[EmailPoster]

I was wondering if you could tell me the meaning of the gold border around military type american flags....

Originally Posted by Kenneth.Bragg

I was wondering if you could tell me the meaning of the gold border
around military type American flags.
thank you

[jproffitt10]

Kenneth Bragg,

There have been many discussions concerning the use of gold or yellow braided fabric on the borders of American flags. The truth is that there is no historical signifigance to the presence of such decorative trim. Many organizations who use the flag indoors, such at at courthouses and other governemnt buildings display flags with such borders and also many organizations who use the flag outdoors, such as in parades and marching formations also use flags with gold fringe or braid.

[peaple789]

I believe that the gold border around military insignia flags indicates that the United States is subservient to foreign entities. And the terminology referenced was that we are in “bondage”. Comments? Concerns? Complaints? Gripes?

[worldpirate]

Its Illegal And Disrespectful To Those Fallen. Who Incorporated The Color Yellow Or Gold To Red White And Blue ?

[american_flag_uk]

i dont know for sure but i have a theory why theres fringe on flags.... maybe im talkin a load of tripe here.. but..

how about them using fringe on flags in battles past when flags were used as markers for each side and you had to protect your flag above everything else . the flag was the most important thing and it represented your whole side.. if you lost your flag to the enemy it was a bad thing (i recken this is why there is section in the flag code for not allowing the flag to touch the ground cos in warfare that meant defeat pretty much)

but..... maybe the fringe was on the flag to add weight to it?? to stop it blowing in the wind?? becasuse then it would be at more risk to be slashed and pulled from the flagbearer?

[Peter Ansoff]

jproffitt10: "The truth is that there is no historical signifigance to the presence of such decorative trim. Many organizations who use the flag indoors, such at at courthouses and other governemnt buildings display flags with such borders and also many organizations who use the flag outdoors, such as in parades and marching formations also use flags with gold fringe or braid."

This is exactly right. Fringes on American flags are there for decoration. That is their only purpose and they have no symbolic meaning. As the Army Institute of Heraldry states on their web site: "Gold fringe is used on the National flag as an honorable enrichment only. It is not regarded as an integral part of the flag and its use does not constitute an unauthorized addition to the design prescribed by statutes." This statement is based on an opinion issued by the Attorney General in 1925, which contained very similar language.

Fringes have been used on flags and standards since ancient Roman times. As Jproffitt10 pointed out, they are generally used on flags that are displayed indoors, or temporarily used outdoors (e.g., carried in parades). Fringes are almost never used on flags that are intended for permanent outdoor display. This is true even when the fringe *is* specified as part of the flag's design. A good example is my state of Virginia. The state statues specify that the Virginia flag shall have a silver fringe on the fly end, but state flags that are flown outdoors do not have a fringe.

Peaple789: "I believe that the gold border around military insignia flags indicates that the United States is subservient to foreign entities. And the terminology referenced was that we are in “bondage”. "

Since the late 1980s, extremist libertarians has come up with a bunch of crazy stories about how fringed flags have all kinds of sinister meanings. Usually they seem to boil down to the fact that the presence of a fringed flag in a courtroom means that the court can't force the person to do something that he/she doesn't want to do (e.g., pay taxes, have a driver's license, etc.) No court has ever accepted such arguments, for the simple reason that they're utter and complete nonsense. A fringe on the flag has nothing to do with the jurisdiction of a court or the legal status of the United States. It's there to make the flag look nice, period.

Worldpirate: "Its Illegal And Disrespectful To Those Fallen. Who Incorporated The Color Yellow Or Gold To Red White And Blue ?"

No, it is not illegal, and nobody "incorporated" it. See above.

Regards,

Peter Ansoff

[birchbeer]

the gold trim on the flag represents a second nation with in our nation that nation is the united states of america incorporated in the 10 blocks of dc washington. a illegal corp un registered and made in england and representing the big banking families ie rocafella bush rothchild and the queen of england. fdr sold us out to the banks in 1933 to the banks and look whats happened wars for the sake of isrial

[birchbeer]

watch empire of the city on google

[Peter Ansoff]

the gold trim on the flag represents a second nation with in our nation that nation is the united states of america incorporated in the 10 blocks of dc washington. a illegal corp un registered and made in england and representing the big banking families ie rocafella bush rothchild and the queen of england.

Just to reiterate, this is all complete nonsense. The fringe on a US flag has no symbolic meaning whatsoever. Its only purpose is to make the flag look attractive.

Peter Ansoff