I consider myself pretty liberal on most issues.

[TNNurse]

But when it comes to flags, I have some thoughts.

I do not like any alteration of the US flag. I do not like anything superimposed on it . I do not like the ones that back police with blue and black stripes. Design something original.

I think that flags should be of standard size, those massive ones do not make you a better citizen.

I think they should be put up in the morning and take them down at night. You know like they used to with a ceremony. Leaving a flag up 24/7 in all weather does not impress me.

I think there should be fines for flying ragged flags.

Flying a flag does not make you a patriot.

Did I mention that I think America the Beautiful should be the national anthem???

[SheltieLover]

1. Agreed!

[Liberal In Texas]

2. Flags can be flown at night if lit.

§174. Time and occasions for display

(a) Display on buildings and stationary flagstaffs in open; night display

It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

[TNNurse]

6. Well, we know that does not happen.

[dumbcat]

7. From my front lawn, here in my suburban neighborhood ...

I am seeing three flags up on flagpoles in neighbor's yards that are lit up at night. Not that unusual here in many heavily military veteran neighborhoods.

[TNNurse]

10. I live in rural East TN.

There are lots of yards with flags.
I have never seen one lit at night.

[dumbcat]

15. I'm right next to a large military base

in Texas. Most folks know the rules of flag etiquette around here. My neighborhood is mostly retired military officers. But now you've got me curious. It's raining now, but one of these evenings I'll walk around my block and see how many lit flagpoles we have. I know there are at least three that I can see from home. I'll bet there are a few more. I'll try to remember to let you know.

[TomSlick]

35. My flag flies at night and is well lit.

There is a solar powered light at the top of the pole. It charges during the day and shines all night.

[Blue Dawn]

41. I live in east Tennessee....

....and I did a lot of research before putting up our American flag. I learmed abour proper protocol and I adhere to it. It is fine to fly a flag at night if properly illuminated, so I purchased a spotlight from a website that specializes in selling American flags, flagpoles, lighting, etc. Our flag is brightly lit every night.

Also, I researched how to fly a flag at halfmast if the flag is attached to a pole on the house instead of an individual standing flagpole. I learned that in such a case black ribbons are used. I purchased special "black mourning ribbons" which I attach to be flown with the flag during halfmast orders.. I also have an app on my phone which gives me alerts when a halfmast order has been put in place so that I can be sure my black ribbons are flying in solidarity. The app also alerts me when the halfmast alert has been lifted. I didnt realize until I got the app that a halfmast order can also be placed statewide by a governor. I thought all orders came from the White House, but I was incorrect.

My flag was recently taken down to be replaced with a new one even though it was not tattered in any way. When we took it down we made sure it did not touch the ground. It will be laundered professionally.

I am extremely careful to treat our flag with the utmost respect. Every morning as I do dishes and stand at my kitchen window, I feel such a sense of gratitude and pride as I see it waving gently in the breeze.

I do see quite a few American flags in my neighborhood and very few are lit at night. I can only assume that a lot of people just put up a flag without doing any research whatsoever. That is unfortunate. I wish all people treated our flag with the dignity and respect it deserves.

If I can figure out how to post a photo of the flag with the attached black mourning ribbons, I will do it. I think I was able to purchase two of them for around $20 including S&H. (I bought the extra one to give one of our neighbors!)

[Liberal In Texas]

39. My late brother who unfortunately was a Fox watching

example of being brain washed by propaganda installed a large flag pole in his front yard and always kept it lit if it was to fly at night.

[48656c6c6f20]

3. No. Not a flag fan.

Andre has a red flag, Chiang Ching's is blue
They all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tai Yu
Dressing up in costumes, playing silly games
Hiding out in tree-tops shouting out rude names

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Well Played!

Great song.
Interesting note: there are no cymbals on that whole album.
Gabriel asked Phil Collins & Jerry Marotta to not use cymbals so they'd have to think differently and play things they hadn't played before.
Collins cleverly double-crossed him on one song by using a cup gong one-quarter filled with water. But, that was so different, Peter dug it!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. Next you'll be telling me that Hans plays with Lotte and Sasha plays with Britt?!?

Are you some kind of anarchist?

[Bettie]

11. No, Adolph and Enrico are the anarchists

Adolph builds a bonfire, Enrico plays with it!

[48656c6c6f20]

12. No.

I'm one of those open borders people everyone should fear.

[Goodheart]

4. That's not anti-liberal. Those are just personal tastes.

What would be anti-liberal is you forcing those personal tastes upon everybody else.

[CrackityJones75]

26. Such as the fine that the poster suggests.

[Goodheart]

33. I missed that part.

Fines for flying ragged flags? Hell no.

[GulfCoast66]

9. I generally disagree but you lose me with the fine thing.

Flags are personal property and our reverence of the flag is not as old as the nation.

My beliefs on this changed when I saw a photo of Lincoln and McClellan having a field meeting over lunch.

The tablecloth? Yep, a US flag. They put no undue importance on a piece of cloth.

[Victor_c3]

13. I mostly agree

Flags are symbols and as such, they hold different meanings to different people. I find it distasteful in the situations you described, but I’m a firm believer of the first amendment (not that I doubt you are at all) and put up with it. Especially clothes and other cheap trinkets with the flag on them - those always irk me.

I’ve got mixed feels on patriotism. Too much patriotism results in something like Nazi Germany and is a perversion of sorts, just like the excessive Soldier worship. At the same time, I’m also a veteran and I consider myself very patriotic. To me, being patriotic means I very firmly believe in the constitution that I took an oath to protect I and I believe that we must fight to ensure those rights should always be extended to all of our citizens - especially to those who aren’t like me (middle aged middle class straight white male).

Usually when someone from the right says they support the constitution it seems they only believe in a loose interpretation of the 2nd amendment. They certainly don’t believe in free elections or ensuring voting rights are extended to all.

As for the flag and our anthem, I always stand at the position of attention. The anthem, in particular, brings a tear to my eye when played. It reminds me of the 5 Soldiers I lost under my command when I was in Iraq and reminds how much of a waste that war was.

[Hekate]

14. During the BushCheney admin, I volunteered with the Vets for Peace. When they marched...

…in protest, they marched with the US flag, figuring that as most of them had actually done battle for it, they certainly had the right to do peace for it. I liked that attitude.

One of our members, a Korean War vet, was very clear on traditional flag etiquette, and you have articulated most of it. The flag is not to be flown when faded, worn out, and tattered; it should be disposed of in some respectful manner at that point and replaced with a new one. The flag is not to touch the ground. The flag is not to be defaced.

I disagree with fining people.

But the defacement of the flag by Trumpers really bugs me. What is wrong with those people?

As for the National Anthem, I totally agree. The Star Spangled Banner was in the running along with America the Beautiful and others. It’s time to revisit that choice.

[CrackityJones75]

24. Maybe we could pick an anthem without God in the lyrics.

[Mr.Bill]

37. Absolutely.

My choice is This Land Is Your Land.

[ChazInAz]

34. You should hear "Hymnusz"!

The Hungarian national anthem seems to run about two hours long, and dredges up grievances that are over a millennium old! The whole thing sounds utterly lugubrious. Makes America's sound sprightly and cheerful.

[treestar]

16. And it is the right wingers doing a lot of that stuff

so much for their "conservatism." I think they are right wing radicals, not conservative.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

17. The Gop lost the flag high ground on January 6th !

I freaking hated it to begin with !

Everything you said was true.

[TNNurse]

18. Oh, they lost it long before that.

Wearing it does not impress me.

As for the fines, I just want them to suffer for being fake patriots.

[NotANeocon]

19. I sometimes imagine Oscar Wilde -

- describing the USA today as a nation where

Citizens wander aimlessly with flags sticking from their anuses. If they find that practice uncomfortable they will turn the flag into a costume and wear it, without worrying whether this desecrates it.

Ah patriotism. Wilde says it is "the last refuge of the scoundrel and the virtue of the vicious."

[Skittles]

20. what bothers me

is people who cannot seem to distinguish between the symbol of a nation and the worst it has to offer

[USALiberal]

21. Really? Fine someone with a ragged flag????

[Mariana]

31. That whole "freedom" idea seems to have passed the OP by. nt.

[Patterson]

22. Lining up 20 on a stage behind a politician speaking should be illegal.

[CrackityJones75]

23. Do you also support the first Amendment?

Because if you do, not much of what you said makes sense.

Fines for flying a ragged flag. Really?

[Voltaire2]

25. Fine yourself.

Authoritarian nations put symbols above human rights.

[MustLoveBeagles]

27. I disagree with the fines and have no opinion on the song change

Other than those points I agree with you.

[mcar]

28. Republicans generally violate most of the standards of flag etiquette

Those Blue line flags make me so angry.

Here in my red FL county, we Democrats are trying to take the flag back.

I also thing America the Beautiful should be our national anthem.

[Mariana]

29. "I think there should be fines for flying ragged flags."

Absolutely not. Flags are private property. As such, the owners may do whatever they wish with them.

[Lars39]

30. I like the way France handles flag flying

Private citizens are not allowed to do so, iiuc.

[USALiberal]

32. Wow, totally bad! Nt

[rambler_american]

36. America the Beautiful. This gives me chills.

This gives me chills.

[Jon King]

38. The flag design is pretty horrid, I'd start over...

US flag is awful, bad color scheme, the stripes are beyond terrible, and don't get me started on the lame box of stars which goes with nothing else on the cloth.

They should let a creative group of high school artists have at it and come up with something. Its their future, let them have a say in the flag design.

Same with the national anthem, terrible, not a fan of America the Beautiful either. Machine Gun Kelly should collaborate with Bruce...together they could knock out something amazing.

[Sapient Donkey]

43. I like the flag. I am also pretty sure you won't find many people in favor a total redesign

[Raine]

45. I think the design is just right. When looking at flags from other nations none are perfect

they all have pluses and minus'. I like the American flag, the way the original colonies are represented with strips and all fifty states with stars.

I don't really care for the anthem I'd prefer "This Land is Your Land".

[Sapient Donkey]

42. Are these think you would prefer people would take into account, or things you wish to be mandated?

I share similar feelings about a lot of what you said, but I am absolutely against laws that mandate any such restrictions. Much like how I am against laws that ban burning the flag as a form of protest. I would prefer people don't do that, because I think it's unnecessary and probably counter-productive. However, so long as people do it to their own property and they do it without violating safety regulations, then I think such restrictions go against what I believe that flag is supposed to stand for. I would apply that similarly to many of the issues you addressed. I would prefer people don't turn the flag into some tacky political thing, turn it into pants or speedos, or have tattered flags on their cars, etc, but ultimately that flag should represent the freedom to do that if they wish. We're all free to personally judge them harshly to our hearts content (or not)


I agree about the national anthem. I think it's a much better song. I've heard many people say this before too from all parts of the political spectrum. Maybe even elevate it to co-anthem status somehow. Not sure how to do that in practice, but I bet that would fly.

[DemocraticPatriot]

44. I guess you never heard "Ragged Old Flag"

by Johnny Cash...