OT: Mass Blinding at Stadium of Fire

Note: this was the piece I was outlining in our first exercise in class.

The SLTrib recently reported on a piece of deception at the Provo Stadium of Fire. While Glenn Beck blubbered out a bit of the Flag Code, Brad Pelo and his Merry Band of Tricksters used the giant 90-by-150 foot flag as the quarter in the vanishing quarter trick and only pretended to burn it. When others pointed out the trickery,

"Pelo defended the apparent deception and suggested that those pointing out the subterfuge are detracting from the ceremony and its celebration of American ideals."

Well from my cynical point of view, deception certainly seems to one of the American ideals embraced and celebrated by many of Beck's ilk -- Mark Stanford's famous recent hike along the Appalachian Trail comes to mind -- but it's worth looking at exactly what Beck was reading:

The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
US CODE: Title 4,8 k.

If fakery, trickery, and deception are dignified, then WWE Wrestling should be winning more Emmys and being scheduled into more Sunday schools.

People whose ideas of patriotism run to buying Chevies seem to me to be clueless when it comes to the flag. It's the symbol of our country, not another variation of the smiley-face sticker to be pasted willy-nilly everywhere one can find a place. The flag deserves thoughtful respect and the Flag Code spells out what is proper and what is not.

Seth Butler has put together a collection of photos illustrating the many abuses of our flag and I've been spending time telling the scout leaders in my ward why I think the Scout flag program is disrespectful and why I'd prefer to pay them to NOT put a flag on my lawn.

(a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

(b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.
US CODE, 4,6.

The scouts put the flags up when it's convenient and take them down at the same time. They don't care about the weather and their manner of putting the flags out is no more brisk nor ceremonious than the manner of the people delivering phone books to my porch. I guess those cheap flags (made in China) could be all-weather -- they're made of the cheapest plastic that will take dye -- but I don't think the pitiful pieces of PVC used as flagstaffs by the scouts qualify as "stationary."

But the scouts certainly aren't the only offenders. You can go through Seth Butler's collection and find may others but there are a handful, plentiful locally, that I find particularly annoying.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever.
CODE 4,8

Gimme a break. I see this daily on TV and in the newspapers.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations.
CODE, 4,8

Every dip-wad athletic team in the country seems to have flag patches. These also seem to me to violate this section:

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
CODE 4,8

I guess I'd be OK with players on the bench having the flag patches, but anyone actually playing football is looking to soil and possibly damage the flag.

And one that used to be worse than it is now:

(b) ... When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
CODE 4,7

Fixed firmly, not rolled up in the back window with the kids and dogs. And forward and to the right, where the flag is usually displayed.

The flag leads.