The flag fetishists in the US is damn weird.
At that age, being a country is still new and exciting. I mean, look at Belgium, theyāre also fucking weird.
This is a myth perpetuated by the flag manufacturers to sell more flags. Why would you need to burn your flag because it got dirt on it? Thatās what washing machines are for.
Itās also what the US flag code says. The only time it recommends burning is when itās so tattered itās not fit for use anymore.
And this is while most people who say the flag canāt touch the ground ignore the other rules in the flag code (that doesnāt apply to civilians) that state that the flag should not be flown on the same pole as another flag, and in the event that it is flown alongside another flag on a separate pole, both flags should be flown at the same height.
Thatās what anti patriotic, washing machine detergent manufacturers want you to think!!
Iām curious if anyone else has the same kind of flag etiquette that the US does
Like if thereās any other countries where burning is the only acceptable method of disposal?
Iām pretty sure there are plenty countries where burning is a huge offense.
Burning the US flag except to dispose of it is considered offensive in the US as well.
I thought flags were made of non-flammable materials to prevent people from burning them.
I donāt know if itās in the law, but itās common knowledge in Italy that you shouldnāt throw the national flag in the trash.
US flag code isnāt law either, you wonāt go to jail for mistreating the flag, you just wonāt be liked.
Yeah Iām sure there are some obscure guidelines like this in most countries itās just we donāt give a fuck.
I have strong feelings on religious text disposal given that many extend this practice to floating quotes as well. Torn shirt with āallahu akbarā on it? Not in the trash. Water damaged painting with a prayer in the background? Canāt go in the trash, dummy. Bin you scribbled a verse on when you were a kid? Better keep your foot off the pedal but sure, trash is fine. By all means, dispose of religious texts as dictated by your sect of choice but anything further feels like fear-borne neuroticism.
Flags have been venerated for long long before America. Itās a war thing, but think about it, in the medieval days they would have a whole guy in an army unit dedicated to be a āflag bearerā. It was an important role and important to keep the flag held aloft. Not to mention the symbol on the flag was often linked to the divinity of the king or the pope. America just continued with that tradition, we didnāt start it.
In medieval and early modern times, the flag bearer was basically your radio guy. He was supposed to keep the flag held up high at all times, as if the entire fighting groupās life depended on it, cause very often it did.
And if itās that important to hold a flag up, over hundreds of years, weird traditions develop around the practice.
Not to get politicalā¦ buy why wouldnāt just washing it and generally treating it respectfully be good enough (Like, why waste a perfectly nice looking flag?)
Intentionally throwing oneās national flag on the ground and stomping on itā¦ thatās one thing. But just dropping it by mistake? People make mistakes, it shouldnāt be considered bloody treason :p
Then again, Iām one of those people who avoids ever addressing āsomeone of stationā as āYour Graceā, āYour Honourā, āYour Highnessā, etc. If I were ever in the situation of being expected to do so, Iād be very uncomfortable and would try to get away with āSirā or āMadamā. I donāt believe anyone deserves such obsequious subservience. Guess Iād be dead if Iād been born a few hundred years ago.
Yup, Iām the same way. A flag is a piece of cloth, and it only has relevance due to the symbolism on it. Sure, be respectful of the freedoms it represents, but at the end of the day, itās a piece of cloth.
And yeah, I would totally not be comfortable living somewhere like the UK, if only because of the traditions around the crown, royalty, and court and legislative procedure. Iād be civil for sure, but Iām only using reasonable titles. That said, Iām okay with āthe honorableā or āyour honor,ā if itās referring to someone respected in the community that represents justice under the law. But āyour graceā and whatnot are right out, I save that for actual deity.
Do you think people in the UK have to greet royalty every other week or something? Iāve lived here for 34 years and itās never come up.
Nowhere in the US Flag Code does it say to burn the flag if it touches the ground. The code says separately that you shouldnāt let it touch the ground, and that if it is too damaged for display it is to be disposed of by burning. Not that accidentally touching the ground automatically necessitates burning.
The United Kingdom does. Although you can also cut the flag up so it doesnāt resemble a flag anymore and throw it out.
Osama Anon Laden
Imagine having such a braindead devotion to a piece of fabric that you must burn it if it touches the floor.
Even better; thatās not a rule, the US flag code just says you should avoid having it on the ground so it doesnāt get damaged/dirty
There are some wild things in the flag code. Like you technically arenāt allowed to have your flag up between sunset and sunrise unless it is "purposefully lit, meaning a light installed for the specific purpose of lighting the flag and not, say, a porch light that illuminates it.