# Living people on new US (9/11) stamp. Legal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-people-on-new-us-9-11-stamp-legal/97684 "2002-03-11T20:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KXL)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-people-on-new-us-9-11-stamp-legal/97684/1 "2002-03-11T20:53:46Z")
According to this USPS press release [http://www.usps.gov/news/2002/philatelic/sr02\_017.htm](http://www.usps.gov/news/2002/philatelic/sr02_017.htm) there will be a stamp honoring the heroes of 9/11. It’s a “semi-postal” which means it will cost more than first class postage with the extra going to charity. But it features the 3 firemen raising the flag at Ground Zero – not a painting of any 3 guys, but a photo of 3 living men. Isn’t it illegal (OK, against the guidelines) to have living people depicted on US stamps? I thought any person had to be dead 10 years (except for US Presidents). This will be a real stamp, and good as postage in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-people-on-new-us-9-11-stamp-legal/97684/2 "2002-03-11T21:46:23Z")
“_No living person shall be honored by portrayal on U.S. postage._” Source: [Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee](http://http://espnational.org/knapstmp.htm) The stamp does not “honor” these three men as individuals but the act they did. ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-people-on-new-us-9-11-stamp-legal/97684/3 "2002-03-11T22:46:52Z")
From the same source: _Stamps or postal stationery hems with added values, referred to as “semi-postals,” shall not be issued. Due to the vast number of worthy fund-raising organizations in existence, it would be difficult to single out specific ones to receive such revenue. There also is a strong U.S. tradition of private fund-raising for charities, and the administrative costs involved in accounting for sales would tend to negate the revenues derived._ So, these guidelines aren’t very hard and fast, are they? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-people-on-new-us-9-11-stamp-legal/97684/4 "2002-03-12T00:09:04Z")
The guidelines about stamps are just that … guidelines. It’s not as if someone is going to be arrested or sent to jail for putting someone on a stamp. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-people-on-new-us-9-11-stamp-legal/97684/5 "2002-03-12T01:19:06Z")
I can’t possibly see that _anyone_ would take this up with the post office without looking like a cold hearted person. Dear USPS, In conjunction with your guidelines, please remove the 9-11 stamp from circulation. Yours truly, Ebanezer Scrooge besides, Big Bird has a stamp and he’s not dead! nor is ET! 😉