5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Our American Flag

I hope today is a day you will fly your American flag outside your home or business. It is a proud symbol of our great country and the people who have worked so hard to make it so great. Like all symbols of respect there is a certain decorum that needs to be followed and some stories you may have heard that aren't exactly true.

Did Betsy Ross sew the first American Flag?:

 Here is what we know, Betsy Claypoole (later Ross) did in fact make American flags. The reason she is given credit for creating the flag comes from two incidents that occurred years after her death. The first was a release of a painting of Ms Ross sewing on a flag that was draped across her lap. The second a story that Ms Ross grandson gave to the Historical Society in Pennsylvania stating that his Grandmother created the flag at the request of George Washington. The painting is real, the story is not both were created long after Ms Ross had passed away.

The Colors Red,White and Blue, they stand for something right?:

Well this again is history returning to the scene of the crime and creating a story that fit the facts. There is no real proof why the colors were chosen but the story assigned to them took place in 1782. During the dedication of the National Seal of the United States, then Secretary of the Continental Congress declared the colors of the seal would be as those of the flag “White signifies purity and innocence. Red hardiness and valour and Blue . . . signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.”

It is illegal to burn an American Flag:

 Well this used to be the case until the Supreme Court stepped in. The year was 1989, at issue was the case of a young protester who burned an American flag outside the Republican National Convention in 1984. The high court resolved that the burning of an American flag was justified as freedom of speech and therefore protected under the first amendment.

Congress Has Always Started Their Sessions With The Pledge Of Allegiance

Not the case, this didn't start happening until the media and nosy news people got involved. It was the presidential campaign of 1988. For many years people like you and I started our school days with the pledge then in 1988 presidential candidate Michael Dukakis signed legislation making it no no in Massachusetts. Well as you might imagine GeorgeBush and the Republicans latched on to that like Al Gore on global warming and pretty soon everybody in congress was rallying around the flag and the pledge. It was Jim Wright, speaker of the house at the time, that decreed that the House would start each session with the pledge, the Senate soon followed suit. Hypocrites!

You can be arrested for wearing a U.S. Flag T- Shirt:

 Nope, that isn't the case. There is an official code for the proper use and display of the American Flag. In that code it states that the flag should not be used for advertising purposes but there is no penalty for those who do. The code is merely a guideline of good judgement when it comes to the displaying the flag and the colors that represent our nation. I guess if it's okay in the eyes of the Supreme Court to burn a flag, they aren't going to have too much trouble with you wearing it as a tube top. It's a shame but it's the price of freedom I guess.

For me, I say wear your read white and blue, but be respectful of the flag. The flag itself is the symbol the colors and the t-shirts are our connection to that symbol. That means, gentlemen remove your caps when the flag passes by you in a parade. Children stand still when you hear our National Anthem, athletes do not drag our flag around the field behind you and wear it like a bath robe from a Holiday Inn.  We should  not desecrate what we celebrate, at least that's my opinion. I would love to know yours. Regardless I hope I presented these facts in such a way as not to offend those that might have fought for or defended the honor of our country. I am proud I am an American, I love my country, I love my flag and I celebrate her today. To find out more about this article click here.