Obama Flying The American Flag.....Upside Down

[Guest Verbal Kint]

News Link: >> HERE <<

ELECTION 2008

Obama 'credential' criticized for upside-down flag

Democrats say stars and stripes are 'patriotic design elements'

Posted: August 19, 2008

10:07 pm Eastern

DENVER – The "credentials" issued by the Democratic National Convention for fans of Sen. Barack Obama to attend his nomination-acceptance speech next week at Denver's football stadium are raising questions because they apparently have the U.S. flag flying upside down – an international signal of distress.

KUSA-TV in Denver reported its viewers have raised the issue, and online, a participant in a Gateway Pundit forum said, "That's an upside-down flag. It may not be intentional, but there it is."

The television station said viewers see the blue field and stars in the lower left corner, even though published flag etiquette states the stars should be displayed – always – in the upper left corner.

Obama Spokesman Matt Chandler told the station the flag isn't upside down; it was just stylized to blend the stars on Obama's shirt with the flag.

"The DNCC community credentials incorporate patriotic design elements," said Natalie Wyeth of the DNCC in a statement to the station. "They do not depict an actual American flag. The DNCC has full and complete respect for the flag and all rules of display."

Such affirmations, however, were lost on some of those commenting on the issue.

"Dude can't stop disrespecting this Country!!!" wrote a contributor to the station's forum page.

Said another, "It's an upside down American flag. Which has always had a very specific meaning. Declaring it is anything else is a lie. Deflecting attention from it is a typical political maneuver. Falling for it is more proof of the dumbing down of the American voter."

It isn't the first time issues over such protocol have been raised by critics of Obama. He was photographed with Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Ruth Harkin at a steak fry for Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin during the playing of the national anthem. Richardson, Clinton and Harkin placed their hands over their hearts, but Obama is standing casually with his fingers laced in front of him.

He also previously said he doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin because it has become a substitute for "true patriotism."

To an Iowa television station, the Illinois senator explained he stopped wearing a flag pin following the 9/11 attacks.

"I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest," he told the station. "Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great."

It's funny that they're trying to play it off as him wearing the stars as a shirt, which just happens to coincidentally form an upside down flag when viewed with that background.

Ironically, that is also a no-no.

Obama is a piece of ****. Plain and simple.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Link: HERE

Taken from the article linked above...

Not that most of his young followers would even notice. I recall seeing a comment at a forum once that said, “Patriotism is over-ratedâ€. So no big deal, right? Small stuff compared to The One….

And Barack Obama wonders why people question his Patriotism, right?

You see, an upside down American Flag is said to be a signal of Distress. Seems about right when it comes to this guy. He is an ongoing signal of distress to the United States of America and the democracy it holds dear. Furthermore, it appears that The One’s display of the flag in this manner isn’t even legal. But no big deal. He’s The One.

§176. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

• (a)
  The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
  
  
• (
  
  The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
  
  
• © The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
  
  
• (d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
  
  
• (e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
  
  
• (f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
  
  
• (g)
  The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
  
  
• (h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
  
  
• (i)
  The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.
  Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
  
  
• (j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
  
  
• (k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
  
  

Funny how a candidate and his campaign can be so very detailed in timing the chants of Oooooooooo Baaaaaaaaahhhhh Maaaaaaaaa.

Funny how they can time the I LOVE YOU BARACK! shout from the appropriate place in the crowd, so that Obama might shout I LOVE YOU RIGHT BACK!

Funny how every nuance, every detail that makes Barack Obama look like he is The One is never overlooked.

But they couldn’t figure out that they displayed the American Flag upside down.

Maybe this is just more the the Change We Can Believe In.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

LINK: HERE

And a better view of the convention ticket... and oh wait, look, if you hold it at the other angle to make Obama disappear in the hologram you're left with... *gasp* just an upside down American Flag. Guess the stars weren't his shirt after all.

KUSA out of Denver says viewers have been questioning the design:

The viewers say with the stars and blue field in the lower left corner, it looks like an upside down American flag. Published flag etiquette states the stars should always be displayed in the upper left corner. An upside down flag represents an international symbol of extreme distress.

Matt Chandler with the

Obama

campaign says the flag is not upside down. He says it is a stylized flag designed to blend the stars on Senator Obama’s shirt with the flag blowing in the wind.

Oh please. You can’t spin this one, guys. Either the flag is upside down, or Obama’s head and the words are upside down.

Natalie Wyeth with the Democratic National Convention Committee sent 9NEWS the following statement Saturday night:

(â€Think quick people..we need to come up with an good excuse for this latest gaffe!â€)

“The DNCC

community

credentials incorporate patriotic design elements. They do not depict an actual American flag. The DNCC has full and complete respect for the flag and all rules of display.â€

Got it. It’s not a flag; the fact that it has all of the features of a flag, (upside down) is purely coincidental.

[dralarms]

The more I think about this the madder I get. It's time these stupid people get their heads out of their asses and remember what this country means. Now we have an arab american disrespecting our flag. Time to burn somebody's a$$.

[Guest sermon8r]

The more I think about this the madder I get. It's time these stupid people get their heads out of their asses and remember what this country means. Now we have an arab american disrespecting our flag. Time to burn somebody's a$$.

There is NOTHING American about him.....

If elected it would be an Obamanation....

[dralarms]

There is NOTHING American about him.....

If elected it would be an Obamanation....

Very true, I thought abour getting a sign that reads NObama, but the idiots would think I was voting for him.

[Mike.357]

Unbelievable the gaffs this guy's advisors commit. Kind of scary to think what his advisors will have him doing should he be elected

I do have some comments on flag protoco, my comments are in red mingled in with the rules

§176. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

• (a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
  

Absolutely Obamas ticket is a upside down flag

• ( The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
  

I noticed last night a skydiver towing the flag in Bristol at the track. The flag certainly hit the ground, though they did make effort to gather (wad) it up quickly.

• © The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
  

I have seen this many times, The Super Bowl most prominently where a huge flag is carried flat by many people, certainly not aloft and free

• (d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
  

Wearing apparel? I am sure we have all seen people wearing flags.

I can't find the thing online but I have seen bedding designed as an American flag

• (e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
  

Anyone own a car flag?

• (f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
  
• (g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature
  

Can't say I have seen any of these at least not out in a public setting

• (h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
  

I have seen mailboxes that look like flags

• (i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
  

The flag is used all over in advertising. I have a table cloth thatis a flag design and I know at the time it was purchased there were also matching paper plated and napkins.

• (j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
  

Doesn't the NFL have flags on the backs of helmets?

• (k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
  

How many flags do we see flying in frotn of banks posts offices etc..

that are tattered and dirty

I guess I am just pointing out that the Democrats are not the only ones violating flag protocol. I do not see much anger over these examples.

Just saying....

[Guest canynracer]

I was thinking some of that too Mike...I gotta say, I didnt know about the etiquitte thing, I also find it interesting that the "respectful" way of getting rid of a battered flag is burning it... I found that weird...cause um, I thought that was "Anti-American"

but I agree with the purpose of this thread, Obama is a pile...

carry on

[Guest SUNTZU]

"I will not have my patriotism questioned!"

[Guest Verbal Kint]

I was thinking some of that too Mike...I gotta say, I didnt know about the etiquitte thing, I also find it interesting that the "respectful" way of getting rid of a battered flag is burning it... I found that weird...cause um, I thought that was "Anti-American"

• (k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
  

It's done as a ceremony, usually in full military dress (or uniforms -- seen scouts assist in this before, as well) etc. It's not just throwing a lump of them in a burning trash can or anything. And it's definitely not done in protest... so it's actually on two very different ends of the spectrum.

To the uneducated, yeah it does appear to be the same thing... or at least very peculiar. But it's actually something due to a great deal of respect, and held in high regards.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Not to derail this thread, as Obama being a huge pile of communist ****... but here's a flag ceremony and what is involved:

LINK: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/more/flagburning.htm

Flag Burning Service And Ceremony

The National Flag Foundation provides the following guide for conducting a patriotic flag burning ceremony. (Source: Air Force Wives)

.ds li {padding-bottom:10px;} Ceremony of Final Tribute:

1. Only one flag should be used in the ceremony, which is representative of all the flags to be burned in the service. The remainder of the flags collected should be incinerated. A corporate, government, or military incinerator or furnace can usually be found for this purpose.
   
2. The ceremony should be conducted out-of-doors, preferably in conjunction with a campfire program, and it should be very special.
   
3. The ceremony involves two color guards, one for the flag currently in use and a special color guard for the flag to be retired from service. Of course, this may be adapted if conditions necessitate.
   
4. Just before sunset the flag which has been flying all day is retired in the normal ceremonial procedure for that location or group.
   
5. The color guard responsible for the flag receiving the final tribute moves to front and center. The leader should present this color guard with the flag which has been selected for its final tribute and subsequent destruction. The leader should instruct the color guard to "hoist the colors."
   
6. Leader comments: (when the flag has been secured at the top of the pole)
   "This flag has served its nation well and long. It has worn to a condition in which it should no longer be used to represent the nation."
   
   
   "This flag represents all of the flags collected and being retired from service today. The honor we show here this evening for this one flag, we are showing for all of the flags, even those not physically here."
   
   

   
   

7. The leader should:
   
   • Call the group to attention;
     
   • Order a salute;
     
   • Lead the entire group in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag; and
     
   • Order the flag retired by the color guard.
     
   • Slowly and ceremoniously lower and then respectfully fold the flag in the customary triangle. Deliver the flag to the leader and then dismiss the group.
     

[*]This concludes the Ceremony of Final Tribute

"Ceremonial Burning"

Fire Preparation:

It is important that the fire be sizable -- preferably having burnt down to a bed of red hot coals to avoid bits of the flag being carried off by a roaring fire -- yet be of sufficient intensity to ensure complete burning of the flag.

Flag Preparation:

The color guard assigned to the flag opens up it tri-corner fold and then refolds the flag in a coffin-shaped rectangle.

When all is ready:

1. Assemble around the fire. The leader calls the group to attention.
   
2. The color guard comes forward and places the flag on the fire.
   
3. All briskly salute.
   
4. After the salute, but while still at attention, the leader should conduct a respectful memorial service as the flag burns. National Flag Foundation recommends singing "God Bless America" followed by an inspiring message of the flag's meaning followed by the "Pledge of Allegiance" and then silence.
   
5. When the flag is basically consumed, those assembled, with the exception of the leader and the color guard, should be dismissed single file and depart in silence.
   
6. The leader and the color guard remain until the flag is completely consumed.
   
7. The fire should then be safely extinguished and the ashes buried.
   

Edited August 25, 2008 by Verbal Kint

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Other variations can be found here:

http://www.wtrfrd.com/pack339/339flag1.htm

http://www.ysmenusa.com/flag_burning_ceremony.htm

http://scoutingbear.com/USA/flagret.htm

As you can see... they are well scripted and rehearsed to show respect for the flag and what it symbolizes.

[Guest c.a.s.]

I'd always heard that the union needs to be cut from the stripes before burning. Guess that textbook was wrong.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

I'd always heard that the union needs to be cut from the stripes before burning. Guess that textbook was wrong.

The first link, above your post states what you are referring to. Removing the field of stars first, and then cutting the stripes. So you're correct, that is the (one?) way to do it.

Having never personally been involved in one of the ceremonies, I can't say for sure if there is one correct way to do it, or variations of said ceremony. But you are correct in your thinking/reading.

[Guest canynracer]

It's done as a ceremony, usually in full military dress (or uniforms -- seen scouts assist in this before, as well) etc. It's not just throwing a lump of them in a burning trash can or anything. And it's definitely not done in protest... so it's actually on two very different ends of the spectrum.

To the uneducated, yeah it does appear to be the same thing... or at least very peculiar. But it's actually something due to a great deal of respect, and held in high regards.

Gotchya...now, the question is....I have a flag on the front of my house. It is rather worn, if I wanted to replace it, what do I do with the old one?

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Most American Legion posts/chapters, scout organizations, etc will accept them. Not sure what's available in your specific area... but should be pretty easy to ask around and have them point you in the right direction.

[Guest canynracer]

Sweet...thanks!!

now back to our regularly scheduled programming......

Obama is an idiot...............

[Angus]

I was thinking some of that too Mike...I gotta say, I didnt know about the etiquitte thing, I also find it interesting that the "respectful" way of getting rid of a battered flag is burning it... I found that weird...cause um, I thought that was "Anti-American"

but I agree with the purpose of this thread, Obama is a pile...

carry on

Burning a flag out of dissrespect is "Anti-American", but the most accepted way to dispose of a battered and torn flag is to burn it. I had 3 uncles in the Navy during WWII, God help you inf you violated any of the flag etiquette. I think my uncle Jacky woulda personally kicked Obama right in the nuts if he were alive today.

Thanks Verbal Kint...I should have read page 2 before I posted....oops

Edited August 25, 2008 by Angus
failure to follow instructions

[creeky]

This is being used as a graphical image that corresponds with Obama's message...

"Bush is destroying us... I am your only hope."

The designers know exactly what they are doing... they mean it to convey exactly what it is suppose to convey... "A land in trouble and in distress".

A rallying cry for the Liberal Masses that feel that Bush has "destroyed" life, liberty, and any pursuit of happiness. This (IMHO) is designed to help to remind everyone at the convention that there should be solitary at the convention... that they all have to pull together to save us from the "Evil Republicans".

They want to keep the attitude that they are besieged on all sides and the sole hope of America depends on them electing Obama. A rallying cry if you will... "Save America! Vote Obama!"

Talk about your "Kool-aid".

Everytime I see an Obama sticker on a car I can't help but think...

"Bless their heart. They can't help themselves... they're following a guy

and don't have a clue why."

Sort of like the piped piper leading the rats away from the city.

[Guest GLOCK2340]

Are we in the Twilight Zone or what?? It is insane that this guy got nominated!= But I guess the real insanity is that so many "Americans" are buying into his and !!!! How can a nominee for President be so out of touch with what it means to be American and what our Flag, among other things, means to this country?

[Guest grimel]

I was thinking some of that too Mike...I gotta say, I didnt know about the etiquitte thing, I also find it interesting that the "respectful" way of getting rid of a battered flag is burning it... I found that weird...cause um, I thought that was "Anti-American"

but I agree with the purpose of this thread, Obama is a pile...

carry on

There is a difference between removing a battered flag from service and burning it as protest while stomping it.

[Guest grimel]

Most American Legion posts/chapters, scout organizations, etc will accept them. Not sure what's available in your specific area... but should be pretty easy to ask around and have them point you in the right direction.

and do so gladly.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

and do so gladly.

+1

[Guest nraforlife]

Course his head wouldn't show up as well against a blue background.

[TnShooter83]

I'd say a lot of people violate the Flag laws from lack of knowledge.

But for some reason, I think the designer of the ad knew what he/she was doing.