A bookstore owner hung an upside down US flag outside his shop as a protest to the war. Hanging a flag upside down is the standard symbol for distress, and he used that to proclaim his anti-war feelings.
While I disagre with his stance, I have to say that I love the way he shose to express it. It is clear, without being disrespectful to the flag, the nation, or the troops supporting it.
Then, the cops showed up.
They threatened to arrest him for "contempt of the flag" if he continued to fly the flag upside down. Apparently, none of them were Boy Scouts, since it's expplained there that an upside down flag is a distress signal and does not desecrate the flag.
Fortunately, in a rare instance of actually doing the right thing, the ACLU stepped in and educated the police, and the flag is back, flying proudly upside down.
Posted by Rich at April 17, 2003 11:40 AM | TrackBack