I appreciated the good intentions of The Columbian in providing a printed version of the U.S. flag in the June 28 newspaper. But I feel that the execution of the positive idea missed its mark.
U.S.C. Title 4, the Flag Code, describes how the flag is to be fashioned, displayed and handled. Section 8 includes the following items:
“The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be … printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.” The printed paper flag included the logo of The Columbian on the front, and many advertisements appeared on the reverse. Newsprint is a temporary thing intended to be discarded.
“The flag … should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” I expect that most of these printed flags will end up in recycling bins, or crumpled in garbage cans.
