Is it Time to Fly the U.S. Flag upside down as a sign of "Dire Distress"?

[BloodEclipse]

I took my flag and pole down the other day. I'm now of the opinion that we show the flag more disrespect by flying it. Why? I believe that if our founders were here to see what we've done to the country they gave their blood for, they'd take our flags and tell us we weren't worthy to be called Americans. Look at what we've allowed to happen to this country over the last 100 years. Our founders would say we are no more patriots than a person who only go to church on Easter and Christmas is a Christian. We "Americans" give little more than lip service to our country and yet expect the full benefits of being a real American citizens.

Maybe you should put your pole back up and fly the Indiana State Flag and perhaps a Gadsden with it as a symbol of support.

 

[hornadylnl]

Maybe you should put your pole back up and fly the Indiana State Flag and perhaps a Gadsden with it as a symbol of support.

My point is this. We all like to pontificate at great lengths our great patriotism.


No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free-- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!



Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775.

WE don't deserve to carry that PATRIOT'S water bucket.

 

[Spanky46151]

I believe my opinion on this matter has been shown numerous times. I still find it as a show of disrespect and I still believe anyone that flies the flag upside down is farther from an american than the people they are protesting.

Here's a thought
If you want to protest the administration then write your letters, go on rallys, protest in D.C., but please do not show the flag, our country, our brave men and women and even yourself disrespect.

I agree 100%. It's a repugnant, lazy and a flimsy effort to try and deliver one's message. Address your concerns proactively. Don't simply flip your flag upside down and expect others to rally to your cause. An unside down flag only proves to me that a, however well intentioned, "poser" lives beneath the banner.

Without apology.

 

[SavageEagle]

I agree 100%. It's a repugnant, lazy and a flimsy effort to try and deliver one's message. Address your concerns proactively. Don't simply flip your flag upside down and expect others to rally to your cause. An unside down flag only proves to me that a, however well intentioned, "poser" lives beneath the banner.

Without apology.

Call me what you wish. Think of me how you wish. I am proactive in addressing my concerns, but reasons for flying my flag upside down is more than just protest. This Country is not what it once was. It is not the land of the free anymore. The Constitution means nothing to Washington and hasn't for many decades.

The recent happenings in Washington have transformed this Country into something I do not recognize. This Country has been turned on it's head. It is being shredded faster and with more hate than ever before. This Country is in dire distress whether you or anyone else sees it or not. I'm not flying my flag upside down to rally anyone to any cause. I fly my flag upside down because I'm pissed. I fly my flag upside down because my Country is in distress, bleeding out it's ears. I fly my flag upside down to show that I'm not standing idly by while good men do nothing.

You can call me what you want. You can ridicule and put me down for my actions. It makes no difference to me. I'm not disrespecting anyone intentionally and if you feel I am, really, ask yourself, why? I could take my flag down altogether and not fly it. But I do not feel that is right. To me, having a flag and not flying it either right or upside down in protest means something much more dire than distress. I cannot discuss here what that means to me in fear of an infraction but I'm sure you can guess. I do not want to get to that point.

Regardless, if what I do offends you, in this situation I'm sorry. I mean no disrespect. However, I will not change the way it flys because it offends someone. For that, I am not sorry. What I am sorry for is that I did not become politically active sooner and it took 9/11 to start my awakening. I am attempting to make up for that by trying to awaken my fellow Patriots sleeping soundly under the blanket of lies and deceit we see everyday.

 

[hornadylnl]

I agree 100%. It's a repugnant, lazy and a flimsy effort to try and deliver one's message. Address your concerns proactively. Don't simply flip your flag upside down and expect others to rally to your cause. An unside down flag only proves to me that a, however well intentioned, "poser" lives beneath the banner.

Without apology.

I'm sure our founders who threw off tyranny would think of us as posers for flying the flag at all. We haven't had the balls to throw off tyranny for 100 years now.

 

[smoking357]

All this over health insurance? Seriously? This from the same people that cheered a tax being slapped on everyone to build a needless football stadium?

Bush did far more to attack freedom and destroy the nature of this country than Obama has. Where was the outrage? Clinton actually left the White House running surpluses, and everyone hated him.

This is why the appeal of Republicans is limited. They fail to see the evil of their own big government, but hate anyone else's big government.

 

[smoking357]

The recent happenings in Washington have transformed this Country into something I do not recognize. This Country has been turned on it's head. It is being shredded faster and with more hate than ever before.

Oh, bollocks. Before the Jesus-squeezers started meddling in this country, you could buy a gun from one of many shops with no paperwork or background checks (heck, you didn't even have identification), you could walk down the street to the local betting parlor, where you could place a bet on any of a number of sporting events, you could buy some cocaine to pick you up as you headed over to the brothel where you could enjoy the services of a buxom brunette for a while, whereupon you'd head back to the betting parlor to check on your winnings, and the local constabulary would stay out of all of it or get taught a quick lesson in freedom.

Republicans are opposed to all of what Real America was. Try any of that, and the first rat will be a Republican, doing his damndest to destroy your fun and freedom.

What passes for a Republican, today, is a freedom-hating religious meddler who doesn't like his fellow man and wants to to impose a view of the world on him. Lots of war, too.

At least Obama smokes some dope, doesn't care with whom you sleep, and doesn't ride around with the Ten Commandments shoved up his arse.

I simply don't buy that the Republicans are riding in on a horse of freedom.

 

[E5RANGER375]

All this over health insurance? Seriously? This from the same people that cheered a tax being slapped on everyone to build a needless football stadium?

Bush did far more to attack freedom and destroy the nature of this country than Obama has. Where was the outrage? Clinton actually left the White House running surpluses, and everyone hated him.

This is why the appeal of Republicans is limited. They fail to see the evil of their own big government, but hate anyone else's big government.

im a former republican, and i dont like the republicans either, so i feel im un-biased in saying:

OBAMA IS A SOCIALIST posing as a president!!

also you have 8 post, i think your a plant from the dems!

 

[smoking357]

im a former republican, and i dont like the republicans either, so i feel im un-biased in saying:

OBAMA IS A SOCIALIST posing as a president!!

also you have 8 post, i think your a plant from the dems!

Arguendo, so what?

Socialism is not illegal, and Democrats are not barred from posting.

 

[BloodEclipse]

Arguendo, so what?

Socialism is not illegal, and Democrats are not barred from posting.

Socialism does not equal freedom or liberty.

While you want to lay blame for the things you can't do on the Republicans you are willing to slip on the yoke of servitude by a government telling you what you must do, what you can and cannot eat, what kind of car you can drive, and anything outside the realm of acceptable will result in a penalty.

 

[irishfan]

What passes for a Republican, today, is a freedom-hating religious meddler who doesn't like his fellow man and wants to to impose a view of the world on him. Lots of war, too.

I have to admit that I nearly fell out of the chair laughing at that line

 

[Prometheus]

I agree 100%. It's a repugnant, lazy and a flimsy effort to try and deliver one's message. Address your concerns proactively. Don't simply flip your flag upside down and expect others to rally to your cause. An unside down flag only proves to me that a, however well intentioned, "poser" lives beneath the banner.

Without apology.

I've got no way of knowing what you do that makes you 'proactive'. I can tell you preaching to the choir on the gun boards isn't proactive. Neither is the random post on a leftist/liberal site or blog.

Some of the people in this thread are getting off their asses REGULARLY and protesting, attending events and rallies, taring and feathering political effigies... putting their proverbial money where their mouths are.

Proceeding down every avenue short of violence to try and "address" their conerns. If they so choose to fly what has become a symbol of oppression and tyranny upside down, they have every right to do so, doubly so for those who served honorably under that same flag.

I don't fly the American flag upside down. I refuse to fly it at this point. The Betsy Ross and Gadsden are my choice for showing my support for the Constitution and The Republic. The Oath I took had nothing in it about a "flag".

 

[smoking357]

Socialism does not equal freedom or liberty.

While you want to lay blame for the things you can't do on the Republicans you are willing to slip on the yoke of servitude by a government telling you what you must do, what you can and cannot eat, what kind of car you can drive, and anything outside the realm of acceptable will result in a penalty.

I know it's fun to say that in America, but the reality is that Western European countries, e.g., France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, etc. are socialistic and a lot freer than America.

As for what to eat and what to drive, the Western Europeans eat a lot better than Americans, and they have far better and more interesting cars and motorcycles available to them than we do.

Further, Americans really need to drop their claim to freedom. We have far and away the highest per capita prison population in the world.

Obama is more of the same, not some radical departure from what we've had. I'm so tired of seeing the Democrats being vilified for doing the same exact things Republicans do. Before the Republicans can be an alternative, they must atone for their sins and reform the party based on immutable principles.

Yeah, we've got problems, but the Republicans are more of the problem, not the solution.

 

[BloodEclipse]

I know it's fun to say that in America, but the reality is that Western European countries, e.g., France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, etc. are socialistic and a lot freer than America. LOL your idea of freedom and mine are way different. I choose to be a citizen and not a subject.

As for what to eat and what to drive, the Western Europeans eat a lot better than Americans, and they have far better and more interesting cars and motorcycles available to them than we do.

Further, Americans really need to drop their claim to freedom. We have far and away the highest per capita prison population in the world.

Obama is more of the same, not some radical departure from what we've had. I'm so tired of seeing the Democrats being vilified for doing the same exact things Republicans do. Before the Republicans can be an alternative, they must atone for their sins and reform the party based on immutable principles.

Yeah, we've got problems, but the Republicans are more of the problem, not the solution.

I won't argue that Republicans have helped get us where we are, it is this administration that is cranking up the afterburners.
Obama is not more of the same. He is on a mission to destroy the fabric of American society.
He is killing jobs and crashing the economy for a reason. This is an all out attack on the middle class.
If you hang around long enough, you will find out a large portion of us want to replace the Republicans with conservatives.
From your other posts I imagine conservatives are not much to your liking either.

 

[SavageEagle]

I know it's fun to say that in America, but the reality is that Western European countries, e.g., France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, etc. are socialistic and a lot freer than America.

As for what to eat and what to drive, the Western Europeans eat a lot better than Americans, and they have far better and more interesting cars and motorcycles available to them than we do.

Further, Americans really need to drop their claim to freedom. We have far and away the highest per capita prison population in the world.

Obama is more of the same, not some radical departure from what we've had. I'm so tired of seeing the Democrats being vilified for doing the same exact things Republicans do. Before the Republicans can be an alternative, they must atone for their sins and reform the party based on immutable principles.

Yeah, we've got problems, but the Republicans are more of the problem, not the solution.

Are you REALLY that stupid or are you just a troll? Europe more FREE than America??? Go to Britain and carry a gun. Or France or Spain. Try to go to the ER without having some kind of insurance. See what happens when you get caught with a couple grams of (insert drug here).

You really think that you me and everyone else on this board should work full time jobs and support people who have NO desire to get a job and work to achieve their version of the American Dream?????

You sir are no American. You're not even a Patriot. You make me sick.

Unlike you, I believe in the freedoms given to me by God and our Constitution. I have my opinion, you have yours. However, your facts are flawed and baseless and you have NO idea.

 

[E5RANGER375]

Arguendo, so what?

Socialism is not illegal, and Democrats are not barred from posting.

sorry i meant to say: your a plant for the socialist. i didnt catch my mistake. i dont like dems or reps. they all suck. and i despise socialist and communist which is what obama is! and your post show you standing right next to him!

 

[Rizzo]

There are no democrats and very few republicans I'll vote for. I am looking into libertarian candidates. I want someone who'll protect life, liberty and property rights. The nationally elected republicans are corrupt (except Ron Paul).

Don't want to go left or right. I want to go straight to freedom!

 

[6birds]

Are you REALLY that stupid or are you just a troll? Try to go to the ER without having some kind of insurance.

You really think that you me and everyone else on this board should work full time jobs and support people who have NO desire to get a job and work to achieve their version of the American Dream?????

Do us all a favor, go look in the mirror and read that to yourself.

 

[irishfan]

I won't argue that Republicans have helped get us where we are, it is this administration that is cranking up the afterburners.
Obama is not more of the same. He is on a mission to destroy the fabric of American society.
He is killing jobs and crashing the economy for a reason. This is an all out attack on the middle class.
If you hang around long enough, you will find out a large portion of us want to replace the Republicans with conservatives.
From your other posts I imagine conservatives are not much to your liking either.

I will agree with you that Obama is attempting to tear at many things our country once stood proud for but as far as the war on the middle class I have to disagree. The Bush administration was 100% against the middle class and was slanted greatly for two classes of the wealthy and the poor. In all honesty, it was Bill Clinton as president that struck a major blow to the middle class by signing NAFTA.

 

[SavageEagle]

Do us all a favor, go look in the mirror and read that to yourself.

Do us all a favor and go take a long walk off a short pier. Quit acting like you know me.