With flag burning in the news again, thanks to the proposed-and-defeated Flag Burning Amendment, I was reminded of something I saw on the internets some time ago: The Forgotten U.S. Civil Flag. According to a few websites like this one, the "Stars and Stripes" flag is really a military banner, and this is the flag of the U.S. civil authority:
Much in the same way that the Confederate battle flag became the de facto C.S.A. flag, these sites aver, the U.S. battle flag has become our de facto national flag. They further state that the suppression of the "real" American flag represents the illegal military authority of the federal government over the states. As you can guess, this argument is popular with the militia / libertarian crowd.
Sadly, it's all a crock. The supposed "civil flag" is actually the flag of the U.S. Customs Service, and there's no evidence that it was ever the "official" flag of the United States. (More here at the Flags of the World site.) However, you can still buy one for $50. Maybe if you're looking for something else to burn, you pinko commie bastard.
| Flags | Vexillology | History | Hoax |
