FOX 35's Blog

Stupid is as Stupid does I guess.... probably a Jane Hanoi Fonda fan.

This man is an American citizen making a cogent statement safeguarded by the First Amendment on his own private property. Far from being insulting and disrespectful, it's what America's all about. If anyone's disturbed by it, they need to re-read the Constitution and seriously ponder just how committed they are to the American values of freedom and individual rights enshrined in it. Patriotism doesn't mean lemminglike conformity and groupthink -- it means giving a darn about one's country.

I am not in the least bit offended by the flag flying upside down in this case, as described by the Vet who is flying it that way. As a Vet, I fully understand the meaning of it. And, I must admit I fully agree with him.
What offends me is what George W. Bush, Dich Chaney, and the rest of the current regime have done to put our country into the dire, troubled situation it is in now.

I would not be offended at all. One of the reason our country is so great is that we have the freedom to express our opinion.

I believe our country IS in trouble; just look at our economy.

Maybe our government will see that fellow Americans are feeling the crunch from the bottom on up.

Flying the U.S. flag upside down is a display of America in distress....rising gas and grocery prices, increased bankruptcies and foreclosures, increased crime rates...are we not America in distress???

That is not cool,,, We american people live for our flag to be up the RIGHT WAY!!! He needs to have respect for the american people and think as a whole not to himself......

He is letting people know that we the USA are in trouble. It nice to know that he wants us to know that. Not many people would care to tell us that. We are a society that keeps to our selves. I am not offended.

and in doing so gotthumb HE IS ALSO LETTING THE TERRORISTS living among us, we are getting tired AND THAT'S NOT A GOOD SIGN AT ALL..we are caving into them and don't even know it what charlesway stated is absolutely right NOT COOL.......

NO! I wouldn't find it offending! It's a freedom of speech. It's their property they can whatever they like. They're paying the bills, they bought the flag, it's on their property. If you don't like seeing it flipped upside down then DON'T LOOK AT IT! yES I do support AMERICA 100% but.. isn't this what AMERICA is all about FREEDOM OF SPEECH. DOING WHAT WE ALL WANT WITHIN THE LAW. THE FLAG ISN'T HURTING ANYBODY!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

As a veteran he has earned the right to protest and express himself using the flag. He paid by enduring the despicable treatment on his return from war from all the good citizens of the good old USA. I salute him for his courage and damn his critics.

Back when I was in FIRST GRADE, we learned what flying the flag upside down meant. We (all of us in that schoolhouse) got a firsthand lesson about it. The kids in second grade were responsible for raising and lowering of the flag. We had to do it by the book! One morning, someone wasn't paying attention when they hooked the flag on the hooks and raised it. The flag had the stars at the bottom of the flag. About a half hour later, we were all assembled outside for a lecture from the police department. It consisted of how we were responsible (at least the ones in charge of the flag that morning) for the police being there. It had been seen, and a couple of patrol cars had come to check to see what the trouble was. Of course, there was no trouble. Had I seen this neighbors flag flown in such a way, I would have contacted the police to see if maybe someone had broken into his house, and he/she was being held prisoner, and that this was his way of notifying someone without the criminal getting wind of it. It is definately a distress signal to fly the flag that way. I am not sure where it spells it out, but possibly
GOOGLE would have the answer.

This is, in part, what I found through Google, at the following site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_terminology

Techniques in flag display

* Hoist – the act or function of raising a flag, as on a rope.

* Lower – the act or function of taking down a flag, as on a rope.

* Half Staff or Half Mast – a style of flag display in which the flag is flown at half of the potential height of the available flag pole. Usually this is done by first hoisting the flag to the top, then lowering it to halfway. (Equally valid 'half-masting' is flying the flag at two-thirds of its normal height. This is especially applicable where the full height of the pole is not visible to most observers; for instance, where the pole is mounted on the roof of a building and the lower portion of the pole is not visible from street level.) This usually denotes distress or a show of grief, such as mourning a death. The use of 'mast' suggests naval use but typically the two terms are interchangeable.

* Distress – flying the flag upside-down, or tying it into a wheft. [1]

I also found the following at this address:

http://www.flagsbay.com/flag/2007/10/30/flying-us-flag-
upside-down-not-sign-of-protest/
Respect for flag

Respect for flag is the title given to Section 8 of the U.S. Flag Code, and it addresses this very issue. In fact, this issue is so important that it is the first article written in the Respect for Flag section. Here is the introduction and article (a) in Section 8 of the U.S. Flag Code.

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United S

(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year’s Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, third Monday in January; Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12; Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first
Monday in September; Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.

(e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

It also tells us how to PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE to the FLAG (Barack Obama, you need to read this):

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it
stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”, should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any
non-rel

Those of you who want to use this forum to express your political views have that right and veterans like the gentleman who is flying that flag gave you that right.However I feel you should stick to what this blog is about rather than use it to spread biggotry.

People have come to this country ever since Columbus that is what America is about.Those people have worked as hard as anyone.I am a forth or 5th generation American.It is not easy changing cultures.Do you want to forget your heritage and what your grandparents teachings?I think not.I served this country and have to other cultures and it was not easy to fit in over there.Maybe you need to walk a mile in their shoes.I've also work with people of other cultures both here in Florida and in Michigan.How many Americans are on welfare and getting freebies? Most GI's and Vets would disagree with you in the respect that he has the right to do it and we gave him the right.You may not agree with what he is doing but because you disagree does not mean he cannot do it.I may not agree either but I fought for that right and my grandfather who is buried in Arlington national Cemetery fought for that right also.