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Is it legal to fly the American flag upside down?” the caller asked. He had seen a few homes in Cherokee and surrounding counties flying the Stars & Stripes in reverse and wanted to know why.
Section 8 of the U.S. Flag Code, under “Respect for Flag,” states, “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.” As a result, some people over the years have taken to flying the flag upside down to express how distressed they are with something happening in the country.
One of those folks was a former Andrews resident I got to know around 1990. He was a proud Christian, loved his country and was dedicated to living as a free man under a specific set of principles. To aid in the cause, he took his family to a nationwide camp, where they could learn from and worship with like-minded people.
The man couldn’t sleep on his first night in the camp, with the thoughts of a world running amok with sin and government corruption giving him unrest. So while the other campers slept, he snuck out, climbed the flagpole and turned Old Glory upside down.
When the camp arose the following morning, the leader of the group had strong words for them. “There is an enemy among us!” he exclaimed, while our man from Andrews sat back and admired the commotion he caused, albeit with what he thought were good intentions.
Back to the question – is it legal? Yes, but at the same time the company CollinsFlags.com says flying one upside down should not be taken lightly. “These instances do not include moments of personal dissatisfaction or times of protest,” according to its interpretation of the code. “While it is legal to express yourself in whatever way you so chose, it is illegal to fly an American flag upside down unless you are in a life or death situation.”
According to the U.S. Defense Department, here are some of the “Do’s and Don’ts for Displaying Old Glory:”
- The flag should not be on display outdoors during bad weather.
- The flag should not be used for advertising purposes, or embroidered on cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or boxes.
- The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery.
- The flag should never touch anything beneath it; this includes water, merchandise and even the floor.
I looked for a local home flying the red, white and blue in such a manner but couldn’t find one, at least with the owner home. However, a quick look around the internet shows individuals, businesses and even churches have flown flags upside down recently in protest of homicides, racism and the presidential election results.
I don’t think there should be a law banning desecration of the flag, which falls under the umbrella of free speech, as long as it’s your flag and not someone else’s. However, I do believe the flag should be respected, which is why I hate to see our symbol flying upside down. Surely there’s a better way to protest.
David Brown is publisher and editor of the Cherokee Scout. Call him at 837-5122, email dbrown@cherokeescout.com or reach on Twitter @daviddBstroh.