Given recent events in the United States, it is encouraging to see a strong upswing in patriotism in our nation. One can hardly go a block these days without seeing the American flag, a powerful symbol of patriotism in the United States. However, in recent days, I have seen several elements of display of the American flag that have disheartened me: frayed flags tied to car antennas and discarded flags lying on the ground. Such actions, to me and to many other Americans, demonstrate the opposite of what the display of the flag is supposed to demonstrate in the first place.

So, how should Americans treat their flag? After seeing this, I did a bit of research into proper flag care and etiquette in the United States and I discovered that there are a few simple principles to follow that will ensure that the flag you display is shown to the world with the proper respect that it deserves as an enduring symbol of the United States.

Flag etiquette in the United States was largely the brainchild of and formalized by Benjamin Franklin, though many have contributed to it. Essentially, it states proper techniques for displaying the flag in the most respectful manner possible.

Here are seven simple rules to ensure that your flag is displayed properly.

When hanging it, make sure the stars always in the upper left. The stars refer to the section of the flag that is blue with fifty white stars upon it. Here is how it should look when hanging:

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|*************| | | | | | |
|*************| | | | | | |
|*************| | | | | | |
|*************| | | | | | |
|*************| | | | | | |
|*************| | | | | | |
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|********************|-------------------------------|
|********************|-------------------------------|
|********************|-------------------------------|
|********************|-------------------------------|
|********************|-------------------------------|
|********************|-------------------------------|
|********************|-------------------------------|
|********************|-------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------|
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When present with a speaker, the flag should be on the speaker's right. Have the speaker face the crowd, and place the flag to his or her right.

When flying the U.S. flag with other flags, fly the U.S. flag in front of the pack and highest. This holds within the United States only, of course; highest respect should be paid to the flag of whatever nation you are in. So, if you are in Canada, the Canadian flag should be flown first and highest. There are a few exceptions to this, but they are extremely rare cases.

Don't let the flag touch the ground, ever. It should be clean, not soiled with dirt either symbolically or literally. It is a symbol of the positive elements of the United States.

Only fly the flag during the day, unless you have a spotlight to keep on it. The flag should be visible or it shouldn't be flying. If you have one on the outside of your house, a small outdoor light will suffice, as long as there is enough light to make the flag out clearly.

A flag should be folded so that one can only see the stars when done. Here's a drawing of how to fold the flag.

1. Fold the flag in half, twice, lengthwise.  
Fold so that the stars are exposed on BOTH sides 
of the flag when it is folded into fourths.

before:   |----------------|  after |----------------|
          |******          |        |******          |
          |******          |        |----------------|
          |                |
          |                |
          |----------------|

2. Fold the flag into a triangle shape, 
like so, starting at the end OPPOSITE the stars.

 |------------------------------------------------|  Fold 1 onto 2...
 |***********************            \ 5|4 / | \ 1|   then 2 onto 3...
 |***********************             \ | /3 |2 \ |    then 3 onto 4...
 |------------------------------------------------|     then 4 onto 5...
                                                         and repeat!

3. You will wind up with a shape like this
with stars on both sides.  Tuck the rectangle 
leftover piece into the folds tightly, and you're done!

           /|--|
          /*|  | fold this rectangular piece over...
         /**|  |  and tuck it in!
        /---|--|

If your flag is of proper size and you fold it using this technique, the long edge of the resulting triangle should have a row of stars along it.

When your flag shows signs of wear, replace it and destroy the old one properly. You destroy the flag by burning it in silence and then burying the ashes. I actually find using the ashes for a mulch pile is appropriate and a nice touch, because you use the flag remnants to bring about new life and new food.

These seven steps are very simple and take little effort to follow. They also go a great length to ensure that the flag of the nation that you are showing respect to is treated with the respect that it deserves.