Flag Day

Yesterday was Flag Day in the U.S. On Jun 14th, 1777 Old Glory became our official flag. This is also the birthday of the U.S. Army. Flag Day became official in 1916.
Flags have been used as common symbols in history for over 5,000 years, dating as far back as 3000 BC with a metal Iranian flag and flag representation in Egyptian tomb carvings.
Vexillology, or the study of flags, takes its literal meaning from the Latin word for “guide,” a meaning which continues to carry weight in the use of flags today. The word was created by Dr. Whitney Smith in 1957.
Flags have been used in battle for symbolizing wins and defeats, or to send signals to allies and enemies. In today’s society, every country in the world flies a representative flag, as well most states and territories within. Many families, organizations, and sports teams have also designed characteristic flags. Regardless of the venue or reason, a flag’s design is created under careful consideration, and the colors used in its foundation represent far greater ideals than what is found on a simple color wheel.
Color Symbolism in Flags
Colors within flags differ from country to country and state to state; the colors presented hold deep-seeded meaning and representation.
• Black: Often used to represent determination, ethnic heritage and/or the defeat of enemies. It can also be used as a symbol of death or mourning.
• White: Seen as a symbol of peace, purity and harmony, and has also been used to represent surrender in times of battle.
• Red: Stands for power, revolution, vibrancy and war (symbolic of bloodshed). Other meanings include courage and domination, while it can also be viewed as an alert of danger.
• Blue: Signifies determination, liberation, alertness and good fortune.
• Green: Often seen as a symbol of agricultural influence, as well as prosperity and fertility. It can also be viewed as youthfulness and hope.
• Yellow (or Gold): Has long been viewed as a symbol of wealth and energy, as in the sun. It can also be used to represent happiness.
• Orange: Viewed as representation of courage and sacrifice.
I think a reverence toward the U.S. flag starts with your parent’s perspective. Each generation is a little different. My parents went through the 2nd World War. They knew the sacrifice made to fight that war. Their patriotism was very high as they fought against what was a ruthless enemy. I learned my reverence for the flag from my parents. They did not fly the flag every day but always on appropriate holidays. My Dad was in the Navy in WWII as his Dad was in the Navy during WWI. They both served honorably. I’d like to think that I served similarly as them.
People that burn the flag because they don’t like some of what our government does makes no sense to me. I guess it is because the flag represents this country. That’s just the thing, it represents the United States of America not the government. The USA is the people including those that burn flags. I feel like it’s just a stunt to try and bring some attention to whatever they are upset about. I understand their right to protest, you can’t do that in some other countries without fearing for your life.
18 U.S. Code 700 says: “Whoever knowingly casts contempt upon any flag of the United States by publicly mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning, or trampling upon it shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.”
This was in 1968.
Then the Supreme Court in its “infinite wisdom” came up with this 1989 ruling.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing a regular concurrence, spelled out his reasoning succinctly.
“The hard fact is that sometimes we must make decisions we do not like. We make them because they are right, right in the sense that the law and the Constitution, as we see them, compel the result,” Kennedy said. “And so great is our commitment to the process that, except in the rare case, we do not pause to express distaste for the result, perhaps for fear of undermining a valued principle that dictates the decision. This is one of those rare cases.
“Though symbols often are what we ourselves make of them, the flag is constant in expressing beliefs Americans share, beliefs in law and peace and that freedom which sustains the human spirit. The case here today forces recognition of the costs to which those beliefs commit us. It is poignant but fundamental that the flag protects those who hold it in contempt,” he said.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist, in his dissent 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.
In reaction to the Johnson decision, which only applied to the state of Texas, Congress passed an anti-flag burning law called the Flag Protection Act of 1989.
But in 1990, the Court struck down that law as unconstitutional.
The case remains controversial to the present day, and Congress has, as recently as 2006, attempted to amend the Constitution to prohibit flag desecration, with the effort failing by one vote in the Senate.
My thoughts are this. We go to war over many things. We’ve been attacked and went to war. All wars are crimes. They should not exist. But there are some things we should defend and fight for. There are exceptions to the ideas the Constitution brings. We have “amended” the 2nd amendment because of machine guns. Why can we not “amend” the 1st amendment for our flag? I agree we should do very little to change our Constitution. But there are always small exceptions.
If you must protest consider other citizens. I know this is not usually what protestors consider.
My flag means a lot to me. It was a flag I served under and lost friends under. It was a flag I pledged my allegiance to as a child. I swore an oath under that flag as a Boy Scout to do my duty as an American. I swore an oath to defend this nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic under that flag. Please show it reverence even you have the right to free speech.
Having a right does not mean you can’t make a choice.

Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn