On May 30, 1916, Flag Day was officially established by proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson, and while it was celebrated in communities across the country for years after that, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.
In 1923, the United States Flag Code was first adodpted, prescribing flag etiquette and the treatment of it. Despite that, however, over the years, our nation's greatest symbol has been woven into the fabric of Americana, both tastefully and with brazen vulgarity.
According to the U.S. Flag Code, "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America." The National Flag Foundation has helped decode the code for easy understanding of the do's and don'ts. Among them, ALWAYS display the flag with the blue union field UP. Never display the flag upside down, except as a distress signal. If the flag is hung vertically, the blue union star-studded field should be observed to the LEFT.
Raise the flag enthusiastically, but lower it slowly. Don't hang a flag after sundown unless you are able to illuminate it. And NEVER let the flag touch anything beneath it such as the ground, floor, etc.
In recent years, with conflicts overseas, Old Glory has been painted on windows, sides of buildings and on garage doors with words like 'Proud Navy Parents' written across them as an obvious expression of sentiment and pride. However well-intended, to do so is a gesture of disrespect to our national emblem. As per the Flag Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8, and again, interpreted by the Flag Foundation, 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 drawning of any nature.
So hoist our Stars and Stripes today with grand treatment of our national treasure and all that it represents, because 'It Manners A lot'!
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