Shuns of Liberty: Veteran Wraps Baby in American Flag, Photo Sparks Controversy

[onedef92]

Veteran Wraps Baby in American Flag, Photo Sparks Controversy

Posted March 13, 2015



A photographer and Navy veteran is fighting back after a photo she posted to Facebook started an online backlash.

Vanessa Hicks said she had no idea her photo would be considered controversial. The photo, from a military family's newborn photo shoot, showed a newborn infant wrapped in an American flag held by his father, who was in his military uniform.

Hicks, a Navy veteran herself and the wife of an active-duty Navy member, said her intention was to honor the flag as well as her clients, who wanted to incorporate their military service in the photo shoot.

"This is what he was fighting for, his son wrapped in an American flag," Hicks told ABC News. However, when she posted the image on her page, she started to get comments accusing her of desecrating the flag.

On one Facebook page an unidentified poster put up her picture writing and wrote they found it was "disrespectful, rude, tacky, disgusting, and against the U.S. Flag Code."

The Federal Flag Code has guidelines for the proper treatment of the U.S. Flag but there are no rules for punishment related to violations. In the past, the Supreme Court has found that people are protected from punishment under the First Amendment for manipulating or even burning the flag.

Hicks said she was surprised when messages suddenly started to pop up on her Facebook page and even her own website criticizing her photos.

She said she stayed up until 4 a.m. recently to take down comments from her business and company page, even on shoots that had nothing to do with the flag.

"I know how low I felt during those first few hours," said Hicks. "[I felt] am I not a good American or veteran or wife. It's a train-wreck you can't help but watch."

As Hicks tried to stop the comments from taking over her pages, others started to take notice and her picture went viral on social media sites. After that, Hicks found that many people, both military and civilian, told her they did not find the picture offensive.

"I have seen first-hand what is desecration of the flag," Hicks said of her time in the military. "At the end of the day I didn't do anything that disrespected this flag."

Hicks, whose husband is still on active duty in the Navy, said the flag is a symbol of U.S. freedoms including the First Amendment right to free speech.

"[My husband] wouldn't die for a flag, he would die for the freedoms that this country offers" she told ABC News.

After her story grabbed local headlines, Hicks has been inundated by requests for photos shoots, and she said she plans to give 15 percent of all profits related to these shoots to the USO.

[Madmikeee]

Anyone who thinks that is a desecration needs to be beaten and then re-taught US history. Specifically pertaining to the wars fought.

[NeedSpeed]

[lander]

Flag Etiquette

STANDARDS of RESPECT The Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They are:

• The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
• The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard
• The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
• The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.
• The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

[Grey Ghost]

Shuns of Liberty

[DukeAllen]

I think it's just people looking for an excuse to be insulted.

[Bill]

Clearly, she violated the flag code. I doubt she intended to do that. Comments should have been instructional, rather than confrontational. Give her the facts. Allow her the opportunity to remove the picture. This should have been a learning event, not a pissing contest.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

I think it's just people looking for an excuse to be insulted.

#flagrulesmatter

[NeedSpeed]

If it was a girl in heels, more of you would be upset, just sayin'

[aj]

I was stationed in the Bay Area in 65 and stumbled across one of the first protest marches. Saw a long hair dragging the flag on the ground and wanted to go after him. At least my buddy had more sense than I did. He drug me back into the car and we went back to the base.

The next day I was going ballistic and one of my officers took me off to the side to have a talk. He asked what uniform I wore and why. He then asked if I believed in the oath I had taken. When I said I did he told me that what we were doing was to insure people had the right to be stupid.

While I never fully accepted what was done I know that I have to support the right of it being done. One of my pilots and several friends are on the Wall and I have to support what they died for or I don't think I could live with myself.

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Clearly, she violated the flag code. I doubt she intended to do that. Comments should have been instructional, rather than confrontational. Give her the facts. Allow her the opportunity to remove the picture. This should have been a learning event, not a pissing contest.

HAHAHAAHAHAH... ahhh... phew!... *sigh*

Thanks. I needed that.

Reasonable discussion... LOL... that shit went out with rotary phones and minding ones own business.

[Iron Chef]

People do some really peculiar things to draw attention to themselves.

[OddBall]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Clearly, she violated the flag code. I doubt she intended to do that. Comments should have been instructional, rather than confrontational. Give her the facts. Allow her the opportunity to remove the picture. This should have been a learning event, not a pissing contest.

This

Originally Posted by aj

I was stationed in the Bay Area in 65 and stumbled across one of the first protest marches. Saw a long hair dragging the flag on the ground and wanted to go after him. At least my buddy had more sense than I did. He drug me back into the car and we went back to the base.

The next day I was going ballistic and one of my officers took me off to the side to have a talk. He asked what uniform I wore and why. He then asked if I believed in the oath I had taken. When I said I did he told me that what we were doing was to insure people had the right to be stupid.

While I never fully accepted what was done I know that I have to support the right of it being done. One of my pilots and several friends are on the Wall and I have to support what they died for or I don't think I could live with myself.

and this

[VatorMan]

The sad fact is that both her and hubby are in the military and don't know or care about the flag code and even did the photo shoot in uniform.

[Fasglas]

Originally Posted by lander

The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

Seems pretty clear.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Fasglas

Seems pretty clear.

As clear as it seems. there are rules written to address an activity that inadvertently drag other innocent activities in.

Happens all the time. Like the rule that prohibits drugs on a school campus that ends up getting a kid expelled for having aspirin.

Laws/rules are not meant to be a substitute for logic.

The intent was to prohibit defacing of the flag. I would never consider that flag defaced or the uniform misused.