Tuesday, February 23, 2010

U.S. Flag etiquette

I was just randomly thinking and a distinct thought popped into my head..."Is it really necessary or required to put your right hand over your heart during the U.S. National Anthem?"

It made me think of the stupid, annoying email chain letters that were going around about Obama "refusing to place his hand over his heart during the National Anthem." Granted he may have been ignorant and not realized that everything he did or didn't do was going to be scrutinized to the minute detail and blown up to enormous proportions but I never believed he outright refused! I just don't see his "people" letting him get away with blatantly stupid things like that because I don't doubt that some dip shit redneck would show him how "we 'mericans handle those folks who are anti-American types." There's always one in the crowd.

Anyway, Snopes kind of took care of that email chain letter here...pretty much. Enough for me since I wasn't actually there.

So, back to my search for the expected etiquette. I found something at USFlag.org flag etiquette which doesn't specifically say what civilians should do.

Then there's Wikipedia's version here that says some code was passed around 1998 that required the hand-over-the-heart.

And then Slate had a good article here pretty much saying the same as Wikipedia but the code was adopted earlier.

I guess I can come away with the knowledge that it's proper and somewhat required to put your right hand over your heart during the U.S. National Anthem.

Let it be known that I have always done this as I was brought up properly in regards to respect and the hand-over-heart has always been something I was taught to do. I was just curious if there was actual written etiquette.



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