The Color & Design Specifics…
There is an official Flag Code which specifies the look of the American Flag. Namely, that it shall have thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be fifty stars, white in a blue field. There are common sizes, such as 2×3, 4×6, and 6×10 (to name a few).
The exact colors of the American flag are…
- “White”, No. 70001
- “Old Glory Red”, No. 70180
- “Old Glory Blue”, No. 70075
The colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Reference were carefully measured and cross-checked by color scientists from the National Bureau of Standards in 1946. There is no perfect digital RGB or CMYK equivalent, but there are…
- White #FFFFFF
- Old Glory Red #B22234
- Old Blogry Blue #3C3B6E
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors.
Decoration of the Flag…
Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with golden fringe surrounding the perimeter of the flag as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Traditionally, the Army and Air Force use a fringed flag for parades, color guard and indoor display, while the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard use a fringeless flag for all occasions.The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the Army used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe.
Individuals associated with the sovereign citizen movement and tax protester conspiracy arguments have claimed, based on the military usage, that the presence of a fringed flag in a civilian courtroom changes the nature or jurisdiction of the court. Federal and state courts have rejected this contention.
Flag Etiquette…
The United States Flag Code outlines certain guidelines for the flag’s use, display, and disposal.
The flag should never be allowed to touch the ground and should be illuminated if flown at night. The flag should be repaired or replaced if the edges become tattered through wear. When a flag is so tattered that it can no longer serve as a symbol of the United States, it should be destroyed in a dignified manner, preferably by burning.
The American Legion and other organizations regularly conduct flag retirement ceremonies, often on Flag Day.
The Flag Code prohibits using the flag “for any advertising purpose” and also states that the flag “should not be embroidered, printed, or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, napkins, handkerchiefs, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use”. Both of these codes are generally ignored, almost always without comment.
Section 8 of the Flag Code states in part: “The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery”, and “No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform”. Section 3 defines “the flag” as anything “by which the average person seeing it without deliberation may believe it to represent the flag of the United States of America”. An additional provision that is frequently violated at sporting events is “The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.”
Although the Flag Code is U.S. federal law, there is no penalty for a private citizen or group failing to comply with the Flag Code, and it is not widely enforced—punitive enforcement would conflict with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Desecration…
The flag of the United States is sometimes burned as a cultural or political statement. The United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson (1989), and reaffirmed in U.S. v. Eichman (1990), has ruled that due to the First Amendment, it is unconstitutional for a government (whether federal, state, or municipal) to prohibit the desecration of a flag, due to its status as “symbolic speech.”
However, content-neutral restrictions may still be imposed to regulate the time, place, and manner of such expression. If the flag that was burned was someone else’s property the offender could be charged with petty larceny, or with destruction of private property, or possibly both.
Flying a U.S. flag upside down…
Displaying a U.S. flag upside down is “a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” It is most often meant as political protest, and is usually interpreted as such. Flying flags upside down has been used as a sign of protest against U.S. presidents. In 2020, as protests spread across the U.S. demanding an end to police brutality, some U.S. citizens chose to fly their flags upside down as part of the protests.
Top Photo: A proper and respectful manner of disposing of a damaged flag is a ceremonial burning. Bottom Photo: Protesters in Miami with upside down U.S. flags
Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine
