Being a Karen about my neighbor's American flag

[JayInOz]

Doesn't cut it Rob- sorry We of the British Empire put the flag up and took it down with due diligence and respect whether being shot at or not
When I was in Mystic, Connecticut I thought it was lovely seeing all the neat, white two story houses with picket fences and flags out the front- about as American as any scene could be. But now, seeing them everywhere over there and especially in company with trump flags and others has tarnished it a bit. Houses, trucks, boats, bikes and clothing adorned and even barely visible flogging along in the dust on farm machinery. It's a bit over the top and a bit unnecessary. We get it- you're proud Americans. You don't have to yell about it all the time JayInOz

[skuthorp]

Untrammelled jingoism Jay.

[WX]

I find the US desire to hang the stars and stripes off anything handy to be quite bizarre.

[rbgarr]

A local 2nd Amendment enthusiast petitioned the town fathers several years ago to mount US flags on telephone poles all around town (on about fifty of them). The effort passed and the town paid for purchasing and installing them. They fly from Memorial Day to Armistice (Veterans') Day each year... and become tangled, bedraggled, torn and dirty. I used to be bothered by their condition but got over it. I hope you can too.

[C. Ross]

You seldom see a Union Flag in England; you will see the cross of St George flown from parish churches but that is for religious, not for national reasons. You are more likely to see a saltire in Scotland, however.

I was in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire for a brief trip with my daughters in September. The Union flag was popular outside shops on High Streets and the occasional pub. I assume “branding” for tourists rather than nationalism or patriotism. (I was in Provence in July and have plenty of pictures of small town French high streets … I don’t see a tricolor in any of them.)

CF2ACC86-A498-4910-B5EC-5FA3824ADDB8.jpg
937B165A-6C39-452C-AE0D-F58C321BBF6A.jpg

[ShorelineJohn]

I would suggest to talk to the VFW like you said, the worst that will happen is you will meet people that feel the same way you do. They also will have resources to replace it or even repair it. It may be just a piece of cloth but again sometimes it represents so much more. There are those that ever got a flag such as the one President Zelinsky presented to congress they would fly it forever, even after it should be retired. If your neighbors are just lazy azzes then they are fighting the VHF not a crazy old man.

[Breakaway]

Flying the flag has long tradition in American recreational boating. Check out any old, beat up copy of Chapmans, or ancient issues-of Yachting or The Rudder, and you will find many articles describing how its done.

Also, international maritime law requires flying the flag upon entry to a foreign port.
After clearing customs, wear the flag of the host nation on the port side( not at the masthead or highest centerline point) Bahamian officials, for example take this pretty seriously


Kevin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[wizbang 13]

Didn’t all the effed up vets living under a bridge fight for my right to wipe my butt with an American flag?
Im pretty sure a courtesy flag goes to starboard .
Woodwind ain’t carried a flag since Trumps inauguration
Be grateful the Neighbor is not flying a cop sucker flag… blue Isis gang .

[Breakaway]

[QUOTE]

Didn’t all the effed up vets living under a bridge fight for my right to wipe my butt with an American flag?
Im pretty sure a courtesy flag goes to starboard .

You' re correct, Bruce. I have edited the post.

[The Q]

last time I saw this was when I was in the service ,
30 some years ago

During regatta week my sailing club raises the flags at 08:00 with the cannon firing, and down at 20:00, the rest of the year it goes up at first person arriving, which is somewhere around 08:00, but the flags come down when the last person leaves, often around 17:00

[Toxophilite]

I thought the house looks perfectly fine. Not messy or rundown. Who cares if they have the proper seasonal decorations?

Why do people expect neighbours to share their exact ideas of neatness and maintenance? Do we all have to be the same?

Maybe your neighbours are quite different than you imagine them to be.

I think the flag business is superfluous, personally. Though I tend to find enthusiastic flag waving/worshipping to be rather frightening and usually a portent of war and other disturbing group activities.

Lately people in Canada have started running around waving huge Canadian flags. These are our equivalents to Trump supporters, usually full of bile, slogans and ill will.

It's frankly disturbing and doesn't in any way spawn feelings of rampant patriotic fervour in my bosom.

[wizbang 13]

Maybe flying a clapped out flag is a good response to Trumpets who have commandeered the flag.

[Paul Pless]

maybe liberals should fly a clean, well maintained, appropriately illuminated united states flag over a few select other flags such as the 'black lives matter flag', 'pride flag', 'ecology flag'

maybe us good liberals should fly the united states flag on a pole with the following slogan at its base:

science is real
black lives matter
women's rights are human rights
no human is illegal
love is love
kindness is everything

[TomF]

In America you are supposed to have a light shining on the flag if it’s not flying in daytime.

I was working with some German guys who were sitting behind me in our control room (here in the States). They didn’t know that I could understand them enough to parse out that they were laughing about our ‘stupid American flags’. ‘Everywhere you look they are flying their **cking flag!’ this one guy said. I quietly asked the second guy, who was a support tech for a compressor company, to step outside, where I told him that I had understood what had been said and I’d appreciate if he kept things like that to himself.

In all the time I spent in Germany I don’t remember seeing a flag on someone’s house, but on a trip to Denmark, I saw the Dannebrog flown over many farms and several houses in Odense. I don’t know why it is for most, but for a lot of Americans it’s just a way to honor those who died, gave up their lives so that those of us here today can post on the WoodenBoat forum.

Mickey Lake

Occurs to me that Americans fly their nation's flag to honor those who died in their national struggles, and Germans don't fly their nation's flag for exactly the same reason.

Also occurs to me that Americans and Germans could learn something from each other.

[bamamick]

Hey Mickey - I'm pretty sure other flags can fly at the same height as the American Flag, they just cannot be higher.
"Displaying the American Flag Alongside Other Flags:
In the United States, no other flag should be placed above the American flag or, if they are to be placed on the same level, to the right of the American flag."

Gotcha. I learned something. Thanks.

[Canoez]

take them a new flag and offer to put it up.

This was my thought too. Tell them about your relationship with the current flag.

I think that would be a kind offer. Yeadon's part about that is equally important.

But as others have said, if they decline, let it be.

Your neighbors have the hard-won freedom to choose given them by the many who have fought and died under those colors.

[Ralphie Boy]

I was walking on the sidewalk one day when one of the American Taliban drove by, you know - lifted American pickup truck with a huge flag flying from the bed. An elderly gentleman near me mentioned how disappointed he was at the condition of the banner, which was extremely frayed from the wind.

It’s funny, but I thing many who flaunt the American flag are trying to brand themselves as some sort of ultra-patriotic conservative. It is the new dog-whistle.

[leikec]

I think the best way to deal with a neighbor is to interact with them directly. That being stated, I must admit that I purposefully chose a home where the neighbors are quite a distance away, and out of sight.

Jeff C