WASHINGTON – The American Legion veterans organization weighed in on the controversy surrounding the American flag Thursday, saying flags should only be flown when there is “extreme danger to life or property.”
The potential ramifications of flying the American flag upside down have been a topic of debate since news broke in early 2021 of an upside-down flag being flown in front of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Aliton’s home. Justice said that the flag was raised by his wife. Martha-Ann.
Some supporters of former President Donald Trump there is also Flying upside-down flags in support of the former president, who claims the 2020 election was stolen, has reportedly led to interpretations as a “stop stealing” symbol.
“The American flag is a symbol of courage, strength, freedom and democracy,” American Legion National Commander Daniel Seehafer told NBC News. “Members of the American Legion have sworn with their lives to protect all that the flag stands for.”
Seehafer pointed to the Flag Code, the detailed guidelines for how the American flag should be displayed, as proof that the flag should not be turned upside down unless it signals concern.
“Our organization also led the creation of the U.S. Flag Code, which includes: ‘The flag shall never be flown at half-mast except in cases of extreme danger to life or property,'” said Seehafer.
Alito said Fox News Last month, his wife Martha-Ann turned the flag upside down after an argument with a neighbor. This was reported by Martha-Ann Alito The Washington Post In January 2021, the inverted flag was a “signal of international concern” indicating that it had been raised in reference to a neighborhood dispute.
But Alito’s timeline was questioned by a neighbor whose behavior was cited as the reason for the flag’s reversal.
Neighbor Emily Baden said she had not personally seen the upside-down flag New York Times reportedly aired on January 17, 2021. But Baden said his argument with Alitos happened about a month later, on Feb. 15.
Alitos “seems to imply that it happened directly before the flag was planted,” Baden told NBC News, adding that this was “false.”
The American Legion has previously focused on controversies over the American flag.
In 2016, Trump said in a speech Send to X “No one should be allowed to burn the American flag.”
He added that “if they do, there will be consequences – maybe loss of citizenship or a year in jail!”
The American Legion’s then-National Commander, Charles E. Schmidt, praised Trump’s comments. saying “No one should tolerate the desecration of the American flag.” The group continued to demand a constitutional ban on flag burning failed by one vote In 2006.
The American Legion has nearly two million members, making it the “largest veterans service organization.”