Radio Fox News – by Todd Starnes
HGTV viewers are expressing outrage after the network suggested they use American flags as table cloths for Fourth of July celebrations. Many viewers called it offensive, un-American and an insult to the American military.
“Using an American flag as a table cloth dishonors all Americans who love Old Glory – especially those who gave their lives defending it,” one viewer wrote. “No one dies for a table cloth.”
The HGTV website featured a segment titled, “Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas.”The photographs show bowls of fruit and a jar of lemonade sitting atop Old Glory. They called the flag an “unconventional table” linen.
“Drape a large American flag over the table as a bright and festive table runner,” HGTV suggested. “Use a nylon flag so spills can be easily wiped off and the flag can later be hung with pride on a flag pole.”
On Wednesday HGTV removed a link to the page and issued an apology.
“This was a regrettable use of our flag and it never should have happened,” HGTV said in a statement to Fox News. “We sincerely apologize and have removed the post from our website. We want to assure our fans that HGTV is proud of the American flag and everything it symbolizes for our people.”
Joe March, a spokesman for the American Legion, told Fox News that using the American flag as a table cloth is a violation of the U.S. Flag Code.
“The flag of the United States is designed to be flown and respected as the symbol of our country,” he said. “That very same flag is used to cover the caskets of our soldiers, sailors and Marines who have been killed in battle. You would not obviously want to take that and use that as a table cloth.”
The U.S. Flag Code states: “The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water or merchandise.” It only allows for the American flag to be draped over a coffin – not a picnic table.
March said the U.S. Flag Code is simply a guideline and the law does not provide for penalties for violations.
“What we’re talking about here is good common sense,” he said.
Viewers took to social networking sites like Facebook to express their extreme displeasure with the holiday decorations.
“I cannot fathom why y’all would suggest something so disrespectful,” one viewer wrote. “I am appalled that you would suggest using the flag that my brother was killed defending in Iraq as something to catch spills on a table at a cookout. I am positively appalled.”
Other viewers called the decorations offensive, un-American and one younger viewer said it was a “total fail.”
“When you use a flag in decorating remember that they are draped on the caskets (of our soldiers,” wrote the parent of a U.S. Marine.
“You are disrespecting our flag,” wrote another American. “What better thing to do over the holidays than desecrate the American flag.”
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/hgtv-use-american-flag-as-table-cloth.html
I guess us “old-timers” are the ones who were raised to respect
the American Flag and to honor it. I can remember as a young girl our
parents teaching us that you don’t even wear any piece of
clothing even made to look like the American Flag (some of you
probably remember the 70’s).
Let’s face it, we have several generations of people who have
not been taught any manners, morals, respect for our country, etc.
All they have ever known is what they see on MTV and filthy
movies, etc.
My family and I mourn for the United States of America!
It’s just a piece of cloth!!! Absolutely!!! Why all the fuss over the “honor” for what is known in the Ten Commandments as a GRAVEN IMAGE.
Stupid flag lovers will protect some striped, coloured fabric with their lives but allow their corrupt government to imprison them [see Boston: Shelter-in-Place]. They will disrespect and violate their fellow man but stand in emotional wonderland when they see the big banner stretched across a baseball field.
Get with it folks! The heck with a flag.
If you took the red from a Nazi flag and cut it up into strips and added the white strips from a Japanese flag, then take the blue from Canada’s and fashioned it to appear like the idol of the glassy-eyed slaves, would that be a “real” flag??
The “flag” is a non-issue. Deal with it.
Well, excuse me!!
Say, maybe if the flag showed us respect it might be different.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Oh, that’s right, the “flag” does not have life. It does not have a brain nor a heart. It is an inanimate object given special status by the hearts of men. It is designed and crafted by the hands of mortal man. No different than the golden calf.
Now if those “churches” will start teaching the sheeple that flag salutes and patriotism is nothing more than idolatry we WILL get on the right track and then maybe be blessed by God.
If My people, who are called by My name…
And still some stupid clucks don’t get why it should never be used in this way. “whatever” is for the oblivious, low-life, clueless shits who have no issue with desecrating a people’s national symbol. What is the name of the idiot at HGTV who did this?
“Desecrating” the national graven image.
Too bad some numbskulls are more worried about “harming” a lifeless piece of cloth than cops slaughtering people on the streets, politicians drumming up wars and the pure disregard for our rights and dignity at the airports.
Oh the scandal! If the sun does not rise tomorrow we will know it is because-someone used a cherished and worshiped icon is used as a tablecloth.
So, to satisfy the emotional rantings, and a possibility of a flag-lover shooting someone for using it, take the flag/tablecloth and cut off one of the stars.
There! With only 49 stars it is NO LONGER YOUR SYMBOL~
Why don’t you go make a tablecloth out of the Constitution, as well?!
Sure, no problem. By doing such would it lessen the effect or the meaning of the Constitution?
Just like the Flag, which represents the Constitution & Bill of Rights. To trample upon it, is to trample upon them.
Actually, to trample on someone is to physically trample upon him.
“Trample” on the Constitution by using it as a tablecloth does not harm anyone. It is the actual ignoring/disregard of it where the problem lies.
You can be certain the traitors that have occupied the White House and Congress through history NEVER had a tablecloth made from the Constitution.
And you can be sure that all have held reverence to your colourful piece of cloth and look what has happened.
When you see video of someone buring a flag do you get upset>
Why?
Do you get as angry or more when you see your country invading and killing, maiming and destroying life and property of people half-way around the world?
Do you get ANGRY AT YOUR PIECE OF CLOTH?
After all, that symbol is behind those atrocities.
Talk to the survivors of your invasions and see if they think your piece of cloth is worthy of the reverence and idol-worhship you do.
You’re nitpicking words. Gee, to satisfy you, let’s use “desecrate”. Look up that definition. You obviously don’t “get it” and there’s no use trying to explain it to the likes of you. So, as in your screen name, “Whatever…who cares…”
Some years ago, I would have understood being offended by this.
Nowadays, the flag doesn’t stand for what it used to stand for. Instead, it has come to stand for lies, wars without justifiable reason, and total surveillance.
While I hope it will return to standing for good, right now I wouldn’t be offended by using the flag as tissue paper.
Shame on you, George W. Obama and Barack Bush!
The symbol of federal empire? You mean that american flag? I would just as soon wipe my ass with it. I would be more offended if they used a gadsen flag.
My family is with you, 1611Believer & T.
Thanks, Angel-NYC! I just got home from church
and was looking at From The Trenches again,
and am really rather surprised at some of the comments
I am seeing. We certainly don’t “worship” the American
Flag. And I really don’t see that it would be considered
“idol worship”.
We will continue to put our faith and trust in the Lord God
and look for His soon coming. There is a place prepared for
the demons and devils who are presently running not only
this country, but the entire world!
It is disturbing, isn’t it? Like you said “…manners, morals, respect…”, we are living in a generation that has none of them.
Yes, Angel, we are, and it is not a
pretty sight! And all around us we
can see that they are “calling good evil
and evil good”, just like the Bible tells
us will happen. Guess I just never
thought it would happen in my lifetime.
We continue to fly Old Glory in front of
our home, along with about 4 old Marines
who also live on this same street. May
not be popular these days, but I am
not in a popularity contest.
🙂 Agreed.
Army, Air Force, and Navy (and family members who remember what it is Suppose to mean) fly it, too. It ain’t an “Idol”.
It sure is disturbing, all that flag desecration. What is WRONG with the world?
Oh, the invasions of Afghanistan and Boston by the military are certainly acts of honor and respect, but WOW, the burning of a flag…now that’s the epitome of disrespect!
Consider this:
If someone trashes a computer image of your icon, idol, graven image, holy ensign, is that flag desecration?
Why of course it is!
That is why the NSA is needed to monitor all computer users to ensure every image of the sacred cow of the modern corporate Church are treated with utmost honor and respect.
Or consider this too:
A house is on fire and you are the fireman. In the burning house is an infant baby and in the baby’s room there is a flag. Which do you save first?
You made your point, and to be honest with you I don’t really care about the flag as this point in the ball game. But you are going to quit disrespecting my friend if you want to keep commenting here.
Not to purposely stir the sheit here,..but……
We are taught a reverence to the flag and the nation….we are taught to swear an allegiance to it….yet in the light of SCRIPTURES we are told the very opposite,..History backs it up.
We are to swear no contracts to this earthly system…..only to CHRIST and our FATHERS KINGDOM…..yet we see/have seen the christian church systematically live and abide in pure heresy when it comes to doing as our LORD taught us!. Is it any wonder the Christian church of today is so far removed from our LORD and an anathema and bad joke to the world.? THINK about it!
He said “swear not..nor enter into alliances (binding allegiances outside the LAWS of YHVH)……let your yes be yes and you no be no!” “render to Caesar whats is his and to GOD what is HIS”
Yet here in the late great (what a joke) Nation our very Kingdom representatives teach and entreat us to violate the very LAWS of our FATHER. And call it good and tell you its being a good citizen…….wow!!
If we wish to hold dear to an OBJECT of fallacy……let us do the research on our TRUE history of what this NATION was and still is.
Let us examine who our Founders were and how they manipulated the masses to fight their little war against the King so that then they might be the grandmasters of tyranny over the common man.
Do not hold our CON-stitution and the FLAG up as a symbol of liberty and freedom…for it is not…..it is a contract for the elite to rule….and lord over the common man.!!!
IT has always been a symbol of oppression and genocide to the rest of humanity….”oh but walk softly and carry a big stick”….what an oxy-moron and idiot TR was and the public for buying into the EMPIRE/Nation building BS that was no differant than the Empirical designs of ancient ROME or the then Modern England
Don’t believe me…..I’m sure you wont! But as you each sit indignantly while gnashing your teeth over what I have said,……do yourself a favor and go read the history book!! See what the Anti-Federalists had to say! See What Patrick Henry among others, said and held to…understand why the BOR was implemented….And why the Anti’s pushed so dayum hard for it…….they recognized tyranny forming in the Congress from a group of Freemason money elites who held power….what they saw was worse than what came from England. The ratification of the Articles of Confederation was sheit canned and a “CON”stitution was put in its place..
Read it…do the mental leg work folks!…….then swallow the correctly colored pill and come out of the lie we have been under since 1789.
If this is a fight for freedom we had dayum well better know what the truth is and what we fight for.
As the 60’s singer John Prine said…”your flag decal wont get you into heaven anymore…they already over crowded by YOUR silly little wars”
Duh. No kidding…Anyone who has studied history knows that. However, out of respect for our forefathers who naively died for the “Liberty” that flag was supposed to represent, many of us refuse to condone its desecration. We do it in honor of the Dead and the sacrifices the fools (our ancestors, family, friends) made, supposedly for US. Not out of blind idolatry.
Ok…..just seemed to me a “lot of blind idolatry” was being pushed here.
If folks understand it and feel like that then there can be an admiration for the essence the Flag stands for Angel-NYC.
I myself and many family members have served under that flag over the generations. While I may not hoist it high from the jackstay….I also will not desecrate it either. I got to this point about the flag during 911….millions waved it or bought lapel pins ( I think thats wrong too) for days or weeks people rallied ’round the flag until DUBYA told em to go shopping….they wound up in the trash…just thrown away like our morals and values….it changed my opinion of the symbol and of my fellow citizens after that.
Angel you stated that “anyone who has studied history knows that” Yes they should…..but sadly thats not entirely true for the other 99%.
Ok my other side of this debate…I do believe in flag etiquette. Many times here in the South we see a real bathing beauty with a bikini made up like the Confederate flag..or even old Glory…while it at times is hard to see a flag over the georgous tan,…its still a banner and ensign and needs respect…most folk see nothing wrong with it…. I still believe in personal liberty and freedom but feel that goes too far! Very hard to see and remember our forefathers sacrifices when a pair of Double “D’s” are staring you in the face
The symbol of your slavery.
………………………………and let’s use the Israeli flag as a door mat.
toilet paper
Old Glory has the same colors as our Union Jack and in our case the white represents the supposed purity of the cause (in reality imperialism), the red is the blood that’s spilled (the ordinary soldier) and the blue is the blood it is spilled for. The aristocracy.
I would honor my flag if my country had been honorable but its history has been one of murder for pillage. And still is, though this time it has new masters. Israel and the US.
If our flag had stayed original…like the “Dont tread on me”,.. the.”Grand Union 1775″ ,or, the The Bennington Flag, it would be easier to hold more dear to it as it more closely portrayed its intent and original meaning….but when it changed everytime ( 26 times in all) a state signed on…in constant change until Hawaii came on in 59,.. the truth becomes a blur and reality gets lost. Even now the vast majority of the population see’s the gold fringe and believes its supposed to be there….they pledge their allegiance to a Flag of the Admiralty…Law of the high seas………Military rule. all the while chanting..USA! USA! USA! how pathetic is that……BOSTON comes to mind.
Its a heated debate for sure with passions on both sides running at 100%
I say lets do as the Colonist did,…lets align ourselves to each other and for the cause of liberty….if we argue and boast our passion lets not do it for deceptive Masonic symbols.
Ok I will STFU now.