Posted on 10/02/2013 6:53:57 AM PDT by Sopater
A Stevens Point man is flying an American flag upside down outside of his house. He says it's in protest of the way the government is being run.
While flying a flag upside down isn't against the law, some people say it's not OK.
Blanchard is a veteran, serving in South Korea twice and once in Vietnam. He says flying his flag upside down is sending a message.
"By hanging my flag upside down, we're under duress in this country," said Blanchard.
The Stevens Point man says he turned his flag upside down a few weeks ago, after becoming tired of the direction the government is heading in.
"The government has to get themselves straightened away, they have to get the Congress and the government so they're working with the people and not against us," Blanchard told Newsline 9.
There are no state codes banning flying flags upside down and Stevens Point doesn't have an ordinance against it either. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs website, flags should only be flow upside down as a signal of distress. Blanchard says that's exactly why he's doing it.
"Im hoping other people do the same thing and follow suit. This country needs to be straightened out," said Blanchard.
Some people say it's Blanchard who needs to be straightened out. Carl and Mary Schulfer fly a flag of their own upright. They say Blanchards flag is disrespectful.
"I think it's a disgrace to the country. I don't like it," said Carl Schulfer.
Blanchard doesn't see it that way.
"This is a peaceful way. I can fly my flag which way I want it," said Blanchard.
"Don't turn your flag upside down. That's just not right," said Mary Schulfer.
Mike Houlihan can see Blanchard's flag from his front porch and says he doesn't have a problem with it.
"I feel that people make a way bigger deal of something that is really nothing more than a symbol," said Houlihan.
Blanchard says he will continue to fly his flag upside down, at least until he sees some changes.
Blanchard says no one has complained to him about his flag -- but he hopes it creates conversation in the community.
distress signal, everybody knows that
There is a house about 5 miles from here which has been flying an old Soviet flag in the front yard since the day Obama was first elected.
Ouch! And right next door to me in la raza country, all I see are flags of Mexico.
Stevens Point is really rather tiny, surprised this made the news at all.
How would that be for a movement if patriots started flying our flags upside down?
Now that would send a message the MSM could not ignore. Especially if there is a Tea Party rally in Washington and a million flags were flown that way.
Yeah, that didn’t bother them so much. Also, if he’d just set it on fire, he’d have thousands of supporters from the Detroit area.
No they are not . . . the valid argument is that displaying the U.S. flag upside-down is improper according to the Flag Code unless there is "...dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property."
The last time I pointed it out, the semantics cops tried to swarm me, but I fought them off. Fact of the matter is, one shouldn't choose which portions of the Code to follow, or not. It should be all or nothing.
i fly the confederate flag upside down.
This morning my wife suggested that we put all American flag postal stamps upside down.
I did that during Clinton’s time in the White House and I’ve been doing it since January 20, 2009.
If the article is silent, you can bet the man is conservative. If he were openly bashing Republicans, the article would quote him.
Wow. Please take a picture and post!
There is a far leftist on my road who displays upside down hand flags in her flower pots. That takes real determination because you have to remove them from their sticks an stapele them back on upside down. Communist pig!
Flag protest in Wisconsin
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