Proper display of the flag?

There are a fair number different opinions of just what constitutes proper display of the flag.  Some feel that stars and stripes appropriately colored represent the flag and therefore are the flag.  They feel that clothing made in similar patterns and colors are actually flags and are being displayed improperly.  Others feel that it has to look a lot like the flag before it is a flag.  Often the opinions become the catalyst for heated arguments.

There are a few things that are unclear.  The Flag Code says that no part of the flag should be used as a costume or athletic uniform.  Does that make Uncle Sam a violator of the code?  It goes on to allow an exception for police, firefighters, military, and other patriotic organizations, indicating that a flag patch is permitted for those groups.  Nobody else?  I guess not.  Is the NFL logo a violation of the code?  Maybe.

The flag should be flown dawn to dusk unless it is illuminated.  Our national anthem seems to give testimony to a violation with "...bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."   Although the rockets and bombs provided temporary illumination, that doesn't seem to conform to the spirit of the code. It may be that the flag's purpose has evolved from a way to tell the good guys from the bad guys in battle to a more ceremonial role. 

Tomorrow, the ninth anniversary of the tragedy that brought our nation together for at least a little while, would be a great day to begin by displaying the flag.