July 4 marks the independence day of the USA. And here’s what one has to keep in mind before being a patriot.
American flag which has 13 stripes of red with alternating white denoting 13 British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Blue rectangle on the top left the corner, which has 50 white 5 pointed stars which are also arranged symmetrically with nine rows and alternating series of 6 and then five stars.
HISTORY OF AMERICAN FLAG
The US flag was not always like that before the current flag it has been changed 26 times!! In 1775 the first flag Grand Union Flag was adopted after that on June 14, 1777, there was a 13-star version. Finally, the 27th design of the flag is what you see today with 13 stripes and 50 stars.
THE CONTROVERSY
It has been a topic of discussion on how the US flag should be treated after the Nike controversy. Betsy Ross Flag with 13 stripes and 13 stars was there on a new line of Nike shoes. But why was that a part of controversy? It was a part of one of the historical flags from 1777.
A REMINDER
Not only it’s a wrong thing to wear the old glory in any apparent. But the United States has made it clear in the US code in a section on how it should be treated. And on such an important day like Independence day, it was a significant concern. Here are some key points from the section :
- The Star Spangled Banner should never touch the ground.
- Should be used as wearing apparel, or drapery.
- Should never be displayed with the union down except as a signal of dire distress in some danger to life or property.
- The Stars and Stripes should never be drawn back nor in folds but always allowed to fall free.
Well, the list goes on and on, but these are some basic reminders which if not followed, will make one fine for $100.
After all, it’s a flag which symbolizes the nation’s strength and thousands of victories. It’s a living thing itself as it represents the people of American, so it must be treated with respect.