U.S. Veteran Wraps Baby in American Flag, Photo Sparks Controversy

[Jumaki15]

A photographer and Navy veteran is fighting back after a photo she posted to Facebook started an online backlash.

Vanessa Hicks said she had no idea her photo would be considered controversial. The photo, from a military family?s newborn photo shoot, showed a newborn infant wrapped in an American flag held by his father, who was in his military uniform.

Hicks, a Navy veteran herself and the wife of an active-duty Navy member, said her intention was to honor the flag as well as her clients, who wanted to incorporate their military service in the photo shoot.

?This is what he was fighting for, his son wrapped in an American flag,? Hicks told ABC News. However, when she posted the image on her page, she started to get comments accusing her of desecrating the flag.

On one Facebook page an unidentified poster put up her picture writing and wrote they found it was ?disrespectful, rude, tacky, disgusting, and against the U.S. Flag Code.?

The Federal Flag Code has guidelines for the proper treatment of the U.S. Flag but there are no rules for punishment related to violations. In the past, the Supreme Court has found that people are protected from punishment under the First Amendment for manipulating or even burning the flag.

Hicks said she was surprised when messages suddenly started to pop up on her Facebook page and even her own website criticizing her photos.

She said she stayed up until 4 a.m. recently to take down comments from her business and company page, even on shoots that had nothing to do with the flag.

?I know how low I felt during those first few hours,? said Hicks. ?[I felt] am I not a good American or veteran or wife. It?s a train-wreck you can?t help but watch.?

As Hicks tried to stop the comments from taking over her pages, others started to take notice and her picture went viral on social media sites. After that, Hicks found that many people, both military and civilian, told her they did not find the picture offensive.

?I have seen first-hand what is desecration of the flag,? Hicks said of her time in the military. ?At the end of the day I didn?t do anything that disrespected this flag.?

Hicks, whose husband is still on active duty in the Navy, said the flag is a symbol of U.S. freedoms including the First Amendment right to free speech.

?[My husband] wouldn?t die for a flag, he would die for the freedoms that this country offers,? she told ABC News.

After her story grabbed local headlines, Hicks has been inundated by requests for photos shoots, and she said she plans to give 15 percent of all profits related to these shoots to the USO.

Apparently offensive:



Patriotic 'Merican!:



I give up on people....

[PeaceBeWithMe]

I saw that picture. I thought it was absolutely beautiful.

[Boston Babe 73]

Yeah. I did too. Does it go against the technical rules regarding the flag? Sure. Is it offensive? Fuck no.

And if people are more offended over a baby wrapped in a flag than the actual treatment of Vets returning from war then they need to get their head's examined. Seriously. Vets turned out on the street with PTSD, committing suicide at crazy rates yet where's THAT outrage?

Nah....we'll get outraged over this photo instead.

[animosity]

[PeaceBeWithMe]

Yeah, cat pajamas are cool.

[animosity]

[Boston Babe 73]

I agree. But the morons that obsess over a piece of cloth above the actual treatment of the citizens of this country have the argument that none of the clothing or body paint is an actual flag like you'd fly on a pole.

Right. Okay.

ETA: Of course, that didn't stop an old guy from getting angry at me for having an American Flag bandana on my dog.

[Bellaboo]

I saw that picture. I thought it was absolutely beautiful.

+ 1

[bermstalker]

I don't get it?

Photographers have been taking that same picture for years. It's not an unusual picture at all.








This is from "Rock the Vote"

[Ron_NYC]

I'd be more upset over someone wrapping my hypothetical kid in that star spangled bullshit.

[puzzld]

I'd be more upset over someone wrapping my hypothetical kid in that star spangled bullshit.

This had to be a toughie for you Ron. Disrespect the flag. But there's a kid

I don't get it?

Photographers have been taking that same picture for years. It's not an unusual picture at all.

She made the mistake of posting it on faceBook. No matter what you post on fB you can be sure that 33% of the whack a doodles out there will hate on you.

I'm sure you're all dying to hear what I think so I'll tell you.

First, it's a very moving picture, if a little cliched (as berm said, it's been done and done and done.) However, if these are people who claim to respect the flag, they blew it. By any interpretation of the flag code, it's disrespectful and a veteran certainly knows that. The photographer should know better and to make things worse did this for commercial gain. So -- bad photographer and bad veterans all of them. The Sarah Palin pics were also egregiously disrespectful. I believe however, it's not considered disrespectful to use Red White and Blue designs or bunting as long as it's not an actual flag. So some of those outfits shown earlier? Tacky, but not disrespectful of the flag.
This is OK:

As is this:

This is not:

?176. Respect for flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
(k) 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.

[kevansvault]

It's a beautiful picture, as is every one of those posted with servicemembers in their dress uniforms. it becomes tacky when you make it into baby clothes, prom wear out of duct tape, or anything that might keep Sarah Palin warm.

And for all you fucking nutters out there...you know how you retire a flag? You burn it.

[Boston Babe 73]

It still steams me to see so much energy and outrage going in to the treatment of the flag while the citizens of the country it represents get treated even worse. It's a massive Derp. If people want to argue over the color of a dress or who gets in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.... Go for it. But if people are going to bring up disrespect for a flag while ignoring the more pressing issues, they can fuck off.

That veteran over there is sleeping on a dirty sidewalk in Skid Row with only a PB&J in his stomach the whole day.... But by all means, let's get outraged over a piece of cloth.

[puzzld]

It still steams me to see so much energy and outrage going in to the treatment of the flag while the citizens of the country it represents get treated even worse. It's a massive Derp. If people want to argue over the color of a dress or who gets in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.... Go for it. But if people are going to bring up disrespect for a flag while ignoring the more pressing issues, they can fuck off.

That veteran over there is sleeping on a dirty sidewalk in Skid Row with only a PB&J in his stomach the whole day.... But by all means, let's get outraged over a piece of cloth.

Apples and oranges. The fact that one cares or does not care about treatment of the flag neither harms or help homeless veterans... It kind of like Ron and his dogs vs. dead black kids.

I personally don't care if someone wants to wrap themselves in the flag while reading 50 shades of gray, but it does amuse me that someone who would doubtless roundly condemn anything a filthy liberal did with a flag gleefully exposes a flag to misuse and baby poop. The rules are really clear and ought to mean something to anyone who bleeds red, white and blue.

[BradfordCocks]

I have absolutely no problem with the pic, and while I would never do something like that with my own child, I do think it was a beautiful pic.

However, the claim that the baby's fav movie is American Sniper, I do have a problem with. ;)

[Boston Babe 73]

Apples and oranges. The fact that one cares or does not care about treatment of the flag neither harms or help homeless veterans... It kind of like Ron and his dogs vs. dead black kids.

I personally don't care if someone wants to wrap themselves in the flag while reading 50 shades of gray, but it does amuse me that someone who would doubtless roundly condemn anything a filthy liberal did with a flag gleefully exposes a flag to misuse and baby poop. The rules are really clear and ought to mean something to anyone who bleeds red, white and blue.

I don't really think it's apples and oranges. For the most part, Veterans fought for the flag in question. And it's all about disrespect. How can someone be outraged over the treatment of a flag yet ignore the people the flag represents? Come running to the aid of a flag yet when it comes to the actual people the flag represents... Meh.

It's plain and simple. Be passionate about the flag if you want to be, but be equally passionate about the people it represents. That flag is only as strong as the people behind it.

[animosity]

how do you know the people upset over the flag don't also support causes for vets?

[marycontrary]

People just like to bitch. My neighbor was complaining about this picture and how disrespectful it was. I looked at his tattered and faded flag that is up 24/7 365 without a light to shine upon it at night. I wonder who is showing more disrespect. Those nutty baptists in Kansas who are trying to hate the gay away abuse several flags at every demonstration.

So many military wives give birth without their husbands present because they are defending our right to stomp on the flag and burn it. I think these families have earned the right to cradle their infant in the flag.

[queenaevadamthng]

Seeing a grown man wear a flag as a diaper, that's gross and disrespectful. This picture however, is beautiful.

I do find the constant posts and memes comparing our president to a talking asshole on a baboon extremely offensive. Those that take issue with a picture that represents a child being born into free country, because of a soldier's sacrifice, are the same ones that are constantly bashing our nation with their anti-Obama campaign.

My daughter is overseas right now protecting our country. She and others have sacrificed so much to ensure that opinionated assholes aren't drug into the street and beheaded for their ignorance.

[bowieluva]

how do you know the people upset over the flag don't also support causes for vets?

Because anyone this deeply stupid who gets upset about such an absurd thing is obviously a total fucking loser asshole.

Seriously.

Has nothing else happened for these people to be upset about? Are we that desperate to find things to be offended by? I hate everyone.

[Ron_NYC]

It still steams me to see so much energy and outrage going in to the treatment of the flag while the citizens of the country it represents get treated even worse. It's a massive Derp. If people want to argue over the color of a dress or who gets in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.... Go for it. But if people are going to bring up disrespect for a flag while ignoring the more pressing issues, they can fuck off.

That veteran over there is sleeping on a dirty sidewalk in Skid Row with only a PB&J in his stomach the whole day.... But by all means, let's get outraged over a piece of cloth.

Conservative "values."

They claim to love America, but then they despise Americans.

[Boston Babe 73]

how do you know the people upset over the flag don't also support causes for vets?

I'm basing it on articles written about how the VA has dropped the ball or about the suicide rate in Veterans versus the News articles regarding this photo. If you look at the comments on both articles, you'll see that the outrage is by FAR more passionate and higher in number regarding the flag.

ETA: Another good example. Last week I posted a picture of a Vietnam Vet sleeping on the sidewalk in Skid Row on Veteran's Day. Not a peep. A Friend of mine posts the photo in question and BAM! 75 Comments about how disrespectful it is.

[Boston Babe 73]

Conservative "values."

They claim to love America, but then they despise Americans.

DING.