Unlike most Olympic teams who dip their colors (their national flag) as a sign of respect when they march past the box where the host nation's leaders are seated, the United States does not.

The tradition of not dipping Old Glory began, according to popular legend, when shot putter Ralph Rose set the tone at the 1908 Summer Games - also held in London - when he supposedly proclaimed: "This flag dips for no earthly king."  

My research shows that "Americans lowered their flag for King Gustav V at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. They showed no such respect at Antwerp in 1920 - but those Games were held shortly after World War I, when nationalism ran high and many athletes were still enlisted in the military. Patrick McDonald - the same flag bearer who held the colors high in Antwerp - surprised everyone by dipping at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Four years later, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, looking to position himself for a political career, oversaw the American team and demanded that it follow military regulations." That meant no dipping.

The Flag Etiquette Code of the United States has a section called, 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 speaker's 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.
• When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.
• The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.
• When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

I am quite sure that at each opening ceremony in the future this issue will be raised again. With the current habit of apologizing for America and in the tone of political correctness and in this stage of liberalism, one day we will probably see our flag dip.

That is why I did not watch the opening this year and don't plan to. It will be a sorry day for America when it happens, and when it happens I, for one don't want to see it.

I salute our athletes for holding our flag high, they done good! I hope those that follow them, remember...

 God Bless America 

-Bob