Raymond Rivera is a Marine Corps veteran who resides in New York City, New York.
Late last year Rivera said he noticed the American flag flying on public property outside his apartment complex was in a sad and disrespectful state of ruin.
“It was torn to shreds,” Rivera said.”The stars were on the side…it was torn and it was flying in a way it shouldn’t fly.”
Being a veteran, he couldn’t let this go — so he decided to have something done about.
Rivera says he first attempted to contact New York City, but nothing was done about it. Next, he turned to the press and in doing so he reached out to award-winning DNAInfo reporter Murray Weiss.
The city replaced the flag due to the impending article, says Rivera, but when he walked outside to review the new flag he was shocked to discover that city workers had hung it upside down.
“Before the article went out they put the flag up and I was happy,” said Rivera. “As I go closer it was placed upside down and it’s not supposed to fly upside down.”
According to the the official flag code an American flag should only be flown upside down “as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”
Rivera said he contacted Weiss yet again and this time, the flag was fixed and flown right-side up.
However Rivera said the flag that flies today is still not properly displayed. It is not lit at night because officials consider light spill from street lamps far below to be sufficient illumination, Rivera said.
“I think that’s B.S.,” Rivera added. “We didnt have the Marine Corps.”
In addition, the current flag flies precariously about a third of the way down the staff. The line which holds it up has torn fragments from previous flags stuck to it.
According to the flag code:
“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.”