US Flag and non US National

[tantionzot]

Morning,

I am asking wondering how ok it is, for a non US National, to display the US Flag (either indoor, or outdoor), in a foreign country (or not).

Thanks for reading, and giving me some explanations.



Hierome

[Peter Ansoff]

Hello, Hierome, welcome to the forum!

how ok it is, for a non US National, to display the US Flag (either indoor, or outdoor), in a foreign country

From the US perspective, it is fine. Anyone is allowed to own and display a US flag. However, many other nations have their own laws about the display of foreign flags. Also, even if it is legal in your country for a citizen to fly a foreign flag, it may be politically or socially unpopular.

Best regards,

Peter Ansoff

[tantionzot]

Hello Peter,

Thank you for your answer.
That is in fact what I thought, but needed a confirmation from a specialist.

[coasterville]

You didn't mention the name of the other nation, but I would start with brushing up on the flag code of the other nation. If they don't have a problem with it, you can go ahead, with caution as flags by their very nature are strong emotional/social/political symbols. You may attract unwanted attention with your flag display.

Here in the USA, the first amendment pretty much means it's open season on what you fly on your flagpole, though common courtesy dictates following the flag code guidelines. My Ireland flag hasn't drawn any Eire, nor my Bavaria flag, have t tried any of my other foreign flags.

This does make me curious, are there any foreign national flags that are technically illegal for me to own, even as a US citizen. Considering numerous flag makers sell them online, I'm guessing not.

Also related, wish me luck, I am trying to snag an all sewn construction union jack (UK) off evil bay.

[NAVA1974]

This does make me curious, are there any foreign national flags that are technically illegal for me to own, even as a US citizen. Considering numerous flag makers sell them online, I'm guessing not.

In the 1989 to 1991 time frame I had a contract with the U.S. Department of State to inspect the flags on display in the State Department's HQ Diplomatic Lobby. You can see some of the flags in the pic of Secy of State Clinton greeting her employees, below. The terms of the contract were quite good for my collection. They paid me the sum of $25.00 per inspection. That inspection included a listing and description of the flags that had become obsolete since my last inspection. IIRC I made about 4 or 5 inspections over that time frame, but the $100 or so was not the good part. They gave me all the flags that they took off display that I listed in my inspection . Not only that, at my second visit where I was to pick up the obsolete flags, they pulled out a box from under a drafting table that had the old flags of Libya, British Honduras, Afghanistan, Iran, and a few other gems.

My point? Immediately after the beginning of the first Iraqi war I went to pick up some flags and I noted that the flag of Iraq was missing from the display. They said that I could not have that flag as it was removed from display and burned immediately upon the declaration of war. THAT was a rare case of a flag that was illegal to own.

I received a total of 35 different foreign national flags through that contract, and it is probably the only case where I have been paid to add flags to my collection.

[coasterville]

Now that is a cool story, imagine getting paid to partake in your hobby. I'm betting if they had just said "Look this over, and anything thats obsolete you can have" you would have been there just the same, right?

[NAVA1974]

Now that is a cool story, imagine getting paid to partake in your hobby. I'm betting if they had just said "Look this over, and anything thats obsolete you can have" you would have been there just the same, right?

Oh, I was more than willing to just quietly "dispose of" the obsolete flags at no cost to them. However, there was a snag. They said they could not hire me unless I was paid for my services!!

By the time I conducted my last inspection, the dissolution of the former USSR was underway and they had realized that their "desk officers" for each nation generally kept up-to-date with political affairs in those countries, including flag changes, so they resorted to in-house updating.

Nick A
Columbia Maryland

[coasterville]

Update on my attempts at an all sewn United Kingdon Union Jack.

The good news is: I LOST the auction!!!

How is this good news you might ask? Well, I found out by doing the research I should have done BEFORE bidding (silly me) that the same seller lists his flags two ways - one is a pure auction with no Buy It Now option, where you can hope to get in one one at about half price or a little less than - wait for it - his straight sale Buy It Now only auctions which list the flag for about double the starting bid on the auction versions. I hadn't seen the straight sale version and bid on the auction version. I bid what I reasonably thought was fair for a flag (doesn't help the auction was in Pounds) and wound up bidding an amount that while not extreme, was a fair bit more than the BIN offered on the straight sale item. I thought I was on the hook, then when I was checking me email to get the bad news I'd won, instead I see the "You've been outbid!" Yeah, sometimes being sniped can save you from yourself!

I, of course, immediately went back in and bought one through Buy it Now.