3 Ways Americans Constantly Break the Rules on Respecting the Flag

President Donald Trump is continuing his attack against NFL players and other athletes who kneel in protest during the national anthem, saying such actions are disrespectful of “our country, flag and national anthem.” Whether players’ pregame protests are disrespectful, a form of free speech, or somewhere in between is a matter of debate. But the dispute has raised an important question: What are the rules regarding how Americans should treat the U.S. flag? The United States Code, a collection of all federal laws in the U.S., has a section dedicated to the flag — Title 4, Chapter 1 — sometimes called the “Flag Code.” The Flag Code covers how the flag should be designed, whether it should be used in advertising, and how it ought to be displayed, among other subjects. The President has the power to change the Flag Code unilaterally at any time. Penalties for violating the Flag Code are not enforced; the Supreme Court has found it unconstitutional to prohibit desecrating the flag. Instead, the Flag Code can be considered a list of guidelines for proper conduct regarding the flag. As the sports world’s debate over national anthem protests rages on, here are several ways in which people commonly violate the Flag Code. Using the flag on athletic uniforms An American flag patch is shown on a cap before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on September 10, 2017 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bi...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized onetime Sports White House Source Type: news