[K Swails]

The employees in the hospital I work for claim that the 9 foot perimeter of the flag pole is federal property. Does anyone know if this is true or can you prove them wrong? I appreciate the help.

[YCHistorian]

This is completely untrue. The hospital is simply flying the Flag from its own flagpole. The flag and flagpole belong to whoever purchased and installed it. Does flying a flag from your home make your home federal property? Of course not!

[Peter Ansoff]

Weird, isn't it, how the flag inspires so many crazy stories. The most intriguing thing about this one is the "9 foot perimeter" -- why 9? If the perimeter (circumference) of the circle around the pole is 9 feet, that means that the radius is only about 1.4 feet. That would mean that a person with average-length arms could stand outside the perimeter and still reach the flagpole. So, what's the point of the 9-foot perimeter?

Seriously, though, I bet that the germ of this story was something to do with pro- and anti-immigration protests. There was a news story last year about some protesters taking down a US flag on a post office and replacing it temporarily with a Mexican flag.

Peter Ansoff