Why Is the American Flag Displayed Upside Down in Washington State?

Why Is The American Flag Flying Upside Down In Washington State?

I was driving down 4th Avenue in Kennewick yesterday and I noticed an American flag upside down.

I was taken aback because even as a kid I was taught to respect the American flag, so I was curious about the reasoning of the American flag flying upside down.

I did a quick search and an upside-down American flag is used as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property according to the United States Flag Code.

You'll find this specifically in Section 8(a) of the U.S. Flag Code: "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property."

But I did a little more digging and discovered that displaying the American flag upside down has also been adopted as a form of political protest or expression of dissent.

It symbolizes a perception that the country is in serious trouble or that its values are being undermined.

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News articles have recently been pointing to election deniers as another reason that people are flying their flags upside down.

There seem to be several reasons the flag is being flown upside down but most recently Supreme Court Judge Alito has come under some scrutiny for his home flying a flag upside down in 2021.

So even though I was taken aback by the Kennewick Avenue American flag upside down, I don't know the real reason so I can only surmise that the flag is a political statement.

If you know why the flag is flying upside down, let me know in the comments below.