So, I'm curious. When did we as a nation decide it was ok to deface the US Flag?

[Biophilic]

We had a new gun store open up recently and the owner is flying the regular flag, a second US flag with red, blue, and green strips, and a third Don't Tread of Me flag. I had missed the addition of a green and red strip to the Back the Blue "flag" Went looking online for more information. Every article I read (5) reported how patriotic these flags were, how they represented fireman (red), police (blue) and military, park rangers (green). And how it was fine to fly these flags especially if you flew the "old" flag with them.

Ok, I admit it, I'm really getting pissed and really upset at the amount of propaganda and lies we are surrounded by. How does any ordinary person even begin to know what's right and what's wrong, what's a lie and what isn't?

[inthewind21]

1. 1989

That's when.

[WhiteTara]

5. why that year?

[SYFROYH]

6. Texas v. Johnson - Flag burning constitutional

It sanctioned that you can do what you want with the US flag.

[Wonder Why]

15. It was done a LOT in the '60s.

[Iggo]

18. I remember the green ecology flag.

And those two-fingered peace sign patches we sewed onto the back pocket of our jeans.

I’m trying to think of others. (It was a long time ago, and I was a little kid.)

[NowISeetheLight]

32. Elementary School

Our elementary school had a nature courtyard in the 70s. I remember the ecology flag.

[Biophilic]

21. Damn, I had completely forgotten about that.

So I guess my self righteous anger at both the store owner and the articles online was completely miss placed. Sigh. I know better than to jump in when I don’t have all the evidence.

[reymega life]

2. its a crime to deface the us flag

[tritsofme]

9. No it's not. You have a First Amendment right to do so.

[inthewind21]

10. No

It's not

[former9thward]

11. Not any more.

As the poster above you mentioned the Supreme Court in 1989 said you could burn the flag as a protest. If you can burn it then you can do anything else to it.

[inthewind21]

13. It's

mind boggling how few know this.

[Ms. Toad]

26. Yup. N/t

[LiberalFighter]

3. I don't consider them acceptable.

What it says to me is that they don't think they are as good as USA.

As an example, if a business advertises they are Christian. It says to me that they must be doing underhanded things and trying to hide it with the Christian thing.

[exboyfil]

14. Like the funeral home that charged my mom twice as much for cremation as the going rate

I held my tongue and went along with the prayer. I know it bothered her in her last days because her friends were getting it done at half what she contracted to do it. I don't care so much about the money, but the fact that it bothered my mom in her last days.


Fuck them and anybody who takes advantage of an old person.

[marble falls]

23. As a christian I avoid like the plague anyone who advertises being Christian.

[Bayard]

4. No trump flag?

[maxsolomon]

7. When we realized that no one really cares.

Only Cons need to wrap themselves in flags, but they get tired of the same old same old. And they think their Thin-Blue-Line dipshittery it offends us Libtard Snowflakes.

[Effete Snob]

8. Amazing isn't it?

These people hate the US flag so much that they have to change it.

You could probably pass for normal among them with a Bretagne flag...

[exboyfil]

12. Saw a US Flag superimposed on a Marine Corps flag near my mom's house in Florida

For years he flew the proper US flag above the Marine Corps flag on the same flagpole (the prescribed method). I lost a lot of respect for the guy when he went with the combined abomination. The US flag is for every American and its image or portions of its image should never be used to support any group.

I don't think it is about law but about what is right because of the 1st amendment. Those who decide to deface the US flag should be ostracized in my opinion.

[Iggo]

16. We, as a nation, didn't.

[Ferryboat]

17. Another question, why is acceptable to wear it as a buff

or other pieces of clothing?

[Wednesdays]

19. It all depends on who's wearing it

Remember the Golden Rule: IOKIYAR!

[stopdiggin]

20. that critter escaped the barn

quite some while back. I think now the question has become, do the various flags (and representations) that we fly today represent support and inclusion - or is the message meant to convey the converse?

Support for police, firefighters and military have all long been honorable and (mostly) sincere expressions. On the other hand, is the neighbor's display of a 'Back the Blue' sign - primarily a message in opposition to Black Lives Matter?

And then we have to also confront the fact that a prominent display of the flag, particularly on private property (or vehicles) has always had a bit of a 'holier than thou' ('more patriotic than you' ) element to it.

In any event - it's pretty clear that both message and motivation have become fairly fluid over the years (huge displays over auto dealers and discount warehouses, junk mail insurance offers). And since your neighbor, or auto dealer, clearly has the right to fly just about anything he wants to - I think we are left with trying to determine where lies honest and honorable motivation - and who are the hucksters (including police and politicians?) that have a sometimes ulterior and/or divisive ('holier than thou') set of ideas and agenda?. (America for Americans!)

And I wish you good luck with figuring out who is who.
------- -------

[Biophilic]

22. Your last line says it all.

Good luck figuring out who’s who. And I’m back to my original question of how can an ordinary person keep any of this straight or figured out?

[stopdiggin]

27. it's a good question

I try to go the 'benefit of the doubt' route when possible (just because it's probably healthier for both myself, and those I interact with). All the while being perfectly aware that some don't deserve that courtesy. And then, to be honest - if you're a goofball or a jackhammer - there's a good chance I really don't care what your 'message' is. (I stopped 'engaging' with nincompoops years ago - again, for both my health, and theirs)

[marble falls]

24. Autodealers offend me most. The flags are flown at night in rain and look like shit, half the ...

... time the hoisting mechanism is fouled by rags off the flag and can't be brought down.

[bluedigger]

25. About the same time we discovered it was profitable.

[Qutzupalotl]

28. I have to suspect that a lot of these recent alterations,

even if domestically produced, are being encouraged or boosted by our adversaries, to make us look not like one united nation, but dozens of splinter groups.

[Biophilic]

29. Or people wanting to set themselves off and special.

I was dismayed to realize that the first time I passed the store I didn’t see the regular flag next to the 3 colored one.

[Bettie]

30. How about the flags with the orange guy's ugly face

plastered onto unlikely bodies...saw one where he was rambo riding a velociraptor. Weird.

[Takket]

31. When the First Amendment was adopted

Using the flag as works of art is a form of free expression. Whether it is tasteful or not is certainly also covered by everyone’s 1A rights to say so.

[yagotme]

33. Remember in Forrest Gump,

when he commented about the guy leading the protest in Washington wearing a US flag as a shirt. Wasn't considered appropriate at that time period, per US Flag Code.