The Purpose of the U.S. Flag Code

To many of my more Conservative friends, I often come across as anti-patriotic, a moniker with which I bring great issue.  It is my belief that to question our politicians, their policies, and the nature of politics as a whole is the greatest form of American patriotism; it is a fundamental right and duty granted and protected by our Constitution.  Where I bring issue with this process is when people take issues based on facts and turn them into opinion-based arguments, using their own facts (often pulled from sources that are questionable, at best) to criticize politicians, policies, and parties without actually knowing what the hell they're talking about.

There is one issue about which I am vehement - adherence to the U.S. Flag Code.

Shortly after the attacks on September 11th, 2001, it suddenly became haute couture for politicians to wear American flag lapel pins.  At a time when patriotism was at a high, few people questioned the reasoning behind this show of support for our nation and its troops.

Even fewer people recognized this behavior as being in direct conflict with the United States Flag Code:

United States Code Title 36, Chapter 10, Section 176, Article (d) - The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

While the U.S. Flag Code is, in fact, a Federal law, there is no Federally established penalty for failing to adhere to this law, it is not widely enforced, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that enforcement of this law violates our First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech.

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I should probably explain why this issue is of such importance to me, lest my readers think me crazy (or Conservative).

When I first joined The Cadets drum and bugle corps, I was incredibly permissive concerning issues related to the American flag.  I readily hopped on the bandwagon in believing that usage of the flag in whatever way one wanted should be protected.  However, as a new member of the all-American drum corps, I quickly learned that presentation of the flag in any way contrary to the flag code was unacceptable.

One of the easiest ways to get out of spinning in a parade was to agree to present the colors in front of the corps; the same could be said of standing in the traditional Cadets guard circle:

I will openly admit that I purposely tried to be on flag duty for every regional so that it would be easier for my parents and friends to take photos of me during retreat.  Regardless of my selfish reasoning behind taking on this role, there were certain responsibilities that came along with it.  The guard staff at Cadets was nothing if not thorough in making sure that all new members fully understood and adhered to the flag code when presenting arms.  If we were going to be Cadets, we were going to BE the all-American corps.

My first year at Cadets, I took this seriously.  It wasn't until my second year, in 2002, that I fully understood the impact of this responsibility.

Our show that year was "An American Revival," a World War II-themed show performed in part as a tribute to the survivors and victims of the 9/11 attacks.  It was this year that George Hopkins, the corps director, started sending corps members to the souvenir booth after performances to meet the fans who came to shop.

This quickly became my favorite post-show responsibility, because it allowed me to interact with audience members on a face-to-face basis, and to hear feedback from those who had just watched our show.  Anyone who took on this duty will tell you that, in 2002, the fans were nothing if not grateful.  The sheer number of older fans who stopped to visit us kept saying the same thing: "Thank you, so much, for your show!"

There is something magical about having a WWII vet come up to you in tears to tell you how thankful they are for your performance.

It was at this time that I began to truly understand the important of the role the corps, and by extension, I, played in adhering to and maintaining the U.S. Flag Code.

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In every election that followed the 9/11 attacks, political candidates (primarily, if not exclusively, Conservative ones) made the wearing of this American flag lapel pin an issue.  To be caught without this pin festooned to your lapel was to show disregard for the soldiers fighting "for our nation's freedom," and much ado was made about those who wore nothing.

Democratic candidates, in particular, were lambasted for being unpatriotic if they were caught without this pin, and a behavior that was, in fact, a violation of Federal law became an issue of national importance.  It is no small irony that the Republican party - the party that continually avers that they are the "Pro-America" party; the "most patriotic" party - should create an issue based around breaking a law.

The reason this issue comes up, today, is because of a recent uproar over the usage of President Obama's face on the American flag by the Lake County Democratic Party in Florida.  Veterans protested this defacing of the flag as inappropriate, and rightfully so: it is inappropriate to flout the Flag Code is such a manner.

I wonder, however, if the same uproar would be made if another political candidate's image...let's say a Republican...had been used in such a manner.  Where was the veteran uproar when the American flag was being worn as apparel?  Where was this outrage when marketing campaigns gratuitously used its likeness for their own purposes?

It is rare that you will hear me espouse Pro-American sentiments - this is one of those times.

The maintenance and upholding of the United States Flag Code is not just about obeying the law; it is about paying tribute to those who have actually fought for freedom, not just for Americans, but for the oppressed...for those who could not defend themselves...for those foreigners who honestly believe that America is the Land of Opportunity.

But, more importantly, the purpose of the United States Flag Code is to prevent those who would use it for their own personal gain from abusing this nation's image - this is the very last thing we need.