The Flag: When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

.@realDonaldTrump In that case, punish all flag desecrators pic.twitter.com/tmGnrGpQDQ

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) November 29, 2016

"VFW Angry Over Kid Rock Super Bowl Poncho."

The VFW is upset that media outlets are ignoring the poncho Rock wore during the Super Bowl halftime show, which was made by cutting a slit in an American flag. Rock later tossed the flag into the crowd.

The VFW’s commander in chief, Edward Banas Senior, says Rock’s outfit was “in poor taste and extremely disrespectful.”

12 December update: That could describe Kid Rock's new line of Trumpian T-shirts and baseball caps.

12 December update #2: Keith Olbermann runs afoul of the flag code by donning a flag as a shawl. (Maybe Max Blumenthal can compile a series of photos of people misusing the American flag, although with the best of intentions.)

The anti-fascist resistance, brought to you by Gentleman's Quarterly pic.twitter.com/VznLLR0cYq

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) December 13, 2016

The U.S. Flag Code.

§176. Respect for flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.
• (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.
• (b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
• (c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
• (d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
• (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.

Remember this?

Tampa Bay Times, "The Buzz: Did Allen West Violate Federal Law by Scuba Diving With U.S. Flag?"

Put those b!tches in jail for life. No one 🔥 my 🇲🇾 https://t.co/QUYilnMCqO

— Jenny Boyle (@jenniferboyle69) November 30, 2016

Right. But why is she using the emoji for the Malaysian flag?

"Why Did Florida Fire Allen West?"

In light of all his antics it seems obvious, but this article points out yet another reason:

To improve his chances at winning reelection, he chose to leave his Fort Lauderdale-area home and run in a more Republican-friendly district about 100 miles north. Bob Crowder, a well-liked Republican sheriff, challenged him in the primary. When the two crossed paths one day in June, the sheriff extended a hand to the congressman. “No, thanks,” West said, turning away. His refusal to shake hands with a member of his own party made a bad first impression in his adopted district. ...

Murphy won by 1,900 votes. In Martin County, the district’s Republican stronghold, West received 4,800 fewer votes than Mitt Romney, while Murphy outperformed Obama by 3,700 votes, a sign that a significant number of Republicans split their ticket. It didn’t help that in the final weeks of the race, Crowder, West’s spurned GOP rival, endorsed Murphy. West believes he lost because voters accustomed to pandering politicians couldn’t handle his directness. “I just talked the truth. I think that a lot of people maybe are not comfortable hearing the truth.”

Floridian Scoundrel

Yet another reason why Allen West is a d!ck.

Far From the Best

If this guy isn't a dildo, I don't know who is. Considering he lives in a state shaped like America's phallus, perhaps it's not all that surprising.

25 July update: More
29 July update: AW faces a primary challenge--from the Tea Party.

AW: Tea Party Statist

AW threatens to leave Congressional Black Caucus. The article reminds us that during his 2010 campaign, AW claimed to have a higher security clearance than the President!

Has Militarist Right Found Its Warlord?

(12 September update: It's just sad when one unwittingly desecrates the flag.)

The Flag Code