Stop Disrespecting The Flag

     There is the famous photograph of battle weary Marines struggling to raise an American flag on a mountaintop on Iwo Jima in 1945 and now another that is equally famous, firemen raising the American flag at Ground Zero at New York's World Trade Center.

     Through the decades, men and women have struggled, fought and died to protect this flag that symbolizes our country, its heritage and traditions.

     Frequently when traveling in another country and unexpectedly encountering an American flag, there is a misty-eyed rush of emotion accompanied by strong feelings of love for the homeland, even for those people who consider themselves unemotional.

     Yet for all their seeming enthusiasm for their flag, Americans, according to a widely traveled friend from Spain, are the only citizens of a country who blatantly disrespect their flag, often on a daily basis.

     When visiting here, he was appalled to see what appeared to be cut-up flags in the form of shorts, shirts, scarves and even underwear and dog leashes.

     He said that not only do the citizens of other countries have more respect for their flag than to purchase such items, but that it is against the law for any company or individual to produce and/or sell them.  There is a sizable fine as well as companies could lose their license to sell anything in that country.

     It is one thing to purchase something with the entire flag displayed, like the "United We Stand" tee and sweat shirts and jackets that appeared after September 11th and quite another to wear what appears to be pieces of our flag cut into strange shapes, then sewn together in a crazy quilt pattern.

     There is a national law that requires that if an American flag becomes weather-weary, badly frayed or torn that it should be taken to a local American Legion Post, where in a special ceremony, the flags are respectively cremated in the presence of an honor guard of veterans, standing at attention.

     Instead of disrespecting the flag, wear the colors of the flag, my outfit has always been a navy blue cotton summer skirt, a red shirt, (when I was thinner, the shirt was tucked in and I added a wide white belt) and I have assembled a red and a white and a blue bead necklaces that can be worn in a variety of ways.  For air conditioned areas, I add a white sweater with a flag lapel pin.  Simple and there are always many compliments.  Assemble your own version of a July 4th outfit.

     Part of your respecting the American flag is to talk about it to your friends and everyone you encounter.  Be certain to speak to anyone who you see wearing flag pieces patterned clothes.

     After introducing these ideas to one group, they made half page sized flyers to put on public bulletin boards and most importantly to hand to anyone they saw wearing the disrespectful clothes.

     Children can take the flyers to school to show their teachers and perhaps do a report on this subject.

     Change from ignoring or apathy to speaking out via letters, the Internet and e-mails to store owners, create blogs and Facebook posts, speak out on social media, in newspapers and magazines, to The American Legion and Veteran's Associations asking that they discourage the sale of items with flag piece or distortion images of our flag designs.

     Proudly display whole American flags on your car, property, house and/or on yourself.  Make your often said statement be: 

~ I respect the American flag ~