The American Flag is more than just a piece of cloth on some stick. It’s similar to those symbols that have a substantial worth in value beyond the item itself: freedom, sacrifice, coming together, history… all represented in the stars and stripes. We display it on porch, we fly it at parades, we fold it in ceremony. But like anything alive, time deteriorates it. The flags begin to fade, they tear, they fray; and when the wear occurs the question comes about what to do with an old worn flag?
Simply throwing it away doesn’t sit right, and the reason it doesn’t is that it’s not right. The flag symbolizes so much more than just trash. To simply throw it away is not just the correct way to dispose of it, it is about respect and honoring it, and making sure that even when it is retired, it is done in a manner that honors what it means.
Why Disposing Matters
Treat the flag as more than a decoration. It has always provided an image of America, the freedoms that we argue about, fight for, and often try to live up to. Anything with that significance, how you dispose of it matters. Throwing it away with your coffee grounds and junk mail cheapens the symbol. That is why there are rituals of disposal to honor it.
There are Multiple Ways to Dispose of a Flag
There is not just a single way to do it “right.” Every community and every person deals with it differently, but the one constant is always respect.
