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This morning, when dropping my son off for school, a few students were putting the American Flag up for the day. Their handling of it was horrible. The flag was "bunched up" and not properly folded. It hit the ground several times while they were fumbling with it. And several other "violations" of how I was raised to handle our flag as well.

The students in question are mostlikely in the 11 or 12 range roughly. At 1st, I was offended by the handling of the flag. Moreso, I was offended that a teacher was within eyeshot of the incident, and didn't bother correcting them at all. After a while, as my day got caught up in other business and whatnot, The flag incident faded from my memory. That was, until, I saw the same students mishandling the Flag at school's end when I picked my boy up.

Let me point out that I am not angry at these students necessarily. I believe it is the school's responsibility to properly teach this ceremony to the students charged with putting up and taking down the flag. If the students were trained and simply ignore it, I still am not nec. angry at them. I would be dissapointed that these kids obviously aren't being taught the respect our flag deserves but again, that is something that is a product of their environment. I don't think they came out of the womb as flag disrespectors.

But is this what it's like at every school? Am I making a big deal out of something that happens on most school campuses every day?

I don't think so. After all, the school is a public one, meaning it is a government institution. In my view, they aren't only responsible for, but should be prioritizing it and ensuring that not only those students, but every student knows how to handle their nation's flag. .

And the age of the students should not come into play. After all, kids at this age commonly learn such skills in civic organizations like the boy scouts and girl scouts. Kids at this age in catholic schools learn how to properly handle things in the church and give those things their due respect.

So, my question is, should I make a beef with the school about this? Or should I write it off as just another failure of our public schools who have failed here to instill any sense of patriotism in the schools funded by the taxpayers of our great nation? Or is this "mishandling" overlooked for any reason and "doesn't count" or whatever?

Comments
on May 01, 2007
So, my question is, should I make a beef with the school about this?


I wouldn't. Instead I would bone up on flag etiquitte and ask the school if I could come teach them one day.
on May 01, 2007
I wouldn't. Instead I would bone up on flag etiquitte and ask the school if I could come teach them one day.


i thought about doing that if i do confront them on the issue. volunteer myself. but i would want to "bone up" my etiquette to ensure that i didn't teach something wrong.

i gotta say, on a sidenote,,,damn that was a fast response!
on May 01, 2007

Be happy that they raise and lower it.  Most places (even schools) just put it up and leave it.

Maybe you can make a poster or something for them out of the basics of the Federal Flag code so that they can follow it: http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30243.pdf

on May 01, 2007
In my kid's elementary school it was the Cub Scouts who taught the other kids. Then they had a get together to learn how to properly retire and dispose of unservicable flags given by community members. It was fun teaching them. (The flag that hit the ground is technically unservicable.)

BTW: Remove the blue field with a razor and burn in a reverential manner.
on May 01, 2007

I wouldn't. Instead I would bone up on flag etiquitte and ask the school if I could come teach them one day.

They had classes for the kids that did that when I was in 5th and 6th grade.  And before they could, they had to pass a test!  But then they knew how to raise, lower and fold the flag the right way.

on May 01, 2007
Be happy that they raise and lower it. Most places (even schools) just put it up and leave it.


Authorized if the flag is illuminated at night (and that it doesn't wear or fray visibly, then it would have to be replaced). The Navy detachment on the Air Force Base I work at leaves theirs up but well lit.


According to my Army study guide, Title 4 of the United States Code provides rules and customs for displaying the US flag.
on May 01, 2007

how to properly retire and dispose of unservicable flags

Our local VFW has a disposal ceremony each year where they refold the flags then burn them.

Authorized if the flag is illuminated at night

That's "if".  I have seen way too many flags that are just left up with no lighting.

on May 01, 2007
Authorized if the flag is illuminated at night That's "if". I have seen way too many flags that are just left up with no lighting.


True, true. I just didn't know if you realized there was the possibility that it was the right thing. But she shouldn't be flying in the dark.
on May 02, 2007
That's "if". I have seen way too many flags that are just left up with no lighting.


car dealerships are good for that
on May 03, 2007
Good to see so many interested in doing it right. My heart soared right after 9/11 when all the cars and pickups were flying flags and houses were getting flag poles. After a few weeks, I spent alot of time stopping in traffic to pick up flags that had blown off and were laying on the ground. At the science and transportation center of a local school district, I stopped and picked up their flag out of the street where it had lain for hours...no one noticed or if they did they didn't care enough to pick it up. I took it into the office and put it on their counter...no one even spoke to me. My point? If adults who are supposed to be a little more responsible can't get it right, how can we expect the kids to.

In my kid's elementary school it was the Cub Scouts who taught the other kids


Most of the cub scouts I know could do a proper flag ceremony...how many adults could?

I take my flags pretty serious...glad so many of you do, too.

on Jul 05, 2007
Or should I write it off as just another failure of our public schools who have failed here to instill any sense of patriotism in the schools funded by the taxpayers of our great nation? Or is this "mishandling" overlooked for any reason and "doesn't count" or whatever?


NO


I don't think they came out of the womb as flag disrespectors.



they may not know that they are disrespecting the flag. and they may not know what people have sacrificed so that they can disrespect the flag
on Jul 05, 2007
Most places (even schools) just put it up and leave it.


this is proper if there is a light turned on the flag
on Jan 07, 2008
Respecting a flag and properly handeling a flag are not even close to being the same.
You could teach these kids how to handle the flag, but what good will that do?
on Jan 07, 2008
You could teach these kids how to handle the flag, but what good will that do?


it might give them a little more respect for the flag. if they learn why the flag should be respected in the first place. assuming that they don't already know.