Talk:American flag

The flag must not be worn on clothing? I don't understand where that comes from - you see lots of people wearing it, eg as badges. Silverfish 15:43, 14 April 2007 (EDT)

The flag itself cannot be worn as apparel, but a replica of it may be worn. See the reference I've added.--All Fish Welcome 15:58, 14 April 2007 (EDT)

I am sorry, you are absolutely correct. Obviously it can be worn on clothing, vis. many uniforms that incorporate it. I get cranky about flag abuse. Another one of the many rules (and I think broadly, the outlink is enough, unless someone wants to summarize them here) is that it must be allowed to hang freely. I see so many displays of Old Glory that betray a certain ignorance on the part of the displayer of how it is to be respected, it riles me up sometimes. I'll edit the text where I wrote that if someone hasn't already. Human 16:09, 14 April 2007 (EDT)

I think the phrase, "However, there are no laws enforcing these rules, they are simply a code of conduct," can be improved. The rules are, in fact, laws. What makes them kind of toothless is the language (lots of shoulds vs. shalls) and the general lack of any punishment for violation of the laws. It seems odd to have laws that are not obligatory, but the legislature isn't keen on adding a volume of US Suggestions to the US Code, I guess. While we are on the subject of suggestions, how about this: "While these customs are codified by federal statute and executive order, the only punitive clause in the 'Flag Code' concerns the misuse of the flag within the District of Columbia." Then we can add something about state laws, Supreme Court decisions, etc. "Legal Status of the Flag" probably deserves a section of its own.

Oh, and there's an explicit allowance for flag patches to be incorporated into the uniforms of public safety and military personnel. The US Army refers to their flag patches as "flag replicas," since a real flag cannot be used on a uniform.--All Fish Welcome 01:58, 15 April 2007 (EDT)