WASHINGTON — The veteran American Legion organization weighed in on the upside-down American flag controversy Thursday, noting that flags should only be flown this way if there is “extreme danger to life or property.”
The potential implications of flying an American flag upside down have been the subject of debate since reports emerged that an inverted flag flew outside Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home in early 2021. The judge said that the flag was raised by his wife, Martha-Ana.
Some supporters of former President Donald Trump also flew upside-down flags in support of the former president, falsely claiming that the 2020 election was stolen, leading to them being interpreted as a “stop the steal” symbol.
“The American flag is a symbol of courage, strength, freedom and democracy,” American Legion National Commander Daniel Seehafer said in a statement to NBC News. “Members of the American Legion have sworn with their lives to protect all that the flag represents.”
Seehafer pointed to the Flag Code, a detailed set of guidelines defining how the American flag should be displayed, as proof that the flag should not be inverted unless to signal danger.
“Our organization also led the creation of the U.S. Flag Code, which includes the following: ‘The flag should never be displayed with the union lowered, except as a sign of extreme distress in cases of extreme danger to life or property.’” , Seehafer said.
Alito had told Fox News last month, his wife Martha-Ann flew the flag upside down after an argument with a neighbor. Martha-Ann Alito told the Washington Post in January 2021 that the inverted flag was “an international signal of danger” and appeared to indicate it was raised in reference to a neighborhood argument.
But the Alitos’ timeline was questioned by the neighbor whose conduct was cited as the reason for flying the flag upside down.
This neighbor, Emily Baden, said she did not personally see the inverted flag, which the New York Times reported aired as early as January 17, 2021. But Baden said his argument with the Alitos occurred almost a month later, on February 15.
The Alitos “seem to be insinuating that this happened right before they raised the flag,” Baden told NBC News, adding that it was a “lie.”
The American Legion has weighed in on controversies related to the American flag before.
In 2016, Trump said in a post to X that “no one should be allowed to burn the American flag.”
He added that “if they do, there should be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or a year in prison!”
The American Legion praised Trump’s comments, with the group’s then-National Commander Charles E. Schmidt saying this “No one should tolerate the desecration of the American flag.” The group continued to push for a constitutional ban on flag burning. The most recent attempt to implement a constitutional amendment banning flag burning failed by one vote in 2006.
The American Legion has nearly two million members, making it the “largest service organization for veterans,” according to its website.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
