Flags of Our Fathers

Today is Flag Day.  If you can, please display one at your home.  Please remember that it should come down at dusk unless it's properly illuminated, and it should come down if it's raining, unless it's an all-weather flag.  When your flag starts getting tattered or worn out, please dispose of it properly, which means folding it in a triangle and burning it that way.  You can usually contact a local VFW, American Legion, or AmVets post to assist you with this.  Often they will take the flag and dispose of it for you.

Courtesy of Neil, there is an excellent article in the Washington Post today.

Also, I would like to remind everyone that the proper display of the flag is codified in Federal Law, as you can read here.  I don't think it's too much to ask for people who fly the flag to do so properly.

My final thought for Flag Day is this:  If you want to burn the flag in protest, go ahead.  You're not going to win any fans.  I wore the flag on my shoulder while serving in uniform for this country on two peacekeeping deployments.  I don't support a constitutional amendment to prevent flag burning, because I think it's your right under the First Amendment to burn it.  But don't wonder why doing so isn't helping you convince anyone you are right.  Burning the flag is the last gasp of the inarticulate.

And to all the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines wearing the flag on their shoulders today, thank you and stay safe.