Posted on Feb 14, 2016
Do you find it offensive when individuals fly the American flag upside down in political protest?
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Customs and Courtesies
Customs and Courtesies
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 71
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You should respond by running up to them with your platoon and extracting them from the situation since they must be in distress. Maybe they will think twice before displaying the flag that way again.
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It is a distress call. If done in protest, to call attention to the crisis in America, then I feel it is acceptable. With free speech and all, I think it is a much better way to communicate this than desecrating the flag.
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SSG Ray Strenkowski
Except that's not the intended meaning. Unless your in a fob surrounded by insurgents -- using it in protest of the American state of affairs is ignorant at best.
I tend to brush this off for the most part, mainly because those that are doing it are for the most part uneducated in the proper care of the Stars and Stripes. It's disrespectful, and somewhat offensive but no where near burning and stomping.
I don't think it's OK - but like I said, I'm not going to bum rush this person like I might someone who is stomping on it.
I tend to brush this off for the most part, mainly because those that are doing it are for the most part uneducated in the proper care of the Stars and Stripes. It's disrespectful, and somewhat offensive but no where near burning and stomping.
I don't think it's OK - but like I said, I'm not going to bum rush this person like I might someone who is stomping on it.
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Cpl Daniel Bilbrautluyando
We have Americans who are upset at the current state of affairs in our homeland and some want to express it in the most dramatic way possible. While flying Old Glory upside down in protest is wrong, I do understand why they are doing it. Freedom of speech is like a double edged sword. We would all benefit from taking a little more time in thought before we act. Thanks for your time, ladies and gents.
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Yes, I find it offensive when the American flag is flown upside down in political protest. However, Americans are allowed to this according to the First Amendment of the Constitution. The sad thing is these people don't realize how much people, who have served for this country, have sacrificed to give them the right to desecrate the Flag.
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LCpl Donald Richards
IT IS MY BELIEF THAT FLYING MY (OUR) FLAG UPSIDE DOWN AS A POLITICAL PROTEST IS A DOWNRIGHT DISGRACE. I FEEL IT IS BEING DONE BECAUSE OF PURE LAZINESS BECAUSE NO ONE EVER RESEARCHES THE BACK GROUND OF THE CANDIDATES WHO ARE GOING TO RUN OUR COUNTRY FOR US AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES, BUT WHO'S ONLY AIM IS FILL THEIR POCKETS WITH OUR HARD EARNED MONEY. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT US IN THE BUSINESS OF THIS COUNTRY. FIFTY-FOUR YEARS PAST AS OF THIS MONTH, I RAISED MY RIGHT HAND AND SWORE AN OATH TO DEFEND THIS COUNTRY AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTICATE, NO ONE HAS COME FORTH SINCE THAT DATE AND TIME TO RELIEVE ME OF THAT DUTY. FLYING MY FLAG IN SHREDS ON THE FLAG POLE IS JUST AS MUCH DISRESPECT TOWARDS MY GOD, COUNTRY AND THE VETERANS THAT GAVE A SMALL PIECE OF THEIR LIVES, IF NOT ALL OF LIFE.
DONALD P. RICHARDS I
L/CPL/VIET NAM-68
DONALD P. RICHARDS I
L/CPL/VIET NAM-68
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It is hard to respond when you read all the comments. But yes it does mean distress and when flown in this manner for any other reason is a disgrace to themselves and this country. Hang tight to your pride Sarge, you are not alone in your way of thinking.
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Capt James Coursey
No idiot disrespecting the flag disgraces the country - only themselves. Hopefully, they will never have the power to affect the country, even in some small way.
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That is a great question, to do that in a protest they are using their freedom of speech, symbolizing that either they are in distress or the idea behind their protest is in distress. I would probably have unpleasant words for said demonstration but I would definitely be a lot more tolerant of that than the that was going around with people stepping on the flag.
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Offensive, no. Disrespectful, yes. Not any more than people calling 911 because McD's gets their order wrong or because they didn't have something to eat or any of the bs reasons you always hear about. I can contort my mind to understand their "logic", but I will never be able to say that I agree with it. However, as other have pointed out, it is their right to do so. Similar to the fact that I want to be left alone about my choice to own/carry firearms....I will leave them alone to protest/demonstrate in their chosen manner. You'll never agree with everyone's thoughts/actions. You do need to at least give them a nod for attempting to do something to affect change when they see that it is needed. The inaction that has become normal in this cesspool of citizenry is absolutely appalling.
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SFC Jim Mergott - Sergeant; Why not simply call 911 because they are signalling that they are in distress. (I think that you can lump "aggravated ignorance" in with "distress" for operational purposes.)
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I do find this somewhat offensive, however I would defend the right of those individuals to do so on the basis that if the right to do such things were taken away, what rights might we have left when we find an issue we feel is worth fighting for. If we outlaw everything we find offensive in a society that today is so easily offended by almost everything, will we ourselves have any rights to protest matters that we feel are an injustice to us personally?
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