How Do You Dispose Of A Damaged American Flag?
As the premier symbol of the United States of America, the American flag has a whole body of protocol and federal statutes associated with its raising, displaying, lowering, folding, presentation and participation in various events such as funerals. When a flag is damaged, it must be disposed of according to the statutory requirements set out in Title 4, United States Code, section 8(k). Decide if the damage to the flag is such that “it is no longer a fitting emblem for display,” per Title 4 U.S. Code. There is no further guidance offered by the statute to define the above condition, and no case law exists to flesh it out either, so use your best judgment. Determine a “dignified way” to dispose of the flag. The statute states the irreparably damaged flag “should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” However, you may not have the facilities to safely dispose of the flag by burning. If you don’t, come up with something else that is dignified and that will destroy the f
