I was looking that the page about displaying a flag and the last note seemed to leave it up to our decision - "When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner."What is too worn. The reason I ask is I go to a city owned fitness center and the flag in my opinion is worn and should be taken down, even if the don't have an immediate replacement. The rips are 3-4 inches deep and the front seam has split from the rest of the flag and it is wrapping itself up to the point where it hardly flaps in the wind. I just want to be properly informed before giving them any more crap about what it looks like.ThanksMatt

[Peter Ansoff]

Hi, Matt!

First of all, here is what the flag code actually says:

"The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

There are no hard and fast rules, but generally the flag should be retired when it's torn, dirty and/or obviously faded. It sounds like the one you are describing certainly needs to be retired.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with washing a dirty flag, or repairing tears or pulled-out seams.

Best,

Peter Ansoff