Might Get Fired for Picking Up Flag From Ground

[EmailPoster]

Might get fired for moving a flag off the gorund,...

Hello,

My name is Edward. I work for a company doing home inspections. A day ago I was walking up to a house to inspect it. When I notice a small American flag laying on the ground. It fall because on the high winds. I
picked it up and places it up right. My ass't manager took it and put it back on the dirt. I took him that it was the American flag it shouldn't be touch the dirt. He said, that I should not be touching other peoples property. After I met with the home owner I told her about her flag and if it was okay if I
would raise it from the ground. She replied, please do, she said she didn't
know it was laying in the dirt. So I did. Because I was working at the time and on property that it didn't belong to me. I may get fired or written up.

I may get fired or written up. The company never told me that rule about the American flag. I feel and know I was right by doing so. What do you think?
Should I attack back if I get fired? Or forget what Americans went thru to
have own flag flying free and out of the dirt? I know it is not the law, but I
feel a little respect from my boss and the company would have help. I need a
feed back A.S.A.P. please. I need to have an input. Can I get fired because for what I done?

Thank you: Edward

[sarahw]

I don't think the question here is so much about the flag itself as about whether the company has a written policy about touching other people's property when you are doing inspections. If there is such a rule, you can argue that you only did it because you wanted to be respectful to the flag, but perhaps the better course would have been to alert the homeowner and let him or her put the flag right.

It is, however, part of the US Flag Code that flags should never touch the ground, so in a way you were keeping the household from breaking the law (not that there are any penalties for not following the code). So there's an argument to be made that you were in the right, unless your company had a written rule about not touching anything. I'm not a lawyer, so don't take this as legal advice, but look over your contract and/or employee handbook and see what the rules were. If there was no such written rule, you'll probably want to talk to a lawyer if your employer fires you.

Best of luck!

Sarah

[bhargis]

I see that it has been several months since you made this post, but I must ask, how did it turn out for you.

Oh and I respect that you did what was right insead what was popular to your employer. More people respecting our heritage would help this country so much!

Bob W. Hargis
2008 Presidential candidate