Okay, here's what I am going to do....I am getting some stick on United States flags and putting them upside down on my vehicles on the windows.

Know why???


I didn't drink any Kool_Aid..........but am really concerned over what is going on here.


Its my way of saying "I do not agree or support."

Distressed? Depending on where you live, folks may understand or cheer.

Regardless of your reasons, I can not condone flying the colors so many have fought under, and STILL ARE fighting under in disgrace. It stands for a lot more than whats pissing you off.

Your asking for alot of trouble sir. Even from people who might agree with you. The flag was flown upside down when a unit was in danger of being overrun, this was communication when there were no phones, radios, internet etc.

I think perhaps he is thinking about the part of being in danger of being overrun. One could make a reach to what is happening now politically. I for one though am far to proud to fly Old Glory any way but right side up no matter what. Raised up proudly to the bitter end.

Why do you think that there is Distress in America? The country and its system did not fail, the candidate with the most votes was elected. There is no distress, the failure was on the part of the American people. :|

It's a tough call. You either believe that the flag stands for "We The People", or represents our governments' actions. And then you have that whole liberty to express yourself as you please thing. Either way, the viewers' interpretation of what the flag represents will determine their reaction.

I'll always see the flag as "We The People", but I'll understand the message if you fly it not agreeing with me.

Thanks for all viewpoints, no intention what so ever to disgrace the flag or country, only a means for a citizen to say the situation is more serious than you think.

No democrat would ever notice an upsidedown American flag. Most republicans would notice, and be PISSED.

I don't think you should do this either. One I doubt there is a leftist out there smart enough to understand the message but one might and vandalize your property. Personally I do not like stickers on cars anyhow, it distracts from their beauty. Two I agree with others OUR flag shouldn't be used this way.

Funny about displaying symbols in America. I have a jacket I am covering in patches some of which might be offensive like my gun patches or rebel flag or whatever. My intention is not to tic anyone off but its not my intention to not to either. My jacket and my likes on display so it is making a statement. I keep seeing Che Guevara patches really cheap and thought about getting one and putting it on upside down or fashion a red ring with a slash over it.

as far as the beauty of cars... I drive a rusty 91 dodge spirit with a donut tire... LOL! no worries there!

Anyhow... I won't fly the stars and stripes upside down.....
I won't fly a captured flag at all....

Until morality and freedom return... I'll be flying the Jolly Suarez....

ARRRGH!

Just be sure to stay away from battleships. I hear thats a bad idea in todays day and age for those in that profession

Speaking as a soldier that is deploying in less than a week.

I fight for a lot of reasons.

One is your right to protest as you see fit.

If I see someone burning the flag my first reaction is, Why? Depending on your answer I may, as a patriot and not as a soldier, decide to kick your ass.

Flying it upside down. It's a sign of distress for who ever is flying it that way. Your asking for help. As a patriot I'm right there with you, our nation is in distress.

I'm sure your aware your going to get a lot of attention one way or another.

If there wasn't regulations prohibiting it for me as a soldier I'd be flying upside down too.

Here is a bit -o - history.....

It was Privateers (Pirates) that defended Americas shores against British ships in the American revolution..
May time the black flag has been hoisted in the pursuit of liberty...

rough neck patriots that threw tea into river and so on......

Besides, I aint got a boat....



Study: Pirates pursued democracy, helped American colonies survive
Filed under Politics, Research on Wednesday, June 28, 2006. GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Blackbeard and Ben Franklin deserve equal billing for founding democracy in the United States and New World, a new University of Florida study finds.

Pirates practiced the same egalitarian principles as the Founding Fathers and displayed pioneering spirit in exploring new territory and meeting the native peoples, said Jason Acosta, who did the research for his thesis in history at the University of Florida.

“Hollywood really has given pirates a bum rap with its image of bloodthirsty, one-eyed, peg-legged men who bury treasure and force people to walk the plank,” he said. “We owe them a little more respect.”

Acosta, a descendant of a pirate who fought for the United States in the Battle of New Orleans, studied travel narratives, court hearings, sermons delivered at pirate hangings and firsthand accounts of passengers held captive by pirates. Comparing pirate charters with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, he said he was amazed by the similarities.

Like the American revolutionaries, pirates developed three branches of government with checks and balances. The ship captain was elected, just as the U.S. president; the pirate assembly was comparable to Congress; and the quartermaster resembled a judge in settling shipmate disputes and preventing the captain from overstepping his authority, he said.

Colonists and pirates also were alike in emphasizing written laws, democratic representation and due process, Acosta said. All crew members were allowed to vote, ship charters had to be signed by every man on board, and anyone who lost an eye or a leg was compensated financially, he said.

These ideals grew out of both groups’ frustration at being mistreated by their leaders; the British forced the colonists to quarter troops and pay taxes, and captains on merchant ships beat their shipmen, starved them and paid less than promised, Acosta said.

“It’s no wonder that many sailors seized the opportunity to jump ship and search for a better way of life, namely piracy, which offered better food, shorter work shifts and the power of the crew in decision-making,” he said.

A golden age of pirating emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries as these Brethren of the Sea sailed the world’s waterways, plundering hundreds of millions of dollars worth of gold, silver and other merchandise, shaping the modern world in the process, Acosta said.

Pirates mapped new territory, expanded trade routes, discovered good ports and opened doors with the native peoples, Acosta said. “They really helped European nations explore the Americas before Europeans could afford to explore them on their own,” he said.

By selling stolen silks, satins, spices and other merchandise in ports and spending their booty in the colonies, pirates created an economic boom, helping struggling settlements and making Port Royale in Jamaica and Charleston, S.C., huge mercantile centers, Acosta said. “They didn’t bury their treasure, they spent it, helping colonies survive that couldn’t get the money and supplies they needed from Europe,” he said.

Without the infusion of money into the New World from piracy, it is possible that Britain and France may not have been able to catch up with Spain, Acosta said.

“Had it not been for pirates, Britain might have had trouble holding onto the American colonies,” he said. “Pirates decimated the Spanish so badly that Spain finally had to give up some of its American empire just to get pirating to stop.”

Native Americans and black slaves oppressed by the Spanish in the Caribbean gave pirates inside information on where to dock ships and find supplies, Acosta said. Slaves fleeing plantations were welcomed on pirate ships, where they shared an equal voice with white sailors, he said.

Acosta said he believes pirates would be given a place in the history books if they had been able to write their stories and leave diaries like the more literate American colonists.

A Gainesville middle school teacher, Acosta occasionally brings up pirates in his classroom, where he has a captive audience, thanks to the popularity of the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean,” which has a sequel opening July 7. “I had one group of students in my class who just went around the playground all the time saying, ‘Aaar, we’re the pirates,’” he said.

Richard Burg, an Arizona State University professor and expert on pirates, said Acosta is performing a great service by emphasizing pirates’ democratic and egalitarian ways. “The men who sailed under the skull and crossbones were ordinary folk, like America’s revolutionaries, standing firm against oppressive governments and economic systems,” he said. “Mr. Acosta is one of the few scholars who understand this.”

Why not just get a bumper sticker made up that says "We are well and truly Fucked"? Same message and you would piss less people off.

I was refering to recent events where a pirate ship got blasted off the coast of india...

IE: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/19...ates/index.html

Sorry for any confusion.

No worries man!
I knew who ya meant... still, some pretty cool history....

Have a groovy turkey day!

and know millions of Americans are thankful this year knowing that they will make bank on your sweat!

there are worries, when they fly the flag under. Its a BIG worry.

I hope you are prepared to welcome most of us into your home, when you fly our flag inverted as a distress call......

Heheheh, you too man, have a awsome turkey day. the rest of you assholes out there too! and i mean it! if your not sleeping by 7PM you havn't eaten enough turkey or drank enough, so who are you fooling?!

this guy would probably kick your ass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnz-5nSkMXM

It's your flag,... Free speech means The freedom to speak your mind. This country seems to be upside down anyway!

I flew my flag upside down during the Clinton years. The only comments I got was "why is it upside down?" and "do you know your flag is upside down?"

I like the way that Veteran handled that... My *ONLY* comment to him would be this...

"Friend, I think its time you SHARPENED your knife!"

that was awesome