The state flag - upside down

Jim_TX

I am not that patriotic - but I like our state flag. Texas. It has a blue vertical bar with a single star in it, and two horizontal bars - a white one (on top) and a red one (on bottom).

I like to see it flying on flag poles - or wherever it is displayed.

I also notice - sometimes - people do not know which side goes up - and will inadvertently fly it with the red horizontal bar on top. I will usually inform these people - who will go and correct the orientation.

I do not know if it is illegal to fly a flag upside down - one time a friend (ex-military) told me that flying a flag upside down meant that they were in distress. I do not know if that is true or not.

Anyway, where I live is inside a mobile home park. They nitpick every infraction - and issue notices for the most innane offenses. Last week - on Tuesday, I went to get my mail at the community center which has all of the mailboxes - as well as the main office. They have a flagpole, and recently put up a new state flag. Upside down.

I went inside and asked the gal who works here "Who put up the flag?" to which she replied "Why?"

I said, "It's upside down." She immediately pointed the finger to another employee, "It was Jim. He put it up yesterday!"

I laughed. "Oh, so you're quick to point the finger at someone else, eh? Well... It needs to be changed."

She agreed, and I left. The next day... it was still upside down. And so on - even up to Friday, when I again went inside and asked when they were going to change it. The impression I am getting is that they don't really care.

So. Am I a bit too obsessed with getting it corrected? Perhaps I shouldn't care.

I just think that if someone is going to take the time to put up a flagpole - and buy a flag - and fly it - they should at least have the gumption to know which end is up.

I feel like I should phone headquarters and let them know that the locals aren't really concerned with how they fly the state flag.

What do yall think?

Regards,

Jim TX

chickpea

i am for ya , jim_tex.... i am not particularly patriotic either, but i do think it is legitimate to show a modicum of respect and protocol .... like flying a flag in the proper orientation!

i was standing in line at houston intercontinental airport, back in the day.... looked out the window at the texas state flag flying outside an airport hotel and ended up calling them ( from a payphone as i believe this was prior to the ubiquitious cell phones of today) and informed them of the fact they were flying the flag upside down.....

when they asked me if i was certain, i replied i had the same flag as a tattoo and i had made D@MN sure it was displayed accurately when made a permanent skin illustration!!!

SirNose586

Too bad you don't have a bear on your flag like California. At least it's easy to tell when you're flying it wrong.

And yes, flying the flag upside down is the standard for signaling distress. Maybe the mobile home park really is in distress....after all, no one's got the time to fly the flag correctly!!!

frankiespeakin

I should phone headquarters and let them know that the locals aren't really concerned with how they fly the state flag.

What do yall think?

Regards,

Let'em slide this time,, I don't know maybe homeland security might wanna have a look at them
make sure there not commies or something spreading revolutionary ideas differernt from what we were indoctrinated with at mandatory attendance public school system designed to impress little new minds with obediance to the state. History doctored to indoctrinate bullshit instead of truth is what is taught. Oh God I'm rambling sorry can't help it.

Best thought would be don't piss off your nieghbors since nobody else seem to give a shit and try to desenseatize that fastidius got to be facing this way thing so you can atleast look at the thing and not feel so wrong or right about it and just say fuck it who cares and boom gone,,, no more problem,,, it was not a problem because POV changed and it is gone. Bye!

kurtbethel

Never had a problem with it. I always put the skull above the crossbones.

Jim_TX

I guess another thing that bothers me is that when I mention to someone else that the flag is upside down, they look at me kinda funny ans say... "Are you sure?" or "How do you know?" like I am yanking their chain.

Sheesh!!! I was raised a JW - and even _I_ know when the bloody thang is upside down!!! Others - who aren't (or never have been) JWs - don't know which way is up - with the flag.

Just think of it as someone flying the United States flag upside down. You'd surely notice, eh? (If you were in the U.S., that is.)

I am going to research this. There may be something that I can do locally. Perhaps getting the press involved. (heh heh heh)

Regards,

Jim TX

undercover

I always understood that flying the flag upside down was a distress signal.

I have a neighbor who is so upset at the current state of affairs with the Bush administration that he flies his American flag upside down on purpose. When people ask him about it, he says that the nation is in distress and needs emergency help to get things corrected. A political statement, yea, but it gets his point across.

HB

In the UK, flying the Union Flag upside down is also viewed as a distress signal. In addition, as a child I was taught that if you fly the flag upside down when there is no cause for distress, it is a mark of disrespect to the Queen (and by association, the Country).

In my Guide Unit we teach the girls the tradition that they should not ever place the flag on the floor, even when cleaning. This tradition comes from the days when in battle, the flag was used as a rallying point and a signal. It was guarded fiercely and the flag bearer was escorted on each side so that if he was killed someone else could immediately grab it and hold it up. If the flag was on the ground, it meant things were going badly wrong so it signified retreat.

However I sometimes wish I had not taught the Guides another tradition .... when I was about 11 at my first camp, on the penultimate day at morning flag break we all stood solemly round the flagpole and sang the national anthem as usual while the flag was raised, but when the halyard was tugged to unfurl it at the top of the pole, a very large pair of pink flowery 'granny knickers' was flying in the breeze instead, much to the amused embarrassment of our wonderful leader! Each year at camp after that some other unexpected item appeared.

Now I am a leader myself, I guard my own underwear very closely at camp, and check what is attached to the pole before the daily flag-break. Three years ago I sussed out the pair of Union Jack boxer shorts lent to the girls by a Scout in the adjoining camp, and two years ago found the XXLarge bra belonging to another leader, but last year the girls managed to beat my security measures, and when the flag was unfurled, there was also a red thong attached, (not mine I hasten to add!)

It's only a bit of fun, and the girls are nevertheless very particular about getting the flag the right way up. Perhaps you could draw the attention of your indifferent officials to the need to do something by copying my Guides' example and throw something inappropriate up onto whatever the flag is attached to. If they have to remove it they will hopefully correct the flag at the same time!

Heather

yknot

Jim

I am not sure what part of the state your in but OMG!

I live in central Texas and I have never seen our flag upside down except on Kindergarten coloring pages.

Every morning along with the national pledge we had the state pledge.

The Texas flag was always a weakeness for me as a JWkid,

I absolutely love the Texas flag and like many of our brethern use it liberally in decorating.

Funny after all the Dubs I have had to my house no one has ever made a comment of objection.

Jim_TX

"I am not sure what part of the state your in but OMG!"

Well, I live in South-central Texas... San Antonio... the home of the Alamo, to be exact.

I will calm down a bit now, as at lunch-time I went home, and they had put the flag right-side up. So, I'm happy - for now.

I tell ya though... I was about to do a reverse-Alamo on these people. Make 'em think twice about flying our states' flag in any orientation but the proper one.

I just think that folks don't get the edjukashun that they should these days - and probably sleep through - or skip the Texas History classes.

Regards,

Jim TX

The state flag - upside down

Never had a problem with it. I always put the skull above the crossbones.

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