I stopped at the post office this morning to pick up mail. When I got out of the car, I noticed that the lanyard on the flagpole had apparently slipped and the US flag was on the ground. As I approached, at least six people looked at it and walked on by. When I got to it, I picked it up and hung it on the hook, went inside and told a postal employee about it. They immediately got somebody out to re-raise the flag.

The people who just walked past the flag on the ground really got to me. My thoughts turned from them to the people I’ve seen toss empty cups, hamburger wrappers, and other trash out the window of their car. Then I thought about the people I’ve seen kick trash on a sidewalk instead of picking it up and putting it in a trash container two or three feet away. Then I thought about, well, I’ll just say my mind didn’t run short of more examples along the same lines.

Ultimately, though, my thoughts turned to the founding fathers. I’ve often thought they must be turning over in their graves with what’s become of the government. But, this time, I thought they must be turning over in their graves with what’s become of the citizens they created this country for.

“The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.” – United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 (The Flag Code), §8.b.

Article about the Betsy Ross Flag. I haven’t personally verified the information, but you might find it interesting. I found it interesting to ponder the possibility that it might’ve been six-point stars rather than five-point, inasmuch as six-point stars now seem to be viewed by many people as a jewish symbol.