Op-Ed: The Inverted Stars and Stripes: A Signal of Distress, Not Disrespect

By Dr. Lawrence J. Gist II, Esq. 

In the quiet morning haze of a divided America, an upside-down U.S. flag flapping in the wind is jarring, even offensive to some. To others, it is the only truthful symbol left — a distress call from a republic strained by division, misinformation, and a loss of faith in its foundational systems. And as difficult as it may be to accept, flying the flag upside down may now be an entirely appropriate gesture — not out of contempt, but as an urgent SOS from within.

According to the United States Flag Code (36 U.S.C. § 176), an inverted flag is a signal of “dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” For decades, Americans have associated that gesture with sinking ships, lost hikers, and wartime emergencies. But in 2025, should we not ask: What qualifies as extreme danger if not the slow, choking fracture of our democracy?

The U.S. is not at peace with itself. Partisan media has replaced public discourse. Facts have lost ground to feelings. Courts are politicized, elections are doubted, and legislation often resembles performance art more than governance. When truth is no longer agreed upon and the shared civic culture that once bound red and blue together has frayed into tribal chaos, we must admit we are in distress — culturally, institutionally, and spiritually.

Flying the flag upside down is not a rejection of America — it is an appeal to her conscience. It is not a call to burn the Constitution, but to remember it. It is not anti-veteran, but a plea to honor the sacrifices made in the name of a functioning republic, not just an aesthetic one. Just as a lifeguard waves a red flag to signal danger, Americans who invert their flag are signaling a nation in peril.

Some will say it’s disrespectful. That is fair — they are entitled to that feeling. But perhaps we should also ask: what is more disrespectful — the symbolic flipping of cloth, or the slow corrosion of democratic norms? When elected officials openly flirt with authoritarian rhetoric, when violent conspiracy theorists are welcomed into mainstream discourse, and when millions are convinced the system is rigged regardless of evidence, it becomes clear that we’re not merely in political disagreement — we are in institutional distress.

If ever there were a time to heed the Flag Code’s exception for “extreme danger,” it is now. The upside-down flag is not a partisan act. It is not left or right. It is not red or blue. It is the signal of a republic that still breathes but is struggling to remember how to stand.

Symbols matter. And when used with intent and reverence, they can cut through noise like no speech ever could. The inverted flag is one such symbol. We must not ignore it, mock it, or criminalize it. We must listen to what it tells us about the state of our union.

Because if America is not in distress now — then what, truly, would qualify?