Kokua Line June Watanabe

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No penalty for violating flag etiquette

Question: I noticed that the flags flying in front of the CompUSA store on Ala Moana Boulevard are in poor condition. I mentioned this to the greeter/checker at the front door, who said he would alert the manager. But nothing has been done. I also noticed the U.S. flag that flies over the Sears Ala Moana store is in poor condition. Is there any law or rule that prohibits or at least discourages displaying the flag in this condition?

Q: There is a huge American flag being flown at night at a church on Nuuanu Avenue. The only illumination is the reflection of the fluorescent lights in the parking lot. Isn't there a requirement that flags flown in the dark be properly illuminated?

Answer: There is a flag etiquette that should be followed to show respect for the U.S. flag, but it is not a mandate.

We called CompUSA last week and were told the flags had been replaced. The store manager said he had been on vacation but replaced the flags shortly after his return.

We've been informed that the flag at the church has been taken down, while we passed on the concern about the flags at Ala Moana Center to management.

As we explained previously ("Kokua Line," April 9, 2006), Title 36, Chapter 10 of the U.S. Code lays out the rules for handling, flying and storing the flag, but not following them does not result in any penalty.

But it might help to remind businesses and organizations that the flag is a powerful symbol that should be handled by special standards.

Regarding the condition of the flag, the Code says, "The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

Regarding flying at night: "It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness."

However, "properly illuminated" is not specified.

Auwe

At the intersection of Pauoa, Kanealii and Lusitana streets, a pile of bulk trash seems to have been growing for two months without a pickup. It is on one of the main streets that tourists take to Punchbowl cemetery. Recently, I saw tourists stopping in front of the pile to take a photo. This is not the kind of scenic view Hawaii needs to have taken as a remembrance. -- No Name

This is not a case of the city neglecting to make a scheduled bulky-item pickup, but of residents stockpiling their trash too early.

About one week after a crew serviced the location in July, on schedule, bulky items were placed too early, said David Shiraishi, the city refuse collection administrator. Those items were picked up last week, again on schedule, he said.

A supervisor will try to contact the resident about the proper time bulky items should be taken out for scheduled collection, Shiraishi said.