Sarah Palin vs. Old Glory

What’s wrong with this picture?

Not sure yet? Besides the awful color palette and type selections, the flag waving ever-so-hopefully at the top is union down. Do you know what that means? I do.

UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 36
CHAPTER 10

§176. Respect for flag

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

Now, I’m well aware of the Tea Party’s views that the U.S. is in jeopardy… yada, yada. I can hear the defense of this obviously unintentional use already, “It’s upside down in the poster because of the state of immigration and the abuse of the constitution by all those leftist-propaganda liberals on the left with all their propaganda.”

So, what is meant by “dire distress” and “extreme danger?” That’s a tough one. Well, I can tell you what is most certainly NOT meant by “extreme danger to life or property”: poor turnout at book signings and sluggish sales.

If the title of the book was America in Danger: The Watering Down of the Constitution one could make an argument that this design choice was warranted and appropriate for… oh wait. I forgot about this:

36 U.S.C. § 176 (i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.

That’s two counts against Ms. Palin and her United States Code-violating poster. Isn’t there an unpaid, snow-machine-riding intern working for her that could’ve Googled this information as easily as I did? Especially after this egregious offense committed not too long ago.

For someone who mostly likely supports a ban on flag-burning, she really needs to brush up on the “Flag Code” before throwing any stones. (Which – just in case she’s reading – you shouldn’t throw at the flag.)

Perhaps the title of her book should have been America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag-Abuse.