) and then ther is the problem of drying the flag - it needs to be dried thouroughly before folding or else there is danger of moths or the material becoming mouldy and we dont want that!

you dont have to donate the flag to the scouts for them to burn. you can do it yourself - of course in a dignified manner. that is to make a fire especially for your flag (dont be burning trash or other things in the fire apart from the wood / material used to make the fire in the 1st place)
then the rest is upto you how you want to do it. just keep in mind the respect for which it deservs- nio burning it whilst its attached to a flag pole. dont copy those people who burn the flag disrespectfully.

there is sometimes a fine line between common sence and the flag code.
in my view the flag code badly needs updating to take into account the flag materials of today and the cultures of today and practises of wearing clothes with flag print etc etc

Answer 5

It is proper etiquette to take down the flag at night and during inclement weather. You may fly the flag at night if it is properly lit. Also, the worn flag should be burned in a dignified manner.

Answer 6

9/11 got everybody and their brother out flying a flag, but very few bothered to pick up a book on how to treat the flag.

FYI-the VA also accepts flags and due to corporate sponsors the Boy Scouts usually dont take them from people anymore, they have more than they can deal with already.

Or you can retire it on your own, just please dont even consider it unless youre going to do it properly. It isnt hard and it can be something great for the kids to join in on--teach them respect for the flag.

Answer 7

Anybody that wants to fly their national flag should be allowed to do so without restriction,never mind about lights whistles and bells .However most places round the globe you'd have to have a ring of barbed-wire around the american flag far enough out of spitting distance
the english guy has got a little bit mixed up in his facts.Scots/welsh flags are a matter for those nations but shouldn't be flown in england except on certain designated days.The same goes for the english flag.This is a long standing regulation and has nothing to do with upsetting other racial groups

Answer 8

I knew about the african american flag, but not the mexican flag I think the nazis stole the eagles from the mexicans, because they also have a flag that resembles a Norwegian Flag

Answer 9

the flags in the rain are probably the water proof flags, and that is legal, but they are supposed to be lit.

Answer 10

thats nothing. it is illegal to fly the flag of england in england because it has the cross of saint george, and so offends muslims
however the scottish and welsh flags are fine to be flown in england, as well as any other flag such as the islmaic one, or pakistani etc