April 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
Is the County following proper protocol for displaying the Tennessee and American flags at night?
During the public comment period of Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, Steven Cantrell addressed the county commission about his concern that the flags are not being illuminated at night at county buildings.
Cantrell, a veteran who is now retired, resides in the third district and has an extensive military career background, said he recently took notice of the flags being flown at night without the proper lighting and thought he should bring it to the attention of the commission.
“This is a problem I only became aware of in my nightly walks through downtown Smithville—but not immediately,” said Cantrell.
“One night I was admiring the beautiful nighttime illumination of the US and TN flags in front of the Smithville police station—truly beautiful”.
“Then it dawned on me that for some reason, I assume because of fiscal/or mechanical issues or both the county no longer illuminates the courthouse. And unfortunately, as an unintended consequence, the US and TN flags are no longer illuminated at night—yet they are, being flown disrespectfully 24 hours a day, every day of the year,” Cantrell continued.
“Institutions and individual citizens across this country fly the American flag and their state flags with pride. The last thing they want to do, is disrespect those flags; and I assume the same goes for those involved with the county government. If anything, we all want to set the standard as patriotic citizens”.
“The rules for handling and displaying the US flags are defined by US and TN Code (US Flag Code: United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 or TN Code 4-1-406 Flag Display Protocol), Quoting from the US Flag Code:
“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 twenty-four hours a day if property illuminated during the hours of darkness.”
“Those who have served in the US military understand this very well as they recall standing at attention and saluting as the Stars and Stripes were raised in the morning or lowered in the evening around the world. It is something school children learn and is reflected by the fact that DeKalb County schools raise the flags in the morning and lower them at the end of the school day”.
“The county government is not alone in this oversight…the Smithville City Hall, Post Office, Library, and numerous institutions and private citizens across the county share in this same oversight,” said Cantrell.
“Our respect for the flag was reflected at the beginning of this meeting when each one of us recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.”
“Bottom line: Ladies and Gentlemen, if the county can’t afford to illuminate the flags at night, then the low-cost solution is to lower them—especially, the flag outside the County Complex which has no illumination capability at all”.
However, if your patriotism deems these flags should fly 24 hours a day, year-round, then it needs to be done right. In the interim, until the switch is flicked, and the lights come back on, the County Government needs to follow the procedures to respectfully lower and raise the flags each day. An honor I’m sure our patriotic firemen and law enforcement officers would be proud to do,” said Cantrell.
Commissioner Larry Green suggested that the county address Cantrell’s concerns and to elicit his help.
“We could probably put to bed the issue Mr. Cantrell brought up about the flags, especially the one here at the complex. Most of the time we have two people on duty here and it takes two people to take the flag down in order to fold it properly. We could designate two people to take the flags down at the county properties which most of the time would be the courthouse and county complex and ask Mr. Cantrell to train them. You (county mayor) could designate any two people you want to do it and he (Cantrell) could provide the training if he is willing to do that,” said Commissioner Green.
The commission took no action.