LONE STAR LIGHT & MAGIC
Posted on 06/14/2006 2:02:56 PM PDT by Steve Newton
A neighbor of mine had the U.S. flag flying from a staff attached to the garage. After a heavy rain/wind storm it slid down the staff and was resting against the garage wall. After about two weeks (no exaggeration) with no attempt to remove, or fly the flag properly, I copied a page off the internet on proper flag etiquette and put it in their mailbox. They got the message ... within a day the flag came down and I haven't seen it flown since ... this incident occurred last fall.
Lovely - just beautiful devolve!! Great way of presenting it!
Good for you my friend
Steve
As you can imagine I've gone trough quite a few flags. I send them to the VFW and they have a ceremony of disposal, it's moving, you should see one.
The business of honorably disposing of these flags has gone through the roof for the VFW, and the American Legion since 9/11, and that's a good thing. There is no charge for the disposal (you can contribute if you like) packing and shipping is your responsibility, or you can drop it off at the local posts of the American Legion or the VFW.
I attended one of these ceremonies once, about 2 years ago, on Memorial Day. It is moving, and inspiring. To see these honorable Vets take so much care with these flags that are to be destroyed is a heart filling experience. They put the flags to fire as if they were fallen comrades. It's really moving.
I made it up one day.
Well
I like it
Steve
 |
Ahaa, you are outdoing even yourself!! Very nice.
Which will be amusing if this country is dumb enough to actually pass some sort of amendment banning flag-burning, as you'll see a sudden burst of people happily burning 51 and 49 star flags they have specially made with no risk.
If you support the Flag Amendment, you support more American flags being burned or defiled in this country, because that's precisely what will happen.
I'd been going to upsize the Whipple Flag for a while now -
Much better 544 wide
What angers me is the flag flying at half mast every time you turn around. Every city, state or even schools do it to "honor" anyone who died that they happen to know!
I was always under the assumption that the flag could only be flown at half staff for dead presidents, or at the order of the sitting president. But that, every last city, school or church could not do this with their own flag and flag pole.
OUTSTANDING
Steve Newton
I agree 100%
Lowering the Flag for every Tom, Dick and Harry degrades the importance of the act.
Steve
You can cremate a flag in a campfire, or even a hibatchi, if the service is somber and respectful. Appropriate dates for this would be Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day, VJ, VE Day, Armistace Day, Voting Day, etc. The flag being retired should be on prominant display, for all to see, the ceremony should be either the first, or the last event (as seems most fitting).
The flag should be held horizontally, and a Salute should be rendered by all present, i.e. standing at attention with right hand over heart, men's headress held in right hand draped over left shoulder. The flag should be cut length wise separating the stripes from the upper half which includes the Canton. Next the Canton is cut from the remaining stripes. The three piece comprise an ex-flag and as such the three pieces are ready to be burned. The Canton should be retained until the end of the ceremony.
Be aware that some present may have a custom that says the flag should only be ripped, not cut. Also know that there is a number of very patriotic people who feel that cutting or ripping the flag in any manner is a desecration of the flag and they will be biting their tongues hard as you do so. (If you do cut the flag, perhaps you may want to consider doing this prior to the ceremony in consideration of those who might find this part traumatic.) You may want to discuss the ceremony with those who will be present.
A reading shoud be delivered, and a strip cut off of the flag and immediately immolated, all present should remain totally silent, and at attention as described above.
Any "reading" that seems to strike you as being respectfull is sufficient. The following are suggestions:
SOME PEOPLE CALL ME "OLD GLORY", OTHERS CALL ME THE "STAR SPANGLED BANNER". WHATEVER THEY CALL ME, I AM YOUR FLAG, THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I WAS BORN ON JUNE 14TH, 1777. SINCE 1818, I HAVE REMAINED IN THE FORM YOU SEE NOW, UNCHANGED EXCEPT TO ADD A NEW STAR EACH JULY 4TH AFTER A NEW STATE JOINED THE UNION. I AM YOUR FLAG.
MY FIRST STATE WAS VIRGINIA, THEN MASSACHUSETTS, NEW YORK, MARYLAND, CONNECTICUT, RHODE ISLAND, DELAWARE, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, NEW JERSEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND GEORGIA. THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN COLONIES. I AM YOUR FLAG.
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. --THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION, CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY, AND DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
AND SO, MY FELLOW AMERICANS: ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU- ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY.
IF THERE MUST BE TROUBLE LET IT BE IN MY DAY, THAT MY CHILD MAY HAVE PEACE. --THOMAS PAINE
GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH - PATRICK HENRY
HOUSTON, TRANQUILITY BASE HERE. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.
THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, THAT'S ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.
LAFYETTE, WE HAVE RETURNED
E PLURIBUS UNEM
I AM YOUR FLAG
The Canton is immolated last, and everybody is invited to sing "America, The Beautiful". Those who decline will have their hands nailed to their hearts instead.
Everyone should otherwise stand quietly until the flag is completely burned to ashes, all parts unrecognizable as having belonged to any sort of flag. At which point everybody is called to attention by the charge de affaires, and then are dismissed. The ashes can be collected and dispersed in a place of honor, your garden, favorite trout stream, fishing grounds, scattered into the wind sitting in your deer blind, or from the top of the peak of your favorite ski resort, or drive out to some corn/wheat/rhutabago/etc fields and scatter the ashes there, or upon the grave of some deceased veteran (whether you know them or not).
The key is respect. Respect for our flag, and our country. Respect for others. There are many different flag retirement ceremonies you can conduct, and you could certainly design a ceremony yourself. The only requirement is that you conduct the ceremony in a "dignified" manner. Do this, and most people will be sincerely moved.
per #52
How so?
OUTSTANDING
Steve
History of the official
Whipple American Flag of 1912
http://whipple.org/blaine/whippleflag.html
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.