If you feel our country is in distress (USA) hang the American Flag upside down

I'm pretty sure there's a law against this....(Go Figure Right) there's all kindsa lil things you can and cant do when flying a flag..I heard you cant fly a flag at night without a light on it legally so might wanna check into it first for your area because with all the civil unrest the authorities aren't playing by the rules right now.....

Originally posted by NewsWorthy
I'm pretty sure there's a law against this....(Go Figure Right) there's all kindsa lil things you can and cant do when flying a flag..I heard you cant fly a flag at night without a light on it legally so might wanna check into it first for your area because with all the civil unrest the authorities aren't playing by the rules right now.....

edit on 7-8-2011 by NewsWorthy because: oops

Wow I just was looking at the rules of flying a Flag and there is a picture of Bush signing a American Flag..While I think it'd be cool to have a Flag signed by the President as President he shoulda known he cant do that it's just like defacing money only worse I'm sure in the eyes of many..
www.ushistory.org...

...the flag code is not an enforceable law with criminal penalities...
...its just a code for those who need that kind of thang...

Flying the US flag upside down means you are in dire imminent danger, and you are screaming for someone to come and help you. Whenever I see someone in my neighborhood flying the flag upside down I run right over- as close to 3am as I can make it! I knock on their door and ring their bell until they get up and answer their door. Then I ask what I can do to save them from the dire imminent danger they are in! (The look on their face is priceless!) It usually only takes two or three times until they decide that using an international symbol of distress to make a political statement is maybe not such a good idea.

If you are in danger. fly your flag upside down and I will come running to help.

If you want to make a political statement, get out during election time, pick a candidate that you feel will solve the particular problem you are worried about and work to get that candidate elected. Put a sign on your lawn. Talk with all your neighbors to get support for your candidate. That's how to make a political statement.

How lazy can you get?

I don't own a flag, but I'll start doing my stamps upside down and place a picture of the flag upside down in my binder. Thanks for this, I'd like to display my dissatisfaction without having to shout it at every person I see or make a stupid t-shirt with lame one-liners. S & F for you

I like this idea... spreading the word on FB and G+ would be a great way to reach the masses.


Oh yeah... pick a candidate and vote?? OMG, I havent laughed that hard in a long time. Thanks!! Get a clue

Originally posted by jstanthrno1
Oh yeah... pick a candidate and vote?? OMG, I havent laughed that hard in a long time. Thanks!! Get a clue

Grow up and stop acting like a child.

International symbols of distress are not political statements. They actually mean something and have a use.

How do you think your little flag pity party is going to change anything? Talk about empty useless gestures!

I served under that flag, and it makes my blood boil to see people using it for pity parties!

reply to post by lbndhr


i made a flag on my pc upside down and wrote in big BOLD letters Distress across it, took it to Walgreens and copied it 300 times and im posting it all over my city!

Something needs to unite the people of this country who are struggling to get by.
It isnt going to be a politican who serves those who paid his way into office.

This is not our Peace Time flag. It is a Military flag.



And when you add gold fringe, you get a whole other meaning:



The gold fringe indicates Admiralty Law. Please view the following sources here and here.

"Pursuant to 4 U.S.C. chapter 1, §§1, 2, & 3; Executive Order 10834, August 21, 1959; 24 F.R.6865; a military flag is a flag that resembles the regular flag of the United States, except that it has a YELLOW FRINGE border on three sides.

This is the flag we should be flying:





The United States Civil Flag for Peacetime

Through usage and custom, horizontal stripes had become adopted for use over military posts, and vertical stripes adopted for use over civilian establishments. The Civil Flag, intended for peacetime usage in custom house civilian settings, had vertical stripes with blue stars on a white field. By the Law of the Flag, this design denoted civil jurisdiction under the Constitution and common law as opposed to military jurisdiction under admiralty/military law.

Just sharing some things I have learned.... lots more information on this subject.

i am a liberal and i have been flying my flag ever since i bought my house 26 years ago. in fact, i need a new one, i have went through 2 of them already.

reply to post by lbndhr


S+F OP. Guys and gals this is absolutely true. In fact two years ago, when the MIAC report was leaked it contained this very item - as a warning to cops in Missouri that guys who do this are likely terrorists. I got so excited I called Austin TX and asked one of the guys there if I could repost on my site. After asking if I was going to make negative comments about Alex or Infowars, I agreed, they agreed. I reposted.

Other people who were targeted as likely terrorist in the report were; Constitutionalists, supporters of Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and Chuck Baldwin, libertarians, militia members, those who advocate the abolition of the Federal Reserve, those who say the Income Tax is unconstitutional, those who display the "Don't Tread On Me" flag from the Revolutionary War days, the list goes on and on.

Wanna see how many ways you are a terrorist? Here is the link to the full document. Click thumbnails to enlarge.

Miac report on infowars

I post this because I want people to know what they might be getting into - I feel one should be aware of the risks before they do something. However, do it I think we should! I did it at my old house and used to see it done around northern Mississippi, and I have seen the Don't Tread On Me flag flown here in Washington State - same message, little less dramatic. I do not do it now because I am still getting on my feet after the move here, and I gave my flag to a friend there before I left. Happily it is still flying, inverted!

Great thread OP, no matter what anyone else says. Adding you as a friend because any friend of the Republic is a friend of mine.

reply to post by existenz99

If you display an upside down USofA flag in your front lawn be prepared for vandalism.

Thank God for the Second Amendment, huh?

reply to post by EagleTalonZ


Nice post, especially the link. BTW if you click the blue ribbon in the upper right corner of that page it takes you to the Constitution of the United States.

Montana - Good on you bud! I'm glad someone out there is willing to lend a hand to help a fellow human being.

I think this is a pretty good idea. Imagine the message the people of the USA could send to the whole world if flags started turning up, upside down in mass amounts all around the country. With a simple $15 Americans could turn the world's eyes to it corrupt leaders and corrupt laws that protect them.

Because Montana is right! Its a plea for HELP.

I think the world could help itself by helping the citizens of the US break their corrupt, military backed, banker run government.

-Lightrule

Hang the flag upside down and your a$$ needs whipped
do anyone of you talking crap about our flag have any loyalty
if you dont like it leave it maybe if welfare wasnt so high we as
a country would have money but we pay lazy fat fu((( you know the rest

reply to post by lbndhr


Although flying the American flag upside down in a sign of distress, you should look a tad bit deeper before suggesting everyone do such a thing. In all fairness, people should always be fully aware of any consequences that may come from doing such a thing. So with that in mind here are some examples of what has happened to people who fly the American Flag upside down.... in the "land of the free".

Arrest, Death Threats, for Farmer - 2006

NC couple arrested - 2007

Freedom Fighter Radio Host arrested - 2008

If you look will find even more examples year after year after year. So although flying a flag upside down is NOT illegal and IS a sign of distress, make no mistake about it, in some areas you will be arrested because people are so stupid they have no idea what it means or they simply disagree....as seen from the poster above me.

It is amazing to see how angry some people get. I should have my butt whipped because I think the country is in distress? I got news for you... it IS in distress and I'd love to see you try

Originally posted by silent thunder
As has already been pointed out in this thread, hanging a flag upside-down is a symbol of distress, especially on the high seas where there may be few alternative ways of signinaling in such a situation.

I have a question for you. Where did you learn this and have you ever served at sea? I would imagine the answers are somewhere in the region of folkloric tales and no. Forgive me if I am wrong.

Hanging a national flag upside down is not officially a distress signal at sea these days. The full list of recognised distress signals is contained in Annex IV of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (a document which I was required to memorise word for word at Naval college). In the interest of following this sites mantra of "Deny Ignorance" it is as follows:

ANNEX IV - Distress signals

1. The following signals, used or exhibited either together or separately, indicate distress and need of assistance:

(a) a gun or other explosive signal fired at intervals of about a minute;
(b) a continuous sounding with any fog-signalling apparatus;
(c) rockets or shells, throwing red stars fired one at a time at short intervals;
(d) a signal made by radiotelegraphy or by any other signalling method consisting of the group . . . — — — . . . (SOS) in the Morse Code;
(e) a signal sent by radiotelephony consisting of the spoken word “Mayday”;
(f) the International Code Signal of distress indicated by NC;
(g) a signal consisting of a square flag having above or below it a ball or anything resembling a ball;
(h) flames on the vessel (as from a burning tar barrel, oil barrel, etc);
(i) a rocket parachute flare or a hand flare showing a red light;
(j) a smoke signal giving off orange-coloured smoke;
(k) slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering arms outstretched to each side;
(l) a distress alert by means of digital selective calling (DSC) transmitted on

(i) VHF channel 70, or
(ii) MF/HF on the frequencies 2187.5 kHz, 8414.5 kHz, 4207.5 kHz, 6312 kHz, 12577 kHz or 16804.5 kHz;

(m) a ship-to-shore distress alert transmitted by the ship’s Inmarsat or other mobile satellite service provider ship earth station; (see GMDSS)
(n) approved signals transmitted by radiocommunication systems, including survival craft radar transponders. (see GMDSS)

2. The use or exhibition of any of the foregoing signals except for the purpose of indicating distress and need of assistance and the use of other signals which may be confused with any of the above signals is prohibited.

3. Attention is drawn to the relevant sections of the International Code of Signals, the Merchant Ship Search and Rescue Manual, Annex III and the following signals;

(a) a piece of orange-coloured canvas with either a black square and circle or other appropriate symbol (for identification from the air);
(b) a dye marker.

As you can see. Upside down flags are not mentioned anywhere, and far from having few other options, if I were to abandon ship into a liferaft I would have options c,d,e,i,j,k and n. If I am still aboard the parent vessel I would have all options bar a. As such you are simply spreading misconceptions whilst annoying your neighbours.

Flag signals in general are completely redundant in modern shipping. Due to the size of modern merchant vessels it is extremely rare except when entering or leaving port or transiting a narrow channel to pass within 1 to 1.5 nautical miles of another vessel (1852 metres to 2778 metres) with the largest vessels generally maintaining a 2 mile CPA (closest point of approach). At that distance with a normal pair of binoculars you would be lucky to distinguish if she is even flying a flag, never mind which one. Also, ensigns are flown from the stern of the vessel, so are only visible from her rear arc. Not a very efficient signal.

The whole idea of the upside down flag as a signal of distress is linked to the Union Flag. The idea being that the enemy is unlikely to recognise the difference between it hanging correctly or upside down, whilst friendlies would know instantly. The important element of subterfuge is lost with a flag like the US stars and stripes due to the obvious nature of the flag hung upside down.

In reply to the earlier British posters mentioning it, when I see the Union Flag hung upside down (which is often, even on government buildings) I don't tend to think "distress" or protest. I tend to think Idiot! As ignorance accounts for 99% of cases where the Flag is flown upside down.

I disagree, I think we need to burn them all since they lost their true meaning. and come up for a new one that represents freedom/resistance/truth/honor.

Originally posted by CitizenAlpha
reply to post by lbndhr

 

i made a flag on my pc upside down and wrote in big BOLD letters Distress across it, took it to Walgreens and copied it 300 times and im posting it all over my city!

Thank you for caring enough to make a stance. Peace