You Fly that Flag Right, or Else

Mike Riggs | July 9, 2008

Matthew Rothschild at The Progressive reports on Dale Decker, a Wisconsin man who was harassed by police for hanging an American flag upside down:

On June 25, [Dale Decker] decided to fly the American flag upside down on the patio of his apartment....

Two days later, Manitowoc police officer Jason Delsman came to his door. But Decker was at Wal-Mart, so, Delsman left his business card with a handwritten note, "Call ASAP."....

"He told me I was committing a criminal act and could face fines or imprisonment," Decker said.

When Decker asked for the statute criminalizing this, he says Officer Delsman responded: "I'm sure that it is somewhere."

I wonder how many cops subscribe to a bastardized version of the "Better safe than sorry" mantra:"Better arrest/cite you in case there's a law that supports my prejudices"?

Stephen F. Hayes of The Weekly Standard wrote for reason about silly flag laws here.