We need that here in The Ham because it is evident that our municipal
officials don't know much about flag matters. I'll get back to that
The display of the flag is governed by Public Law 94-344, and it covers
pretty much any and all conditions of handling and display of the flag.
But there are no penalties for violating any of the rules put forth in
the law. The congress and some states have enacted legislation that does
provide penalties for the misuse or desecration of the national
standard, but most of those laws have been challenged or struck down by
the supreme court as violations of the right of free speech.
So from a legal standpoint, you are free to burn, walk on, or rap your
butt in the American flag. One of the important things that our flag
represents is the freedom to make an ass of yourself.
But we routinely cheer things that are in violation of Public Law 94-344.
The flag is to always be flown. It is never to be displayed
horizontally. So when all those people unfurl a giant flag at the
football game, holding it parallel with the ground is a violation. And
if you know what to look for you will often see hanging flags displayed
with the Union in the wrong direction.
Flags may be displayed in the rain if they are all weather flags.
Military installations have a whole suite of flags of differing,
specified, sizes which are flown depending on the day, who might be
visiting the post, and the weather. Storm flags are the smallest and
will be displayed in foul weather. I have seen them up in hurricanes.
Flags should only be displayed during daylight hours, unless they are
illuminated. But again, there are no sanctions applied if you leave a
flag up in the dark. Back in the day, the Veteran's Memorial at Lincoln
Square in Worcester was one of just a handful of places nationwide that
displayed a flag 24 hours a day. There are more places now, but I think
that flag is still up in Worcester.
But what really winds me up is the displaying of the flag at half-staff.
The law states that the President of these here United States can order
federal flags flown at half-staff in honor of a recently deceased
federal official. State governors may do the same for flags flown on
state property in honor of recently deceased state officials. Convention
allows minor officials to follow federal or state protocol, but no
allowance is made for minor officials to order the national standard to
be flown at half staff on their own. And the honor is reserved by the
law for officials. Not for movie stars, musicians, school kids, or
highly regarded local figures.
So how is it that, seemingly once a month or more, the flag in front of
Hemenway School is at half-staff, when I cannot find the recent death of
any federal or state official? And about half of those times, the flag
at the library across the street is at the truck? Either somebody didn't
get the message, or somebody is exceeding their authority.
Let's be clear; not the Mayor, nor the School Superintendent, nor the
janitor at this building or that building has the authority to order, or
allow, the national standard to be flown from any place but the top of
the pole.
Maybe the Flag Police can keep an eye on this for me, going forward.
For the record, I have four different sizes of flags, three of which are
all weather flags, that I fly from my own flagpole. And there is a light
at the top to illuminate the flag at night so I don't have to drag my
old bones out at the end of every day to take in the flag for the night.
My largest flag is a cotton burial flag that I had hoped to fly on
Memorial Day, but the weather looks chancy so I will probably go with
one of the all weather flags. And by tradition and law, the flag is
flown at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day. I will be doing that.
George Marold