ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
Q
Since Sept. 11, it seems that more people are flying or displaying U.S. flags. What’s the protocol to follow?
A
Properly displaying the U.S. flag indicates patriotism and respect. Several codes-first passed by Congress in 1942 and later amended several times-provide basic guidelines for displaying the U.S. flag:
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Do not display the national flag on the floor or ground;
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Raise or lower the flag by hand;
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Do not raise the flag while it is furled;
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Unfurl the flag, then hoist quickly to the top of the staff, and lower it slowly and with dignity;
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Place no object on or cover the flag;
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Do not use the flag to cover a speaker’s table;
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No flag may fly above or to the right of the U.S. flag;
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When other flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the U.S. flag should be hoisted first and lowered last;
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Never display the U.S. flag with the union down, except as a signal of distress.
This information and more can be found on the Betsy Ross Homepage, launched on the 244th anniversary of Ross’s birth, Jan. 1, 1996. The Web site, located at , is sponsored by Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia, Pa.
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