Flag Fact Friday! 9/30/16

Flag Fact Friday!

If early politicians had their way, you would see a lot less of the American flag.
While the battle over perceived desecration of the flag remains a hot button issue today, some of the first anti-desecration measures had little to do with flag burning or other destructive measures. In fact, 19th century lawmakers were more concerned with the already rampant use of the flag as a promotional tool by advertisers, which they considered treating the banner with “contempt.” Many of the first statutes passed by state and local governments aimed to restrict use of the flag’s image on commercial products.

In 1907, the Supreme Court upheld these laws in the case of Halter v. Nebraska, and many of them remain on the books today.