# If an immigrant disrepects your flag. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673 "2010-07-31T11:15:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/21 "2010-07-31T14:28:41Z")
Does the flag of Elbonia feature the words FUCK YOU, NEIGHBOUR prominently? I can’t remember. If not, then I’m not that bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/22 "2010-07-31T14:31:19Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Would disrespecting the Queen (or Royal Family/monarchy) in England be roughly equivalent to disrespecting the flag in the U.S.? Nah. It’s perfectly OK to make fun of Brenda, Phil the Greek et al. It’s not like the authorities monitor your inter… Wait, there’s somebody at the door. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/23 "2010-07-31T14:36:04Z")
I don’t get the flag thing either. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/24 "2010-07-31T14:36:27Z")
_“I’ve never met a nice Elbonian and that’s not bloody suprising, man cos they’re a bunch of flag-waving bastards and I don’t like them!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/25 "2010-07-31T14:40:25Z")
Let’s put it this way, my father didn’t lose an arm and three legs in the two Elbonian wars for them to fly a flag next door to me. ---
**Author:** ![Unregistered\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3da27b/32.png) [@Unregistered\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unregistered_Bull)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/26 "2010-07-31T14:40:49Z")
Honestly, it would bug me a little bit with my flag being lower and smaller. Flying only his flag or flying same size flags with mine on top or side by side somehow wouldn’t bother me at all. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/27 "2010-07-31T14:41:03Z")
My mother was a vexologist, so all kinds of bad flag etiquette bothers me, but it bothers me regardless of the national flags flown. National flags flown at the same time should be flown at the same height and be of the same size. If they are flown at night, they should be lit up. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/28 "2010-07-31T14:56:00Z")
The question is not whether or not it’s disrespectful. It is according to our standards of how the flag is to be flown. The question is whether it bothers one if someone from another country is disrespectful. I would explain to the neighbor how to properly fly both flags and if he doesn’t correct it then I would be forced to disassemble the family ox-cart and re-assemble it on top of their house. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/29 "2010-07-31T15:07:32Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Would disrespecting the Queen (or Royal Family/monarchy) in England be roughly equivalent to disrespecting the flag in the U.S.? Most people wouldn’t care. I can’t think of any symbol that would bother most people. A few morons would probably get upset if you defiled an England football shirt, but they would be an idiotic minority. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/30 "2010-07-31T15:54:37Z")
I wouldn’t give two shits. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/31 "2010-07-31T16:03:35Z")
It would be a non-issue. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/32 "2010-07-31T16:13:47Z")
Couldn’t give a flying fuck. He can take a big fat dump on his flag, my flag, or both flags. Doesn’t mean a thing to me. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/33 "2010-07-31T16:20:27Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > Those fucking Elbonians, always causing trouble:mad: What really pisses _me_ off is when I go into an Elbonian market and they’re all talking Elbonian to each other.:mad::mad: ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/34 "2010-07-31T16:21:53Z")
Do not care. Seeing the flag worn by “real” Australians during the Cronulla riots or having it adorn a bumper sticker that says “FUCK OFF WE’RE FULL” is a million times more disrespectful than an immigrant hanging the flag alongside the flag of his or her home country (regardless of position or size). ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/35 "2010-07-31T16:24:52Z")
Things I do not care about include who won the football game last night, how manly you think my drink at the bar is and what flags you fly and how you choose to fly them. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/36 "2010-07-31T17:06:08Z")
Nice to hear. My parents have gotten yelled at and received nasty notes for when they hung a small Indian flag over their door - along with a big American flag on the balcony. This was in the eighties, of course - hopefully things may have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/37 "2010-07-31T17:12:30Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > …all kinds of bad flag etiquette bothers me, but it bothers me regardless of the national flags flown. National flags flown at the same time should be flown at the same height and be of the same size. If they are flown at night, they should be lit up. Strictly speaking, I agree. But strictly speaking, violations of flag protocol are committed left and right, including contexts like parades and major sports events, never mind in countless private displays. I rather like the spirit I see in dual displays of the American flag with flags of other lands, and that would be my main attitude about it, regardless of the specific way in which the two are flown. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/38 "2010-07-31T17:22:03Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Would disrespecting the Queen (or Royal Family/monarchy) in England be roughly equivalent to disrespecting the flag in the U.S.? I guess if a foreigner said to me ‘fuck your Queen, she’s a whore’ I may be a little piqued, if only because it seems unnecessarily provocative and crass. The rest of the family are fair game, however. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/39 "2010-07-31T17:51:10Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > > [@SanVito](#): > > > > It wouldn’t even occur to me that he was being disrespectful. I might find it a bit odd to fly any flag at all, unless the World Cup is on. If anything, I’d probably be quite pleased that he bothered to fly the Union Jack at all along side his own, which probably says something about British multiculturalism and attitude to the home flag. > > Would disrespecting the Queen (or Royal Family/monarchy) in England be roughly equivalent to disrespecting the flag in the U.S.? Well, if you hung the Queen and Prince Philip below the flag of Elbonia, the Brits might find that disrespectful.😃 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673/40 "2010-07-31T18:09:23Z")
If the hypothetical Elbonian flew the flags as described in the OP, I probably wouldn’t even consider it disrespectful - I would think that he was attempting to show loyalty to both countries, and in doing so inadvertently committed a minor breach of flag etiquette. Most people who want to disrespect a flag do so by desecrating it rather than by displaying it incorrectly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-immigrant-disrepects-your-flag/548673.md?page=3)