Free Republic

The American Legion is demanding that President Donald Trump issue a proclamation honoring Sen. John McCain’s heroism, and order the nation’s flags to be flown at half-staff. The nation’s largest veterans’ service organization urged Trump in a statement Monday to follow longtime protocol following the deaths of prominent government officials. The group noted that Trump issued presidential proclamations commemorating the deaths of first lady Barbara Bush and pastor Billy Graham. McCain, who died Saturday at 81, is a decorated Vietnam War hero who spent more than five years as a prisoner-of-war and served in the Senate for six terms.

The White House on Monday afternoon re-lowered its flags to half staff after drawing significant backlash for returning them to full staff less than 48 hours after the death of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Multiple reporters noted on social media that the flags were flying at half staff once again. The White House did not immediately respond to questions for comment on why the change was made.

An American Legion post in Park Slope has been ordered to remove a bench — with the US flag painted on it — from outside its veterans club. The city’s Department of Transportation issued a “notice of encroachment/order” last week to the American Legion Sixth Memorial Post No. 1833 on 5th Avenue near 6th Street regarding the patriotic bench built around the base of a tree outside of the establishment. The notice, obtained by The Post, says that the “unauthorized bench” is “encroaching on city sidewalk” and orders the legion to remove within 30 days or face a possible fine....

~ Happy Flag Day and 243rd Birthday, US Army ~ Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies militaryand the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. Click Betsy Ross The History of Flag Day Red Skelton ~ Pledge of Allegiance (spoken) Star Spangled Banner Ragged Old Flag Old Glory This Ain’t No Rag, It’s A Flag You're A Grand Old Flag Please remember that The Canteen is here to support and entertain our troops and veterans and their families, and is family friendly.

Respect the Flag, by Jon McNaughton I painted President Trump picking up a shredded and trampled flag off the football field. He holds a wet cloth in his right hand, as he attempts to clean it. I respect America. I respect the flag, the anthem, and the President; because he doesn't back down to those who do not. When the NFL players decide to kneel as the national anthem was given, I felt sick. That flag represents the vast number of Americans who have sacrificed their lives for our nation. It is about their blood and the sacrifice of many...

A Utah artist is making a statement on the controversies surrounding the NFL protests in his latest work of art depicting President Trump holding an American flag. Jon McNaughton, an artist who is no stranger to controversy, released his latest painting last Tuesday titled Respect the Flag—showing a somber-looking Trump holding a battered American flag close to his heart while standing on a football field. “It’s Donald Trump standing on a football field, and he’s picked up the American Flag that’s been trampled,” McNaughton told KSTU. “It’s got grass stains on it, and he’s trying to wipe off some...

The co-host of FN1’s Undisputed, former NFL player Shannon Sharpe, went on a hateful rant on Friday in regards to the anti-American NFL National Anthem protests, angrily arguing that the American flag is no big deal anyway, that it’s just a “piece of cloth” that “nobody fights for” and that it’s a symbol that’s somehow “racist” to boot. “The flag, you see, to a lot of people, symbols, patriotism but what does that symbol actually mean?” Sharpe asked stunned co-host Skip Bayless. “What does — what does – okay — you keep telling me that the flag means so much...

As a visitor to the USA, one sometimes gets the feeling that it’s hard to move or look around without seeing a flag. They are seemingly everywhere, an omnipresent reminder of national identity. But the star-spangled banner is more than a symbol; it can also influence minds in unexpected ways. Travis Carter from the University of Chicago has found that when people think about voting decisions, the mere sight of the American flag can subtly shift their political views… towards Republicanism. It’s an effect that holds in both Democrats and Republicans, it affects actual votes, and it lasts for at...

Los Angeles (AFP) - Seattle's Michael Bennett and Oakland's Marshawn Lynch joined other NFL athletes Sunday in protesting the treatment of minorities by US law enforcement during the first weekend of the regular season. Both Bennett and Lynch remained seated during The Star-Spangled Banner before the Seahawks and Raiders season-opening games as part of a continuing wave of protests that began last year with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Bennett sat as teammate Justin Britt stood next to him with his hand on his shoulder while another teammate, Thomas Rawls, stood on Bennett's other side before the game...

COLD SPRING, Minn. — There was drama on the first two days of school in the Rocori school district. On Tuesday, students at Rocori High School — about 20 miles southwest of St. Cloud — were greeted by a new policy prohibiting flags and banners from being displayed on vehicles in the school parking lot. The controversial rule was bucked by students Wednesday, Sept. 7, with numerous American flags defiantly hanging from trucks that lined the lot. By the afternoon, students and school officials had come to an agreement that allows for the respectful display of the American flag. Julie...

Cleveland police and emergency services unions have declined an invitation from the NFL's Cleveland Browns to hold an American flag for the team's season opener after some Browns players knelt for the national anthem during a preseason game. EMS union president Daniel Nemeth told Fox 8 Cleveland on Friday that the offer to participate in a pregame ceremony sounded great until a dozen Browns players refused to stand for the anthem, in support of free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The ACLU got a big lesson in political correctness after posting a photo of a white baby holding an American flag to its Twitter page — and has backed off after social media trolls accused the free-speech group of promoting Nazis. “This is the future that ACLU members want,” the ACLU captioned a photo of a blonde baby wearing an ACLU “free speech” onesie and holding a small American flag.

Is the U.S. flag a symbol of hate speech? That's what documentary filmmaker Ami Horowitz wanted to find out when he went to UC Irvine, where the student government tried to ban displays of the flag in a main thruway. Watch and be amazed as Ami interviews the student who spearheaded the flag ban.

Everything is political to the overly sensitive mind of today’s leftist. When the Atlanta Braves unfurled a gigantic flag for the playing of the national anthem, it prompted an ultra sensitive member of the partisan media and his Twitter followers to express a whole host of ridiculous claims. In a Twitter post this weekend, NBC baseball writer Craig Calcaterra complained that the presentation of Old Glory evoked overly political tones. He and his like-minded comrades used the occasion to attack the flag, the military, President Trump, conservatives and the singing of God Bless America: Will you keep politics out of...

During the 2008 presidential campaign, I flew the flag of the state of Alaska to honor the VP candidate. I have not flown a flag since.Today, I made an online purchase for a new 4 x 6 American flag to go on a silver pole with gold ball on top.Friday morning, as I go out the door early to make the trip to DC to attend the Inauguration event I will place the flag up.Yesterday in church, my memories went back to 1992 and the election of Clinton. When I arrived at the office that Wednesday morning, my secretary asked...

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened loss of citizenship or jail for those who burn the American flag, saying such protests — which the Supreme Court has declared to be free speech — should carry “consequences.” Trump offered his thoughts in an early-morning post on Twitter, saying, “Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag.”

Seem Mr. Trump correctly pointed out that folks in this country who feel the need to disrespect our flag in any form or fashion need to refrain from doing so, at least publicly. He is correct. Countries garner respect for defending their territory, their culture and their language, all of which make a country a country. We seem to be failing on all counts. In Mexico, if you trash their flag in public, you will be beaten and/or killed by the public who sees you doing so BEFORE the police can even get there. Or, in Thailand, do something to...

With snowflakes everywhere across America seemingly content to burn the Stars & Stripes to protest democracy's decision to elect what they have been told is a racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, sexist, tax-fraud as president... ... President-elect Donald Trump has put his foot down in this seemingly most unpatriotic of endeavors: Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016 Of course, there is the small issue of changing the Constitution as flag burning remains protected speech...

While president-elect Donald Trump has taken flack from civil libertarians for his sudden resurrection of the flag-burning issue, it’s worth noting that his former general election opponent Hillary Clinton once came under fire from liberal allies for sponsoring a bill that aimed to throw those who burned the flag in prison. Clinton’s stance on flag-burning is complicated to say the least. In theory, she has consistently opposed a flag-burning amendment, and voted against it when it came up for a vote in 2006. But a year earlier, she sponsored a bill that was widely seen as a runaround the Supreme...

Donald Trump came under heavy criticism Tuesday after calling for the criminalization of burning the American flag, with critics gasping that the president-elect’s words represent a threat to the First Amendment. However, Trump’s suggestions are similar to a bill pushed in the Senate in 2005 that would criminalize flag burning – a bill that was co-sponsored by then-Sen. Hillary Clinton. Trump tweeted that there should be “consequences” for the burning of the flag -- including a year in jail or a loss of citizenship -- which is seen by many as an act of desecration. Nobody should be allowed to...