Flag Day

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

This is the patriotic display at Gunnison, Colo. on Flag Day a couple of years ago. The main feature was the large American flag stretched above the main roadway of US 50, a road that runs cross-country from Ocean City, Md. to Sacramento, Calif., and then uses Interstate numbers to San Francisco.

On the right are flags flying at half-staff in front of two State of New Mexico government buildings in Santa Fe, taken March 16, 2007.

So what’s wrong with this picture?

I am not a great flag waver. However, those who do wave the flag without following the proper respect seem to easily offend me.

Now there is no law that dictates how a flag should be treated. Instead, the congress passed a flag code, found at United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/
uscode04/usc_sup_01_4_10_1.html

The code is self enforcing, meaning that you don’t face any criminal action if it is not followed.

The POW-MIA flag is being properly flown on a single staff. The flag of the United States is at the top and the state flag below the POW-MIA flag.

The Gunnison flag was flown overnight without direct lighting. It also did not follow the code that requires: (j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street. The Gunnison flag was flown horizontally.

The New Mexico flags are flown properly.

State Senators William Payne, R-Bernalillo County, Vernon Asbill, R-Eddy and Otero Counties, James Taylor, R-Bernalillo County and Gay Kerman, R-Chavez, Curry, Eddy, Lea and Roosevelt Counties pledge the New Mexico State Flag. Did you know there was a State flag pledge?

“I salute the flag of the State of New Mexico and the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.”