We are living in conflicting times. There seems to be a surging movement of patriotic, America-loving citizens. But more and more we are seeing shocking displays of hate by so-called Americans against our country and symbols.
That’s just what a veteran discovered one day, in his own hometown. James Jackson served his country as a soldier. He put aside whatever personal plans and goals he had in his life, to go to boot camp, get trained, and fight for freedom.
He faced death and many challenges, but he did it proudly, to make sure the rest of us were safe and free.
Now he is a private citizen, but within his chest beats the heart of a soldier. Recently he was walking through his hometown, when he passed by his old middle school. Not all of us have fond memories of middle school/junior high.
It is an awkward time, but an important one in our lives. No doubt, Jackson was thinking about those years as he passed, remembering the good and bad.
A school full of young people, free to learn and grow, is one of the many reasons men like Jackson join the Army. To fight so that the next generation can live in peace, go to school, and pursue a life free of fear and danger.
Perhaps all that was going through Jackson’s mind as he passed by the school. I’m sure he felt a surge of pride and love for his country, as he reached the flagpole that proudly held Old Glory. Like many Americans and veterans, he wanted to stop and pay his respects to the Stars and Stripes.
But when Jackson looked up to salute the American Flag, he was shocked at what he saw. Someone had hoisted the flag, upside down.
Our laws outline strict rules for how the flag is treated and displayed. The flag is never to be displayed upside down, with the union stars at the bottom. That is actually meant as a sign of distress, a way for someone in need to signal for help.
But today that is a way for hateful people to insult our nation. Much like displaying a cross upside down, hanging the flag in such a way has become a way SJW’s and other dissidents mock our nation.
Jackson was shocked and decided he couldn’t sit by and let this go on.
From IJR:
A Pennsylvania Army veteran was strolling past his old middle school in Coatesville Monday when he noticed something out of place. James Jackson had saluted the American flag and served under it in honor of his country.
What he saw at Scott Middle School appalled him: “It offended me very deeply…”
The flag was flying upside down. Jackson said: “It hurt me as a veteran seeing the flag upside down knowing that means the state of distress.”
Jackson sent images to Fox 29 and asked them to intercede in what he thought might be an intentional political act on the part of someone at the school…
It was hard to know what was worse: the idea that the school had intentionally flown the flag upside, or the fact that no one had even noticed it had been flying incorrectly most of the day…
“We’re under the assumption that someone broke into the [flag lock] box this weekend, lowered the flag, hung it upside down and raised it back up…”
But Jackson is himself distressed about the incident and sees it as an example of disrespect by people “doing whatever they want. They don’t find nothing sacred anymore.”
Jackson was smart to send his footage to the local news. The sad reality is, if he had gone straight to the school, they might have ignored him. But when word hit the local news, too many people in the community would hear about it.
The school claimed someone broke in and flipped the flag. But how did the entire staff, students, and faculty, not notice? Were they lying? Did they intentionally flip the flag? Or did an entire school not bother to look up at their own flag, either to salute it or to pay respect—for an entire day (or longer)!?
It’s shocking and a disgrace. Our veterans don’t deserve to be treated to that kind of sight.
Hopefully, we can learn from this, and lift our eyes a bit more often to the flag.
Source: IJR
