Monday, November 20, 2006
Flying Foreign Flag = Crime...
Unless an American flag is flying above it. Scofflaws face criminal penalties: a $50 fine and 30 hours of community service. From CNN.com: This is where we've arrived in this country: You have the constitutional right to burn an American flag, but you can get into trouble for simply flying a foreign one. At least you can in the 30,000-person town of Pahrump, Nevada, which is close to Las Vegas and even closer to stepping over the line with an idiotic, intolerant and insulting ban on foreign (read: Mexican) flags. The town council voted last week, 3-2, to approve an ordinance that makes it illegal to display a foreign flag -- unless an American flag is flown above it. Pahrump resident Michael Miraglia proposed the ban because, he said, he got upset when he saw immigrant activists marching through U.S. cities last spring, waving Mexican flags. Mr. Miraglia told USA Today that he was especially miffed that "we had Mexican restaurants closed that day...For the record, I don't think people should wave flags of countries they left behind or celebrate one country while demanding rights from another. But just because you'd like to see a given outcome -- i.e., immigrants putting foreign flags in mothballs -- doesn't mean you should use the coercive power of government to bring it about. The end does not justify the means." More Commentary from CNN.com. . . . [Michele Berry]
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/crimprof_blog/2006/11/flying_foreign_.html
Comments
Federal Flag Code states that flags of other nations should be the same size & flown at the same height as the American flag. Maybe Michael Miraglia should have consulted the code before changing the rules! So now if you follow flag code & this new local rule it really is illegal to display a foreign flag at all.
http://www.gettysburgflag.com/American_Flag_Display.php
Posted by: Cheryl | Nov 20, 2006 1:20:11 PM
Federal Flag Code states that flags of other nations should be the same size & flown at the same height as the American flag. Maybe Michael Miraglia should have consulted the code before changing the rules! So now if you follow flag code & this new local rule it really is illegal to display a foreign flag at all.
http://www.gettysburgflag.com/American_Flag_Display.php
Posted by: Cheryl | Nov 20, 2006 1:20:53 PM
Thanks for your comment Kip, I thought the same thing when a local red neck radio station reported the story here last week.
Posted by: JohnM | Nov 21, 2006 4:49:02 PM
Any help would be greatly appreciated with the following:
I am from Ireland living in Florida 3 years - at last months Association Meeting it was discussed that no other flags be flown except the American Flag but was voted down because one couple went door to door and got a petition and received 89 votes for out of 110 Townhomes as they wanted to put up Festive Flags so the Association agreed that you can fly any flag once you have the American Flag with it.
Well last week as it was St. Patricks Weekend I bought an American Flag and Irish Flag got the two sewn together and hung them outside my home, obviously the Association presumed it would only be up for the weekend. There was the regular meeting last Monday which I couldnt attend and today I received in the mail a letter about having the Flags flying with a copy of "The Federal Flag Code".I personally did'nt see it being a problem the way I have them (they are still flying by the way) But when reading the following:
(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
Do I just need to seperate the flags and hang them on seperate flag poles? I always thought that this "Federal Flag Code" was only for businesses?
Again ANY help with this would be great, I really want to know all my facts before I go to the Association.
Thanks
Posted by: Joyce | Mar 22, 2007 7:58:25 PM
Can I fly a copy of the First Amendment without flying a U.S. flag over it?
Posted by: KipEsquire | Nov 20, 2006 11:46:27 AM