Say, can you see why some don’t salute the flag?
Originally published in The Oklahoman on Saturday, June 11, 2011.
How was I first aware that the way to honor and respect our flag and country was by placing my right hand over my heart during the national anthem? When did it become evident how much this action meant to me?
Was it my grade-school teacher and the Pledge of Allegiance, my job in the U.S. Senate in Washington during the bicentennial, a photo of firefighters hoisting the flag at the World Trade Center remains on 9/11, being lucky enough to have missed the Murrah Building bomb by 15 minutes, was it at the Smithsonian seeing the Star Spangled Banner’s words and flag display in Washington in 2009, or the military folks in my family, friends and in this country that have made the commitment to serve an ultimate sacrifice for our freedom?
Yesterday it was opening my passport to travel and noticing the inside left page has Francis Scott Key standing on a ship, looking at the flag with the words, “O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” How did I not ever notice this before?
Saluting Old Glory
So, why do some people observe and respect by placing their hands over their hearts and others don’t? Whether it is any sporting event, Rotary club or looking around at the recent basketball playoffs, I have become confused at business people, elected officials, fans as well as ballplayers.
Coach Scott Brooks and Nick Collison place their hands over their hearts. I see a young boy observing, but his 40-year-old father doesn’t. A ball cap comes off the head of a 20-year-old man and one stays on that of a 60 year-old man. Even more confusing to the public, the rules for active and civilian dressed military. There are rules for indoor and outdoor observation of the flag for both groups. Again, as a U.S. citizen, I ask why and why not. Is it laziness, disrespect, awareness or exercising one’s right to “choose” to observe our national symbol of freedom?
Not only was I reared to know, and now as a U.S. and International Protocol consultant, I have been required to read the United States Code for Flag Laws and Regulations. The Code outlines the laws and regulations as to the proper conduct with the flag and seal, seat of Government, official territory papers as well as desecration of the flag and penalties and patriotic and national observances. These laws were supplemented by executive orders and presidential proclamations.
Title 36, Chapter 1, Section 301 of the United States Code says:
National anthem; Star-Spangled Banner, conduct during playing:
During the rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag and the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain its position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.
Celebrating Flag Day
Each year on June 14, we celebrate the birthday of the Stars and Stripes, which came into being on June 14, 1777. At that time, the Second Continental Congress authorized a new flag to symbolize the new Nation, the United States of America.
The Stars and Stripes first flew in a Flag Day celebration in Hartford, Connecticut in 1861, during the first summer of the Civil War. The first national observance of Flag Day was June 14, 1877, the centennial of the original flag resolution. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson called for a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14. It was not until 1949 that Congress made this day a permanent observance and designated as Flag Day. The measure was signed into law by President Harry Truman.
When I hear the national anthem being played I stand tall and place my hand over my heart for those in the past, present and in the future that deserve my respect, gratitude and loyalty for sacrificing to protect my family, friends and country from harm.
Oh say … I can see Mary Pickersgill sew and deliver the flag one year before the battle of Baltimore in September 1814, Fort McHenry, the entrance to the Baltimore harbor, a 34-year-old lawyer-poet Francis Scott Key with his telescope turned to the fort, the rocket’s red glare and the bombs bursting in air, our flag still there, o’er the land of the free and the home of the BRAVE.
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A response from Cpt. Ray White Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.), Oklahoma City:
I wish to congratulate Hilarie Blaney for “Say, can you see why some don’t salute flag?” (Etiquette To Go, June 11). This was a fine piece, but I would like to point out an omission. The 2009 National Defense Authorization Act says veterans, retirees and active duty military members not in uniform should render a military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem and during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag. The military salute is a unique gesture of respect that marks those who have served in our nation’s armed forces.
Best regards,Hilarie
Looking for work? Manners matter.
Nationwide unemployment is sitting above 9%, and while Oklahoma City’s unemployment rate is just 4.5%, plenty among us are job searching or seeking career changes. It means that the job market here is not just competitive, it’s tight. While you update your resume, consider that the impression you leave on your potential employer after you land the interview is more important than anything else.
Businesses are trending towards testing the social skills of prospective employees more than ever. If you find that your interview will be over a meal instead of across a desk, don’t be surprised. So what’s an interviewee to do? Brush up on your basic mix of interview and table manners before you head to that potentially life-changing lunch:
- Follow the lead of your host, or interviewer. (If he or she sits down, that’s your cue to sit down.)
- Never order the most expensive thing on the menu.
- Don’t order anything sloppy – pasta is out.
- Keep your cell phone stowed and on silent – you would not pay attention to it in an office interview, right?
- Your napkin belongs in your lap (never on the table) and should stay there until you leave the restaurant.
- Know how and in what order to use your silverware.
Hopefully the uniqueness of the interview setting will allow you to relax some, but be sure to maintain the professionalism you would have were you sitting across a desk!
Best regards,Hilarie
Is “Hey” Still For Horses?
Think about the phone calls and emails you have received lately. How many of them have started with “Hey” followed by your name, or just “Hey!”? I’d wager that it has been more than just a few, and I wonder when we lost track of the more polite greetings like “hi,” or better, “hello.”
As the use of home phones continues to dwindle and caller ID on cell phones is standard, there is less of a need to identify who has called, making “Hey, do you want to grab lunch?” a perfectly common conversation opener.
I’d suggest a return back to our beloved “hi” and “hello” in your next phone call or email. Slow down and open the conversation without rushing into questions or requests. You might find that you like it!
Best regards,Hilarie
