“I am going down Highway 101, right after the San Martin exit going north, this house on the left has the flag upside down. I was wondering what the reason for that. Isn’t that disrespecting the flag in a way?”
Red Phone: Dear Disrespected, An upside flag is the official sign for a signal of distress. Ships used to employ the practice of flying their ensigns upside down if they got in trouble or were attacked.
The Flag Code, which was established in 1923 as a set of guidelines for displaying flags, says “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” But the Flag Code doesn’t have any penalties for not following the guidelines, and the Supreme Court has ruled that any method of displaying, and even destruction of the American flag, is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
Bob Shelton, the owner of the property, isn’t actually in distress so there is no reason to call 911. But he says the nation is in distress.
Shelton has been flying a flag for 25 years but started flying the flag upside down on his nearly 30-foot flag pole in protest when President Barack Obama signed the Health Care and Reconciliation Act on March 23, 2010.
Shelton, a former U.S. Navy veteran, also says the Constitution and people’s rights are being attacked.
“I believe the country is under assault, and not everybody is aware of it,” Shelton said.
He also flies one of the country’s first flags, which depicts a rattlesnake against a red-and-white striped background and the motto, “Don’t Tread On Me.”
Shelton frequently takes time out to share his views with the many people who have stopped by his San Martin home wondering about the flag. To read more about Shelton and his protest, go to this Red Phone at gilroydispatch.com.
