About honoring flag

After reading the letter here about “standing at attention” from Mr. Gordon Swaim, I wanted to tell him what the U.S. Flag Code says.

Let’s begin with displaying the flag on an automobile: “When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.” Mr. Swaim, what’s your reaction to seeing that flag flowing from the clamps affixed to windows, and can you say that you never flew it in that manner?

Flag etiquette also forbids that it be used as clothing, but we see it all the time. Bet that you also didn’t take the time to check that it is never to be carried flat or horizontally—it is to be carried aloft waving freely, Bringing in the flag in sports is an attempt to promote the military agenda of getting recruits, and we all have seen that very flag that you claim so well to respect being carried on the field of play supported by many hands, and horizontally. One last thing on this flag issue: May I suggest that you read and study what the First Amendment of the Constitution has to say about the peaceful protests that your president had the nerve and foolishness to call those exercising those very rights SOBs.

Now as space will allow, I will address your ability to state so well how beautiful and well both teams, bands and fans stood to the playing of the school’s songs. I also noticed that you even named one of the songs as “Waiting on the Robert E. Lee.” Well, Mr. Swaim, will you just take a moment to wear even just one of the black football players’ helmets and see just what it must be like for both of those teams to be standing at attention for a song about waiting on some traitors that just happens to be named after the man who led an insurrection against that flag that you hold so dearly, and wanted to keep their ancestors in bondage?

Shaking my head …

TITUS ARNOLD

El Dorado