I'm utterly ashamed at the lack of respect or awareness people display these days. This is not the 100% reason why our nation is screwed up, but this is just a display of the affect of what is going on with our nation.

 

Yesterday, I take the wife with me up to our local Super 1 foods. Its a grocery store similar to a Safeway. Up here, the past few days it has been blowing with about 30mph winds on avg. Temps have been around the 0 mark. We pull into the parking lot and jump out of the truck. To the behest of me, here is our National flag flying!

 

BULLLL!

 

It had a light on it to fly it during the night, but proper flag etiquette says you are to not fly in inclement weather!  :banghead: 

 

So I go in and B line right to the counter where the manager should be. Lady acknowledges me and I ask her for the manager. She comes over and asks me what I need. I asked her if she and her store knew the proper etiquette for flying a flag? She said, "Yes, why do you ask?"

 

I retorted back to her, that she still has the flag flying on the pole in this weather! She said, "Oh! Wow, well they must have just forgot to take it down. I'll have them take it down. Just by curiousity, are you a service member?"

 

I told her no, "But it has NOTHING to do with being a service member!" (The importance of recognizing the proper flag etiquette, not the significance of the flag and what our country sacrificed)

 

She said, "Okay, thanks for letting us know." And she walks off!

 

Okay, I think to myself, maybe it will get taken care of. Well, to my surprise the next morning, we go back because we had rented a movie and needed to return it. THERE IT WAS! STILL FLYING in this damned blizzard we've been having!

 

So, I've been considering a few things to take it to the next step.

 

1. Go back to the store, express my disappointment in them and their lack of respect to the flag.

 

2. Call corporate and tell them what happened and threaten them with a publicity statement on facebook and/or the local paper.

 

3. Just go straight to the paper, facebook and post on their facebook page about the issue.

 

'Am I over-reacting to this? I don't feel like I'am. I mean for GOD's SAKES man, when I worked at McDonalds at the age of 17 I was proud to take our flag down from the pole during the night and inclement weather when my manager told me to go grab it. We EVEN took the damned time to fold it PROPERLY before putting it away! We EVEN took it down during sundown, even though we had a light bright enough to illuminate it!

 

:banghead:

 

Gahhh! Someone help me. I'm getting really ticked off about this. This really angers me alot to see this. This is such a huge reflection in the attitude of people in our country, that they do not even take the time to go out and take out flag down when its proper!

 

I'll tell you this, when I left the store from the first visit, I watched a kid go out and collect grocery carts. Freezing his *** off to collect CARTS! But not freeze your *** off to take down the flag? It takes LESS time to grab it up than to walk the lot and collect CARTS!

 

SOB! If people had the respect. Little do they think, that it was because of people who died, sacrificed to get our country to where it is now, that they are able to enjoy their lives in most peace and safety and enjoy more freedoms than any other nation!

 

I'm about ready to go take the flag down, MYSELF!

 

What is it going to take?! Is someone going to say, "Eh, someone else will do it. A service member will stand up, I don't need to." WELL, you know what, to someone else, YOU are the someone else!

Heres a more extreme example:

 

In case anyone wants to learn:

 

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html

I thought the flag should be flown at all times and not taken down anytime the weather gets bad as a sign that we are united through all times of thick and thin.  If it gets damaged, put a new one up.  To me, taking it down shows that we just give up during the bad times.  

 

I mean it's a flag....its not a person up there freezing to death.  And as such, it should be flown proudly at all times. 

 

Thats how I see it anyway. 

I thought the flag should be flown at all times and not taken down anytime the weather gets bad as a sign that we are united through all times of thick and thin.  If it gets damaged, put a new one up.  To me, taking it down shows that we just give up during the bad times.  

 

I mean it's a flag....its not a person up there freezing to death.  And as such, it should be flown proudly at all times. 

 

Thats how I see it anyway. 

 

One can respect the idea that this brings. But it is not the procedure in accordance to the code. I do encourage you to further extend your knowledge on the importance of the flag. I share the excitement of being patriotic and see the reasoning to your statements, but flying a flag is mandated by FEDERAL law to only be able to do it in a certain way.

 

The aforementioned link is a good link to read and learn about the flag and its proper uses.

 

Here is something else of value as well:

 

http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid=%270E%2C*PLS%3F%22%20%20%20%0A

 

It mentions that flags of certain material fit for weather may be flown. Otherwise, must be taken down. I have seen on numerous occasions of flags tattered and beaten from the weather. The only sure way of knowing if a flag is fit for weather is if the manufacturer states that it is.

 

IMO, better to be safe than sorry!

 

We must as a people regain our respect for our country and have the pride in the nation as we once did. Not holding a reverence for our flag says that on a personal level you have no respect for the way of life. All the death and sacrifice the nation as a whole has made to maintain our way of life is all wrapped up into one symbol:

 

Hex, be easy. Even your link shows it is allowable in inclement weather with an all weather flag. I came up with this also. http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30243.pdf

It states the same thing. It also lists a few sites where we fly the flag 24/7.

What surprises me is I know we have some military folks here I figured they would bounce in and answer this one.

So are you "banned" from the store now????  

What surprises me is I know we have some military folks here I figured they would bounce in and answer this one.

 

I did a little research on it because CFA flies there flag 24/7 with a light on it ran or shine. I would like to think that they are doing it properly. 

 

I also just realized that Hex had already posted the link that I posted. Sorry about that Hex. I guess I ought to read a little more closely.

You know Hex, I have to say there are times when I see the flag flying and it pisses me off at the disrespect some show Ole Glory.  There are a lot folks out there whom don't think twice about the flag or the freedom they have have been given only to ignore it's meaning.  The circumstance you mention is one of those situations.  On the flip side I see many occasions when the flag is mis-handled and done in a true patriotic stance, yet we do not get mad over those despite them being equally wrong.  i.e.. folks wearing clothing bearing the colors, sports teams placing the flag flat out for display (covering the field with a giant flag) which is also not to be done, (unless something has changed)  Same said teams placing a small flag on their jerseys some where.  or lets not forget the all american company who places a depiction of a flag on their items being sold/advertised.  All done as a reminder of just who we are, not to be disrespectful.  The one thing I cannot and will not deal with is seeing a flag on the ground.  That Sir, I will not be easily swayed from choking someone out for.  I truly agree society has lost its earnest for proper and unequivical patriotism.  Much like being a contributing member of society, being a contributing member of patriotism is a failing state of mind and of union.  My. .02

The one place that chaps my Hide with how they choose to fly the flags is the "Texas Road house" restaurant in Bismarck, The fly a US flag a Canadian flag and a Texas state flag but not a flag for North Dakota. To me that disrespects us as a host state.

I've never seen a Missouri flag.  Probably isn't even one on the capital lol. 

Come to think of it WF, I dont think I have seen but a small handful of ND flags since I moved here last summer. I know in WA, there is at least one state flag for every American flag flying.

I guess since I live within 25 miles of the Capitol of the state that may play a role too.

I see lots of state flags flying around the area here. I have also never seen a flag taken down anywhere due to bad weather, if that was the case we would never be able put them up either.