# Is there a law against hanging our flag upside down... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770 "2008-09-16T01:05:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/41 "2008-09-17T01:26:51Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > The question was about laws, and this is one. I agree it’s not enforceable, no one said it was. This may be a stupid question, but why would anybody bother making laws that are not enforceable? ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/42 "2008-09-17T01:36:19Z")
I can see how hanging a flag upside down would work in a boat, but what can of emergency could you possibly have at home that it would make sense to signal it with an upside down flag? And who are you expecting to respond? I ask in the context of people saying that your town could charge you with a false alarm. Really? I don’t see that sticking in court. And if the police are coming to tell you to take it down, you can always burn it quick. There is nothing wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/43 "2008-09-17T01:47:20Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > This may be a stupid question, but why would anybody bother making laws that are not enforceable? Sometimes they’re left on the books from an earlier age in which they might have been considered enforceable. Most First Amendment case law is surprisingly recent. Other times they’re basically just proclamations. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/44 "2008-09-17T01:50:55Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > That would be me. **Mindfield** as well, I believe. (I think there was also a poster named **umop ap!sdn**.) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/45 "2008-09-17T02:23:01Z")
Noted, Colibri. I agree it’s overused now, but this one was just too good not to! Shan’t happen again. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/46 "2008-09-17T02:31:49Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > That’s very interesting. I had never before noticed that the union jack has only rotational symmetry (i.e., can look the same if rotated but not if flipped). Do you happen to know why they didn’t put the cross of St. Patrick right down the middle of the cross of St. Andrew? … Because the cross of St Andrew would then be interpreted as a “fimbriation” making the cross of St Patrick stand out against the background. By offsetting it, it makes it clear that the cross of St Andrew is actually an element of the flag. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/47 "2008-09-17T03:19:22Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > If you feel it has been adequately answered, I will. We don’t seem to be getting real definitive responses here. In Iowa, you can be charged with Disorderly Conduct for flying the flag upside down. If you live in my town and fly your flag upside down to protest the statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, you will receive a visit from the mayor, a former Marine who has no sense of humor about stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/48 "2008-09-17T03:36:56Z")
I had a flag in front of my bookstore, and the top clip broke. The flag flipped upside down, and there was just enough wind to extend it. One passerby called the police saying that something must be wrong in my store. Another called me to make sure everything was okay. Do as you will, but it certainly can be misinterpreted. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/49 "2008-09-17T03:45:00Z")
I see cmyk’s particular flag is ridiculously out of date. He must have purchased it during the brief period in 1821-1836 after Missouri became a state but before Arkansas did. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/50 "2008-09-17T12:40:11Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I see cmyk’s particular flag is ridiculously out of date. He must have purchased it during the brief period in 1821-1836 after Missouri became a state but before Arkansas did. You noticed! _hearts_ Actually, I purchesed it in the mid 80s, during the heyday of 8-bit graphics. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770/51 "2008-09-17T14:09:24Z")
On US 12 in Michigan there’s a well groomed yard full of lawn ornaments, and an inverted flag. I guess maybe I should stop and see if they’re in distress. Whatever is distressing them is prolly pretty bad by now, it’s been that way for years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-law-against-hanging-our-flag-upside-down/463770.md?page=2)