Breaking the Flag Code
Residents of Roberts Avenue have a long history of participation in Haddonfield’s Independence Day parade. For many years their floats had topical themes, and participants dressed in costumes and carried signs with witty words and phrases. Themes that I especially enjoyed include the Tribute to Tish, with dozens of men in red dresses, some wearing high heels; and the Salute to Judge Ito, who presided over the first O. J. Simpson trial. Participants that year wore black robes and carried signs that played cleverly on the judge’s surname. The last sign of all: “Fin Ito.”
I’ve missed that humor these last few years. Others have also.
This year, Roberts Avenue residents carried a 38-year-old, 20-foot by 40-foot “Grand Old Flag.” On the front cover of its July 13–19 issue, The Haddonfield Sun printed a terrific photo of the flag, taken from on high as the contingent approached Haddon Avenue.
Although carrying the American flag in a flat or horizontal manner is a breach of flag etiquette [Section 8© of the United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag], the American Legion says that it “has no issues with those who desire to carry the flag flat or horizontally.” In fact, the Legion has a standing resolution that offers numerous changes to the Flag Code to bring it up-to-date with current accepted patriotic practices.
That doesn’t let Roberts Avenue off the hook, however. They also violated another rule of flag etiquette.
It is widely understood that a flag displayed upside-down is a signal of distress. The Legion says that when a flag is carried flat or horizontally in a parade, its orientation should be “union at the leading edge and on the left in relation to the direction of movement.” (The union is the blue field with the white stars.)
The photo in the Sun shows that Roberts Avenue residents carried their flag with the union at the trailing edge. In effect, they carried it upside-down. So they should be strung up after all.
Or maybe not. Maybe our clever friends on Roberts Avenue did offer a topical theme this year…a coded comment on the state of the nation.
David Hunter
