A friend of mine has an aunt who lives in the US - she has two flags on her house, a US one and a UK one. Someone once knocked on her door and started having a go at her because the US one had slipped and was lower than the UK one. If it had been me getting harangued like that for something so trivial I probably would have punched the bitch in the face to show her just how unimpressed I was.
No it doesn’t bother me. It’s a piece of cloth for crying out loud! Why should I care? Half of my neighbors have flags flying from other countries and don’t have the American flag at all. They’re just representing their heritage or nationality. No biggie for me.
I like the flag (and have one in front of my house). But I don’t sweat the details of flag ritual. If you put a flag on a flagpole, I’m going to assume it was done with a respectful intent and not worry that you disrespected the flag by flying it the “wrong” way.
I care more about hearing ‘disrespect’ used as a verb than I do about the Elbonian and his flags. The difference between the levels of caring would amount to ‘not a lot, unless I’m teaching him English’ versus ‘not at all’.
In Elbonia they prefer descirptive grammar over the prescriptive variety.
On the other hand, dickwads who feel the need to show their immense patriotism by flying an American flag from their car, allowing it become tattered and worn in gross violation of flag etiquette, offend me.
I probably wouldn’t even notice. (The only flag I notice in my neighborhood was the one woman who started flying her’s upside-down after Obama was elected)
so you’re not an equal opportunity flag code stickler, I see…
this is symptomatic of a deep, deep seated “low self-esteem by proxy” issue. Or epic douchebaggery.
(your aunt’s visitor, not you)
Some people in this country get really weird about flags. Although possibly this is rooted in the fact that every schoolchild is supposed to get up and pledge allegiance to the fucking thing before class starts each day.
From the thread title, I thought this was going to be about an immigrant burning the flag or sewing it into the seat of his trousers or something, and even then I wouldn’t give two rips in the wind about it. Displaying it in a technically incorrect fashion? Would not even register with me.
US flag etiquette: http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30243.pdf
Unfortunately, I am the guy that would get a bit butt hurt by that damn Elbonian neighbor. He’s probably taking a job from someone I know and banging all our women, too.
Your government tells you how and when to fly the flag? That seems remarkably… inconsistent with being “land of the free”.
They’re just guidelines. Chillax.
Fair enough. It’s just an alien concept, and I’m trying to understand, in my own slightly obnoxious way.
You’re lucky I didn’t write “dissing”.
But I’m pretty sure using disrespect as a verb is proper English. Respect can’t be properly used as a noun or a verb. In fact, I believe the word originated as a verb and was adapted into use as a noun. And the prefix dis- is also standard.
So while you may dislike the word you can dismiss its use or disinherent it from the English language.
It is a change that has happened in my lifetime. My copy of ‘The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English’, Eighth Edition published in 1990, shows the following -
P. 338 - disrespect, n.
P. 1025 - respect, n. & v.
Over the last thirty years, it has become common to the point where people do not even remark on the change. I try not to care, but that is one change that I don’t particularly like, so I notice.
As a thing that bugs me, I’d put it somewhere around the level of ‘so and so always makes weak, bitter coffee when it’s his turn.’ I try to accept that I got outvoted years ago, as opposed to the flag, where it does not bother me at all, not even a little bit.
I can beat that. Observe… Finnish flag law. The Americans have recommendations regarding the flag, we make it an actual crime to “desecrate the flag, treat it in disrespecting manner or remove it from a public place without permission”… and other stuff. Although I think that law is about enforced as the one about being fined 2 pieces of silver for leaving a pasture gate open.
It’s actually a pretty common idea… Flag desecration - Wikipedia
Thanks for the links GHO57. It seems the UK is unusual in not having this idea, at least to some extent.
Does the Elbonian let his dogs crap in my yard? Does he play his tinky-dinky Elbonian music at a high volume with his windows open when I’m sleeping? Does he cook smelly Elbonian cuisine and never invite me over to sample some?
If not, then who gives a rip what else he does?
For the worse, yes. Didn’t you hear? 911 changed everything.