Trump fanatics make a farce of Flag Day and our sacred symbol
By: USA TODAY
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
'The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing.' In other words, no picture of Trump.
EJ MontiniArizona Republic
Every day - and this Flag Day is no exception - the cult-like followers of former President Donald Trump desecrate the American flag.
Strange, since they call themselves patriots.
Strange as well that Trump also calls them patriots and never points out the offense.
At every rally for the former president, every one, the sacred symbol of the United States is dishonored.
Often with the image of Trump.
Our flag protocol is simple - and the law
You've seen these flags. You can't miss them. They come in many variations, each in its own way showing disrespect for the emblem of the land they supposedly love.
What is Flag Day celebrated for? Why do we celebrate Flag Day? Here are the do's and don'ts for the June 14 holiday.
Flag protocol is fairly simple. It's written into law, not because anyone is meant to be punished for violating it but as a show of respect.
Trump indictment isn't a witch hunt: Be honest. If you saw the evidence, you would have indicted Trump, too.
It's all there in Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1. Among other things, is says in very simple language: "The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature."
In other words, no picture of Trump.
Which is more important, America or Trump?
Not words, like "God, Guns & Trump."
No images of weapons.
No nothing.
It also says, "The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever."
That would include, of course, a political campaign.
Superimposing the face of Dear Leader over the flag would suggest that he is more important than the country the flag represents.
The fact that Dear Leader does not object to such irreverence would suggest that he agrees.
EJ Montini is a news columnist at The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, where this column first published. Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com
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One has to wonder why it has never occurred to these idiots that the American flag is not supposed to be decorated with the faces of politicians.
Nor should a pride/trans flag stand front and center in any display of the US flag...especially at the White House.
But you're probably gonna get slapped with a "whataboutism" label.
I hear ya!
Lol..
Some violations are okay, I bet.
All the right wing does on this site (with few exceptions) is whine.
So there was an Obama flag too. Ok great. What about the seeded article ? No one addresses it. All they do is snowflake constantly. What a turnaround ! lol.
You just don't get it! We are addressing the topic and adding a few flourishes. What kind of responses did you expect from posting such bilge? Lighten up
What do you think you are doing?
You are whining about what a few randoms on the internet have done while ignoring the President and his spokesmen breaking the flag code and refusing to even apologize for it.
Why do you hold the President of the country to a lower standard than random Americans?
What does the internet have to do with it? They fly the Trump flag at Trump rallies and speeches. And at insurrections.
In what way is a US flag altered in this picture?
Could you cite even one instance of Biden disrespecting the flag? Or is this just more fascist bullshit?
Did you miss the picture in 1.1 ?
I saw it. The two American flags look quite normal. What do you think is wrong with them?
So you don’t know about flag protocols, that’s okay a lot of people don’t, the American flag should be in the center, the higher prominent position with pride flags to either side, flying that way disrespects the American flag.
Basic US flag code. The US Flag should always be center and higher than other flags. The WH was incorrect to place the LGBQT flag in the center.
Seriously? You put this on the same level as Trump's portrait imprinted on the flag?
Wow...
Seriously? You put this on the same level as Trump's portrait imprinted on the flag?
Wow...
Can you point out where I said that? And it wasn’t trump who printed those flags, it WAS the Biden White House that disrespected the flag. Are you really trying to put those on the same level? Ignorant yahoos and the Biden White House? Maybe they are the same, Biden’s administration is as ignorant as the stupid yahoos who put trumps picture on the flag.
Please point out where I said that. You asked for even one instance where Biden disrespected the flag and the picture proof of that was right there in post 1.1. I then responded with a portion of the US flag code in reply to your question asking what was wrong.
Rather than accept that I provided the evidence showing how the Biden Administration disrespected the flag you attempt to spin out of it by bitching about Trump's face on a flag which has nothing to do with our conversation. I'll give you this much, you are consistently wrong. I didn't put it on the same level but I will say that both are wrong and should not be done.
The idiots who put Trump's face on a US Flag are just as fucking stupid as the members of Biden's Administration who saw this flag issue and did nothing to correct it.
You didn't "say" it. You did it.
You didn't "say" it. You did it.
[deleted] Biden disrespects the flag and all you have is but trump and deflection.
News flash [deleted,] Trump didn’t put his picture on those flags, retards like the Biden administration did.
And you're still wrong. Too bad all you can do is deflect.
You're blaming Biden for flags carried by MAGA crazies at MAGA events, including the storming of our nation’s capitol...
How do you cope with such extreme cognitive dissonance?
Must have hated these then too huh John?
No face belongs on the flag.
Instead of whataboutism, why not say that the Trump fanatics are wrong?
I think the Trump flags are far more prevalent.
Two of your four links are about the same story, and a third is not Obamas face on a flag, it is a painting of him standing in front of a flag.
Because both you and the TDS suffering author didn't care when Obama or any other Democrat mug decorated the flag.
Want to lay bets that other politicians faces with be placed on the US flag- including Democrats.
So take your part time patriotism and cram it.
I didnt even know Obamas face had appeared on a flag, thats how little it was seen.
This Trump flag crap was seen on Jan 6th at the Capitol.
They are wrong but did you have the same opinion with his predecessor's mug was used? I think not.
Right now they are FFS. Obama has been out of office for over 6 years and the "historic" election is over fifteen years.
You are correct about the painting. What about the fourth? I see one with his face on the stripes, another with his face in the stars.
And the whataboutism is valid whether you like it or not I am afraid..................
Unfortunately, that you didn't know, cannot be proven. Have a good day now.
go away
[deleted]
Post Toasties but the answer is no one. Just that same old hypocrisy critter we have all grown to know and love.
A liberal manta:
First Amendment for me but not for thee.
They love free speech …. right up to the point when they disagree with it.
Funny how little you see when you don't specifically look for it.
Oh they saw it. They just didn’t have a problem with it.
Thus illustrating the hypocrisy involved.
I have told you time after time that I will leave your comments alone if they address the topic of the article. Instead you endlessly whine about what other people are posting, and that is pretty much all you do.
Take it up with Perrie. Maybe she will reinstall your comments, although I doubt it.
No, that's how little you cared.
Like that?
I googled "obama image on flag". I found a few very bad photoshops, but nothing convincing. Do you have anything better?
Sure you did. This is the second item on a first Google search.
Please stop lying and being so disingenuous.
They can’t, when you are supporting and defending Biden, lies are all that is left. Party over personal integrity, and they claim the trump followers are a cult.
Of course I found it. It's a bad photoshop that could be from anyone.
…. sorry Bob.
I chose to believe the article over Bob Nelson’s opinion.
You are wrong ….. again.
Your bias is literally hard to believe. An obscure ulterior motive is more probable.
Nah, but your denial and projection is omnipresent.
Very much so …….
I do not want to see the flag with anyone's face imposed on it or used in any way not in keeping with the rules.
Shouldn't be used as clothing, either. So Arctic Barbie with her flag bikini was very disrespectful
I don't think they used an actual flag but rather a printed stars and stripes. i have a pair of swim trunks with the flag depicted but it too is just a printing of a red, white, and blue symbolism. AND only worn on the Fourth of July
Jim,
I think in particular, they are talking about Flag Day, in which we celebrate the flag that our founding fathers created. I have to agree, that on that day, which is specific to the flag, no other kinds of American flags should be flown.
Couldn't agree more.........
This is not the flag etiquette we were taught in the scouts.
Liberals reached into Pandora’s box and pull out legalized flag burning.
Other free expressions that desecrate the flag will now follow. Oops!
Nice job dumbasses.
Pandora's Box at the time was the Rehnquist Court which was not Liberal.
Yeah like today, a very divided court. Interestingly Rehnquist dissented on that majority decision. Scalia didn’t. I remember it well. In his dissent, Rehnquist said that, “the flag is not simply another ‘idea’ or ‘point of view’ competing for recognition in the marketplace of ideas.”
“I cannot agree that the First Amendment invalidates the Act of Congress, and the laws of 48 of the 50 States, which make criminal the public burning of the flag,” he said.
I tend to agree with Rehnquist.
Although I can’t really argue with the majority decision, that won’t stop me from engaging liberal hippies and miscreants burning the flag and trying to stop them. It’s visceral for me.
But make no mistake. It wasn’t conservatives burning it.
Is anyone calling for abuse of the flag to be illegal? Not that I have seen.
It's not a legal question. It's a civic question. Some people apparently think the flag belongs to them. Some do not.
Years ago, when I was an assistant scoutmaster, I was asked by an army officer at the army depot who, in part, sponsored our troop if we would like to dispose of some old flags for them.
We wanted to get this right so we took this as an opportunity to teach the boys about the US flag code. (also a learning experience for me) We selected a couple of flags that they had told me where they flew and unfolded them and held them up, said a short story about them, refolded them properly and put them back in the paper bags that they came in and laid them in the fire along with the others. (there were about a dozen)
The Trump flags are absolutely violations of the flag code as is the signing of flags for his followers as he has done in the past.
The pride flag in the center that Greg posted is also a violation.
Just Jim's first link in comment 2 is ok because it's a painting of a person in front of a flag but his other links are clear violations of the code as are his swimtrunks.
Your truck bed flags are also a violation unless the staff is fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right front fender, so are your 4th of July paper plates and napkins, and when they carry the giant flag out on the field at the Superbowl.
In summary, we are all lucky there are no codified penalties for violating the US flag code.
“In summary, we are all lucky there are no codified penalties for violating the US flag code.”
Well said, as once again hyper-partisan and hypocritical symbolism ‘trumps’ true patriotism.
When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross
It’s hard to carry a cross while wrapped in a flag.
You perfectly described the democrat party of the 50’s and 60’s, only the outfits have changed.
I did not know that's how a flag is burned. I'm the dummy who would show the utmost disrespect and just ball it up and throw it in the fire. Thanks for the information in case I have need of disposing a flag
That's how we did it. The code just says it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. We just kind of made up a ceremony.
I have seen people do that down here. They have a place to drop off old flags to dispose of.
Once they get them though, they throw them in a 50 gallon barrel and burn them all.
My Marine Corps League post does it a couple times a year. Our American Legion post does it regularly as required. Most of those, in Michigan at least, have a drop box for old flags. I bet they do in other states as well.
My BIL's father was military for years. He set up drop boxes at places like Sam's club. I don't think he does anymore though as he is getting up there in age.
Sometimes they would get some that nothing was wrong with and they would give them to people that wanted one.
Thank you Jasper Johns, you actually understood it.
48 star flags. Nice.
It was painted in 1958, Hawaii and Alaska were yet to join.
The flag. And then there's the MAGAS.
I saw an American flag with a huge dick on it at the pride rally. Looks like the Maga crowd likes a big dick on their flags too.
Not according to Stormy Daniels.