A collection of FlagandBanner.com, Dreamland Ballroom and flag related new stories that all happened in 2008.

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January 8: Ground Zero January 16: Subliminal flag Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas January 16: Iraq's New Flag (For Now) February 18: Sharp Rise in Flag Sales Predicted March 11: Industry Highlight March 28: Beware the Ides of March and the Storms Too June 26: Best Patriotic Decor Photo Contest June 27: Flags from FlagandBanner.com used in Exhibit July 2: When was the 4th of uly First Celebrated? July 3: Who Created Uncle Sam July 14: Flag Sales Up July 15: 4th of July Decorating on KARK July 16: Custom Banners Featured on Travehost Map Cover July 17: Travel host Features FlagandBanner.com July 30: Wheel of Discounts August 1: World's Largest Gadsden Flag August 10: Anniversary of the POW-MIA Flag August 15: Olympics Bid Creates Flag Display Difficulty  August 22: Back to School - The Perfect Tiem for Flag Etiquette September 2: Best Patriotic Decor Photo Contest Winners September 4: Hurricane Flags: FlagandBanner.com Tells Their Story September 8: Patriot's Day: Commemorating 9/11 with Gadsden Flag September 11: The 7th Anniversary of 9/11 September 16: United States Consitution Day September 26: Polical Yard Signs: Has the landscape changed? October 20: Supporting TOMS Shoes October 22: Race for the Cure 2008 October 23: Awakening Dreamland October 29: November a Month for Patriotism November 3: The History of Voting November 5: Obama elected, FlagandBanner.com Supplies Flags November 20: Veterans Day History December 5: National Pearl Harbor Rememberance Day December 8: Universal Human Rights Month   Ground Zero REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton A man grieves outside the World Trade Center site in New York September 11, 2006. Stress brought on by the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington in 2001 led to heart problems for some Americans, even if they had no personal connection to the events, a study released on Monday found. These stress related effects are in addition to other effects felt by survivors, first responders and volunteers and workers in the area around the buildings when they fell.  There has been growing concern over the health effects arising from the September 11 attacks in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. Within seconds of the collapse of the World Trade Center, building materials, electronic equipment, and furniture were pulverized and spread over the area. In the five months following the attacks, dust from the pulverized buildings continued to fill the air of the World Trade Center site. Increasing numbers of New York residents are reporting symptoms of Ground Zero respiratory illnesses. Various health programs have arisen to deal with the ongoing health effects of the September 11 attacks.   Posted January 8, 2008 Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas As if emotional campaign messages werent enough, politicians now have another way to try to win over the electorate. A study in Israel shows that voters can be manipulated into changing their attitudes by being shown subliminal images of their national flag. A team led by psychologist Ran Hassin at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem divided volunteers into two groups: those who strongly identified with Israeli nationalism and those who identified with it only weakly. They then quizzed them about their attitude to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after showing them a brief image of an Israeli flag or a control image. The image appeared for long enough to be registered by the brain but not long enough for conscious awareness. Those who had viewed the flag shifted their position towards the middle ground: both right-wingers and left-wingers became less extreme. The researchers also found that it influenced the way participants voted in national elections. Hassin says that the Israeli flag represents a sense of national unity, and that reminding people of it draws them towards that ideology. However, the psychology involved is unclear, especially since it remains uncertain whether subliminal advertising has an effect on consumers. From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 05 December 2007, page 20 Posted January 16, 2008 Back to Top  Iraq's New Flag (For Now) On the new Iraq flag, the text Allah akbar (God is great) changes from green to yellow, the Kurdish national color. It is also printed in traditional Kufi script, replacing Saddam Husseins handwriting. The stars no longer stand for the three aims of Saddam Husseins Bath Party, (Arabic) unity, freedom and socialism but for the cornerstones of the new Iraq, peace, tolerance and justice. The flags colors now represent Islamic civilization, rather than Arabic glory. A conference of Arabic parliaments is to be held in the Kurdish capital, Erbil, and this has led to the flag again becoming an issue. Now, the present flag will be accepted as long as a completely new one is eventually found. by Chalaan Charif Posted January 17, 2008 Back to Top Sharp Rise in Flag Sales Predicted Could Election Year Spark Increased Display of Patriotism? LITTLE ROCK, AR (January 28, 2008) – Anyone can guess when sales of the American flag and flag-related products will spike each year – Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veterans Day and Patriot’s Day. As a people, Americans have a history of expressing themselves through and rallying around “the red, white and blue.” It is a symbol of American independence, democracy and a remembrance of the men and women currently serving and the ones who died protecting that independence. Educational Opportunity According to Kerry McCoy, owner of Arkansas Flag and Banner (www.flagandbanner.com), presidential election years are also good for the flag business. “Election years are good because of the increased interest in products displaying the American flag,” explains McCoy. “I also like election years because they increase our opportunity to educate the public about flag etiquette. In the 33 years, I have been in business I have found that I not only sell flags but provide a service to my customers about flag protocol.” Tips on Proper Display McCoy expects 2008 to be high in email and phone calling upon Arkansas Flag and Banner’s expertise on what is the proper way to display the flag. To prepare for the expected demand, the company has included information on flag etiquette, American flag history and when to fly the American flag on its website. “The biggest mistake I see made is when the U.S. flag is displayed on a stage or podium with another flag like a state flag,” explained McCoy. “Remember, when you are setting up the stage the US flag always goes on the right. An easy way to remember this is that if you are sitting in the audience the American flag will be on your left.” “Retail Politics” Redefined Arkansas Flag and Banner also offers bunting, banners, jewelry, bumper stickers, collectibles and more for America’s political animals. Find everything political or for elections at FlagandBanner's Election Merchandise page: ../../holidays/political_party_election_merchandise.asp. For more information on the proper display of the flag, readers can visit ../../flags/flag_etiquette.asp or learn more about the history of our flag at ../../flags/american-flag-history.asp read the actual US Flag Code ../../flags/united_states_flag_code.asp or keep track of what days to fly your flag, especially at half staff ../../flags/when_to_fly_your_American_flag.asp.   Posted February 18, 2008 Back to Top Industry Highlight Success Story: AR Flag and Banner Kerry McCoy started Arkansas Flag and Banner in 1975 with $400.00 and a good pair of walking shoes. She sold her flags door-to-door to businesses, schools, and churches. Today FlagandBanner.com is a multi-million dollar company that sells both custom and stock flags and banners to a worldwide customer base. When asked how she was able to do this Kerry says, “Because we embraced change and specifically technology”. Kerry identified the value of technology early on and has leveraged it to grow her business. She put a computer on every employee’s desk when most small businesses used a computer for accounting, if at all. Her sales people utilized the Internet for researching potential customers, growing her business outside its previous boundaries. Her buyers found new suppliers lowering cost or at least keeping current ones honest. She registered her domain name, flagandbanner.com, in September 1995 and immediately established an online presence. She recognized the power of the Internet to grow her business in ways that simply were not possible through traditional sales channels. In 1998 Internet sales accounted for less than 1% of total sales, today over 25% of revenues come from her website’s shopping cart and a significant amount of her off-line sales found her online. Although Kerry is heavily invested in technology she will tell you that she is not in the technology business… she’s in the flag business and that is where iProv comes in. “iProv understands that technology is a tool for business, it should play a supporting role not center stage” says Kerry. “I use iProv for everything from web design and Internet marketing to computer support but more importantly I can count on them to give me good advice, they have sound business judgment which is rare in left brain thinkers. I need to be sure they will tell me no…, “No you don’t need that.” I can depend on them to look at every technology decision from a business perspective; how will it affect my bottom line. More than anything that’s why I rely on iProv.” Each day brings new opportunity in the form of technology. Making the decisions about what to embrace and what to avoid can be a challenge. If asked, Kerry will tell you that one of the most important decisions you will make is choosing a technology partner. Someone you can work with to make those decisions. We are proud that Arkansas Flag and Banner chose us to be their partner for the future. Iprov Posted March 11, 2008 Back to Top Beware the Ides of March and the Storms, Too  LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 28- /PRNewswire/- March and April can be turbulent months as far as weather goes. From hard rains to high winds, the early spring conditions can really make Old Glory dance. But in all the flags glory, the weather-chaotic months can yield extra expenses to flag owners. Flag and Banner, a Little Rock-based purveyor of custom flags and banners offers some tips on how to prolong the life of your flag in spite of the March weather. See ../../flags/how-long-will-a-flag-last.asp. American Flag: How to care for your flag in bad weather The best thing to do when a storm is coming is to bring your flag indoors, offers Flag and Banner CEO, Kerry McCoy, But thats not always convenient; weather arrives abruptly and disappears just as rapidly. So, if your perfectly good flag gets caught in a sudden windstorm and the fly end becomes tattered, do not despair all is not lost. Just cut the tattered end off and re-hem it. Your flag will be a bit shorter, but no less proud. U.S. Flag: How to repair your flag If a flag owner is not the best seamstress, Arkansas FlagandBanner.com. can repair quality US or state flags. Flag and Banner repairs (../../flags/Flag-Repair-Pricing.asp) even the largest flags for a fraction of the full replacement cost, adding years to the flags life. Using Flag and Banners repair service is especially cost-effective for businesses that fly very large flags that cost thousands of dollars to replace. Be careful when trying to bring down one of those large flags, warns McCoy, It can be dangerous even when the smallest gusts are blowing. I saw one well-meaning man take flight when he refused to let go of the flag in an updraft. It sent him soaring over 20 feet in the air before he finally decided to let go. For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, go to https://www.flagandbanner.com. Posted March 28, 2008 Back to Top Best Patriotic Decor Photo Contest Flagandbanner.com invites you to submit original photos for the Best Patriotic Décor Photo contest. We will be accepting photos from now until August 31, 2008 and the winner will be selected on September 8, 2008. Show us how you decorate your home, boat, garden, business or yourself and upload your pictures today! Prizes: Grand Prize: $200 Gift Certificate 1st Runner Up: $100 Gift Certificate. 2nd Runner up: $50 Gift Certificate. Entries will be judged on three factors: 1. Use of Flagandbanner.com products (40%) 2. Creativity (40%) 3. Quality of Image (20%)-Image is sharp and in focus. Check out your competition and show us what you can do. See our complete Rules Regulations for more information. Or call us at 1-800-445-0653. Photos must be 3MB or less and in .jpg format. Posted June 26, 2008 Back to Top Flags from Flagandbanner.com used in Take Me Out.No Man Is an Island Exhibit Flagandbanner.com provides nylon flags for the Art Institute of Chicagos exhibit Mario Ybarra, Jr., Take Me Out.No Man Is an Island. For more information on the exhibit please see the article below. Art Institute of Chicago May 29–August 24, 2008 Gallery 139 Overview: Mario Ybarra, Jr. is a visual and performance artist, educator, and activist who combines street culture with fine art in order to produce what he calls contemporary art that is filtered through a Mexican American experience in Los Angeles. He has received critical acclaim for his site-specific urban interventions that often bring to light little-known aspects of a particular location’s cultural history. In Take Me Out, Ybarra conducts a comparative study of Los Angeles and Chicago, using the chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr., and his business ventures in both cities as his jumping-off point. Through extensive archival and anecdotal research, Ybarra draws parallels between these two cities cultural idiosyncrasies and similarities. This new site-specific installation investigates South Central Los Angeles’s lesser-known Wrigley Field—built in the 1920s as the original home of the Los Angeles Angels and torn down in 1966—in relation to its more famous Chicago counterpart. Wrigley also owned Catalina Island, located 26 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. It was here that he held Chicago Cubs spring training, hosted a number of Hollywood movie stars including Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable, and populated the landscape with wild boar and buffalo for his guests to hunt during their stays. Catalina is of particular interest to Ybarra because of its omission in the treaty of Guadalupe–Hidalgo, the document that allotted Mexican territory to the United States after the Mexican American War. This technicality motivated the militant Chicano group known as the Brown Berets to lead an unsuccessful but symbolic occupation of the island in 1972. The exhibition includes a room-size replica of Wrigley Field based on a paper fold-out model of the park designed by the artist. On the walls surrounding the “stadium,” ghost ships are projected in reference to the SS Catalina, built in 1924 by Wrigley to carry passengers to the island. This will be Ybarra’s first solo museum exhibition. His work was included in the Whitney Biennial this year, and he is a 2008 Creative Capital grant recipient. Posted June 27, 2008 Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas Back to Top  Subliminal Flag-Waving Discourages Extreme Ideas Posted December 6, 2016 Back to Top

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In the United States, a national coalition was formed to promote action that would advance respect for human rights both at home and abroad. Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelts belief that, The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities, more than 125 organizations participated in the In Your Hands campaign. Men, women, boys and girls worked together to mark the December 10 anniversary through citizen action and Town Hall Meetings in cities across the United States. Human Rights Day is celebrated each year on December 10.

Shortly after World War II, representatives from forty-six nations met in San Francisco to negotiate the terms of a legally binding charter upon which to base the United Nations. The United Nations Charter tells us that the international organization which these countries designed has four purposes, one of which is promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. Since its inception in 1945, the United Nations has worked to protect and promote human rights throughout the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations and was adopted (without dissent) by the UN’s General Assembly on December 10, 1948.

To find out more about your rights visit the UDHR50 action website.

LITTLE ROCK, AR – “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day” was established by Congress, by Public Law 103 308 as a time to commemorate Americans who died as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor

In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese navy launched a surprise attack against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over 2,400 Americans perished as a result, and over 1,200 were injured. As a result of this act, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the grim decision to enter the United States in World War II to fight with the Allies against the Axis powers.

Commenting on this year‛s Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Kerry McCoy, President of Arkansas Flag and Banner in Little Rock said, “It is important during these uncertain times that Americans remember our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It makes Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day a poignant and timely day of commemoration.”
www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=67

Yellow Ribbon

McCoy suggests ways in which each individual can participate in this day of remembrance. “Yellow ribbons have become a national symbol of love, hope and prayer for those who have died and for those whose lives are currently in peril,” she stated.
www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=53

“We can all participate in a show of support for our troops during this holiday season by adding a yellow ribbon to our holiday decorations, to Christmas trees, to Hanukkah menorahs, or even by tying a yellow ribbon around your poinsettia plant. This gives additional meaning to the holidays by honoring the sacrifices our troops continue to make,” McCoy added.
www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=64

For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, visit
https:///www.flagandbanner.com

Other information on the Flag and Banner website includes:
Half Mast E-Mail Alerts: To register for a free e-mail alert notification when the President calls for the flag to be lowered to half mast, register at ../../mlsubscription.asp

Did you know there are several different names for Veterans Day?
Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November, 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war; this was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.

Poppies

The poppys significance to Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician John McCraes poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red color an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare. An American YMCA Overseas War Secretaries employee, Moina Michael, was inspired to make 25 silk poppies based on McCraes poem, which she distributed to attendees of the YMCA Overseas War Secretaries Conference. She then made an effort to have the poppy adopted as a national symbol of remembrance, and succeeded in having the National American Legion Conference adopt it two years later. At this conference, a Frenchwoman, Anna E. Guérin, was inspired to introduce the widely used artificial poppies given out today. In 1921 she sent her poppy sellers to London, England, where they were adopted by Field Marshall Douglas Haig, a founder of the Royal British Legion, as well as by veterans groups in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Some people choose to wear white poppies, which emphasizes a desire for peaceful alternatives to military action.

Veterans Day in the United States

Veterans Day is commemorated in the United States on 11 November, and is both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states. However, the function of the observance elsewhere is more closely matched by Memorial Day in May. In the United States, and some other allied nations, 11 November was formerly known as Armistice Day; in the United States it was given its new name after the end of World War II. Most schools, particularly more middle and high schools than some elementary schools, throughout the U.S. usually hold assemblies on a school day prior, with various presentations recognizing teachers and staff members who served in one of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, as well as remembering the U.S. troops who died in past and present wars, and some patriotic music by a school choir, band and/or orchestra, including songs from a musical used as a tribute to the troops (e.g., Bring Him Home from Les Misérables).

Article excerpts taken from Wikipedia.org

President-elect Senator Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia and Sasha wave to supporters at his election night rally after Obama was declared the winner of the 2008 presidential campaign in Chicago, November 4, 2008. Standing proud behind President-elect Obama are the American Flags, bases, and ornaments purchased from FlagandBanner.com.

Get your 2008 Election souvenirs at FlagandBanner.com today while supplies last!

Article from ActiVote America

Early Voting
Did you know Ancient Greece had one of the earliest forms of democracy, since at least 508 BC? Each year, the Greeks had a negative election voters were asked to cast a vote for the politician they most wanted to exile for ten years. Votes were written on broken pots, ostraka in Greek, and from this name comes our present word to ostracize. If any politician received more than 6,000 votes then the one with the largest number was exiled. If no politician received 6,000 votes then all remained. If there was a fairly even spread of votes, nobody would get over 6,000 and no one would get exiled hence only very unpopular politicians were ostracized and exiled.

Voting Rights
The history of voting in America is a story of ever-increasing voting rights. The rules for eligibility have changed substantially since Americas founding, and continue to change today. When America was young, only white males over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. Some of the landmark changes since then:

Black Suffrage
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were passed following the Civil War, in the later 1860s. They outlawed slavery and extended civil rights and suffrage (voting rights) to former slaves. The LEGAL right to vote for African-Americans was established, but numerous restrictions kept many blacks from ACTUALLY voting until the 1960s Voting Rights Act.

Direct election of Senators
The 17th Amendment made it so U.S. Senators were directly elected by popular vote. Prior to 1913, Senators were appointed. The President, of course, is still not elected by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. For example, in the presidential election of 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote but George Bush won the electoral college vote.

Womens Suffrage
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920. This amendment resulted from an international movement of Suffragettes. Women still lacked the right to vote in Switzerland until the 1970s, and as of 1990 women could not vote in Kuwait.

18-year-old vote
The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This occurred in 1971, amid the Vietnam War, when 18-year-olds were routinely drafted and sent to war without the right to vote.

Voting

Systems
The system in use in the United States is by no means the world standard. For that matter, voting systems differ from state to state. Some voting systems you may not be familiar with:

Parliamentary System
The American voting system elects legislators based on one geographical district, by majority or plurality (whoever gets the most votes in that district wins). The districts are whole states for Senators and parts of states for House members. This is known as the First-past-the-post system.

In the parliamentary system, all legislators are elected at-large, meaning from the entire countrys electorate. Voters choose one party, and the partys total votes determine how many legislative seats the party gets. The legislators are pre-determined on a list of party candidates. The Prime Minister is the person who is first on the list of the party which got the most votes.

The first-past-the-post system tends towards two parties, as we have in America. The parliamentary system favors multiple parties, since any party getting enough votes for even one seat, gets a voice in Parliament.
Instant Runoff Voting

I.R.V. is a system intended to help third party participation in a two-party system. Voters choose a first choice, second choice, and third choice. If their first choice loses, their vote transfer to their second choice candidate. For example, in 2000, voters might have voted first for Nader and second for Gore allowing more expression of political preferences while eliminating the spoiler effect.

I.R.V. systems are in effect in several nations abroad, and also in numerous municipal elections in the U.S.

Fusion Voting
Fusion voting allows candidates to run under several party labels in one election. The largest example is New York State. Candidates often run as both Democrats and Liberal Party nominees; or as Republicans and Right-To-Life Party nominees. Third-party participation is encouraged because voters can choose a person AND a party, since the persons name appears once under each party. Much negotiation occurs to get the third-party nominations by major-party candidates, which is absent in states without fusion voting.

Voting equipment
The Supreme Court case of Bush v. Gore in 2000 highlighted the inadequacies of Floridas voting equipment. Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to address some of the problems. Now voters have the right to cast a provisional ballot if their status is disputed; and people with the same names as felons are not routinely removed from voting rolls. Future controversy may center around electronic voting equipment because of the lack of a paper trail for manual recounts.

Future of Voting
World Democracies
Whats the worlds largest democracy? Its NOT America!

In the 2004 election in India, 380 million people voted more than the entire population of the United States. India conducts its voting on multiple days, moving thousands of voting machines from one province to the next.

Perhaps America will take some ideas for future electoral reforms from other democracies around the world. Some ideas follow.

Ballot Box and Donor Box
Voting was not secret in the United States until the mid-1800s. Prior to that, voters would be sworn in and announce their choices by voice. The secret ballot box was seen as a means to increase voter participation (because voters would not be scrutinized for how they voted) but also has problems with fraud (because theres no direct verification that the voters intent was followed).

Some reformers want to apply the secret ballot box to campaign donations. Campaign finance reform is an ongoing debate in the U.S. Congress with the McCain-Feingold rules taking full effect in 2004 and this area is open to further reform. One such reform idea is to hide all donor information from the candidates, like votes are hidden, so that elected officials never know from whom their donations come, and hence cannot inappropriately reward their donors. The opposite reform for he same goal is to make donors as public as possible, to allow scrutiny of elected officials and their donors.

Future Voting Reforms
Many reformers in America call for multi-day voting as a way of increasing participation. Other reforms include:

* Same-day registration: In Minnesota, people can register to vote on election day. This greatly increases turnout and was widely credited with Gov. Jesse Venturas 1998 electoral victory.

* Weekend voting: Why do we vote on Tuesdays? Changing to Saturday and/or Sunday voting would increase turnout substantially.

* Mail-In Voting: In Oregon, all voting is conducted by mail. In many other states, absentee voters must sign a statement that they were unable to get to the polls on election day. Removing restrictions against absentee and mail-in voting are coming in several states.

* Non-partisan primaries: Why cant Democrats vote in Republican primaries? Independent non-party-aligned voters are the majority in some states now. Cross-over voting in primaries would transfer power from the parties to the people.

* Under-age voting: 17-year-old voting in municipal races would get candidates to campaign in high schools, and students could get used to voting before setting off on their own.

* Immigrant voting: Several communities with high immigrant populations allow Green Card holders (non-citizens) to vote in municipal elections. Municipal immigrant voting increases civic participation at a level that matters to residents, whether citizens or not.

* Controversy over voting rights: Increasing voting rights is always controversial, because incumbent politicians are always weakened by having more voters (and hence more potential challengers power bases). For example, in Cambridge Massachusetts, the voters approved immigrant voting rights, but the State Legislature declined to enact the approved bill.

Sources

* Black suffrage: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/dp/pennies/1870_black.html
* The history of voting: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Voting.html
* Womens Suffrage: http://www2.worldbook.com/features/whm/html/whm010.html
* African-American Voting rights: http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/golrec.html
* Voting equipment: http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/HistTopics/Voting.html
* Voting history: http://americanhistory.si.edu/vote/intro.html
* India voting: http://www.neoncarrot.co.uk/h_aboutindia/india_election_stats.html
* HAVA Act: http://www.fec.gov/hava/hava.htm
* Instant Runoff Voting: http://www.massirv.org

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ActiVote America is a non-profit grassroots organization committed to a non-partisan approach that EDUCATES adults, new citizens and children in our country about the function and process of government; provides resources for learning about political candidates, understanding political issues and how these issues may affect their lives; and reminds Americans of the significance of using their voice to make a difference by exercising their RIGHT TO VOTE in local and national elections.

 

Dont forget to VOTE!

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas— If ever there was a month for patriotism, November is that time. Not only are national elections held every November, with a presidential election held every four years, but other noteworthy patriotic milestones are also commemorated.

Presidential Elections

We start this November with a historical presidential election. Kerry McCoy, President of Arkansas Flag and Banner, wants everyone to get into the electoral spirit. Her business now offers collectible “VOTE Democratic” or “VOTE Republican” shoes by TOM. For every pair sold TOM gives a pair to a needy child. www.flagandbanner.com/fab/ftsearch.asp?keywords=tomsshoesx=14y=15searchtitle=TOMS+Shoes. More election merchandise is available onsite.

Marine Corps Birthday

November 10th marks the two hundred and thirty-third birthday of the United States Marine Corps which has been officially celebrated since 1921. Each year Marine Corps Birthday balls are held throughout the country to honor the Marines. Tradition has it that the oldest U.S. Marine present is given the first piece of cake and the second piece is given to the youngest Marine present. Flag and Banner has a lovely selection of gifts for the honorees, as well as patriotic dishes, serving trays and Marine Corps flag kits.
www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=121

Veterans Day

November 11, Veterans Day, honors all those who have fought in defense of the United States. The day commemorates the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, which ended World War I. To respectfully honor those who serve and have served, Flag and Banner carries special grave markers, license plates, hats and flags. During the month of November, FlagandBanner.com will be offering a 25% discount to all veterans with military ID (in store only). www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=23

Thanksgiving

It was O. Henry who called Thanksgiving “…the one day that is purely American,” and it truly is. From its colonial origins as an autumn harvest feast to the present, it is the day that Americans set aside to give thanks for all manner of things in their lives. Flag and Banner has autumn and Thanksgiving banners and flags that depict this time of year.
www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=24

For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, visit www.FlagandBanner.com.

Other information on the Flag and Banner website includes:

Half Staff E-mail Alert

To register for a free email alert notification when the President calls for the flag to be lowered to half staff, register at ../../mlsubscription.asp

Arkansas Times
October 23, 2008

Flag and Banner owner wants to bring ballroom back.

Ninth street businesses like the Gem Pharmacy, Childrens Drug, the Elite Barber Shop, Peoples Undertaking, the Vincennes Hotel, dentist Dr. Charles Hill, the Gypsy Tea Room, and others filled the African American communitys everyday needs. But Dreamland Ballroom, on the third floor of the Taborian Hall at Ninth and State streets, fed the spirit, with the music of Fatha Earl Hines, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Louis Jordan, and later Ray Charles and B.B. King, to name just a few of the famed musicians who played there.

Dreamland fell silent in 1970 as did neighboring businesses. But the music was back last month, when contemporary acts played a benefit concert to help in the restoration of the ballroom by Taborian hall owner Kerry McCoy.

McCoy renovated Taborian hall in 1991 for her business, Arkansas Flag and Banner. Shes completed the first and second floor, and has now turned her attention to a $1.2 million project to renovate the 8,000-square-foot ballroom, with its peach-painted balcony and box seats and stage, as an events center.

Architectural and engineering drawings are done, but McCoy laughed, her timing on getting a loan - in the midst of todays backing crisis - has been off. But, she said, I aint giving up yet. I get e-mail every week from someone wanting to rent it. She hopes to have it open by this time next year.

Taborian Hall like the Mosaic Templars building, was built to house an insurance company run by a black fraternity, the Knights and Daughters of the Tabor. It opened in 1918, and like the Mosaic Templars building, housed a pharmacy along with doctors offices and the Ritz Beer Garden. during World War II, it housed the black USO club. It was built as an addition to a 19th century building that faced State Street.

McCoy has been working with a freelance historian to compile information and artifacts that tell the story of Taborian hall. The focus of our building,McCoy said, is going to be just the things that happened in the buliding, the great acts that played here. The Mosaic Templars will offer the rest of the picture of Ninth Street.

The 15th Annual Race for the Cure took place on Saturday, October 11th, and once again, Arkansas Flag and Banner was there. The Flag and Banner showroom opened at 7 a.m. to greet racers with free parking, and 50% off all Pink Ribbon products. As in the past, Flag and Banner fielded it’s all-star team of racers, consisting of Meghan Pittman, Susan Crotts, Carolyn Crocker, Billie Miller, and Kristin Hart. Nearly 46,000 women took part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock Saturday.

After warming up as a lone singer performed a stirring rendition of the National Anthem, our all-stars began the race after calling the Hogs with the other 46,000 participants in a massive show of female Razorbacks support. During the Race, Kristin Hart waved hello to customers that purchased flags from FlagandBanner.com. As they waved back, the flags waved, suspended in the air by the scissor lift they stood in. After completing the race our all-star team of racers returned to Flag and Banner and enjoyed a well-deserved southern-style breakfast prepared by our personal chef, Sam Rutherford. The rest of the day was spent selling all things Pink Ribbon as a percentage of all items sold went to support the Susan G. Komen foundation.

When Kerry McCoy heard about TOMS shoes for tomorrow and their new line for the upcoming election she was intrigued, until she found out more about the company. When I heard that for every pair of shoes sold, they give a pair to children in need, I told my employees to sign us up.

TOMS shoes was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie. The original TOMS shoe has a unique slip-on design comprised of clean lines and lightweight fabrics in vibrant colors and prints. The idea for TOMS was inspired by Blake’s trip to Argentina where he saw the traditional Argentine alpargata. Struck by the poverty and health issues of the country, he set out to reinvent the alpargata for the U.S. market. His goal was simple: to show how together, we can create a better tomorrow by taking compassionate action by providing shoes – One for One.

To realize this purpose, Blake made a commitment to match every pair of TOMS purchased with a pair for a child in need. There are no complicated formulas- it’s simple: If you buy a pair of TOMS, the company will give a pair on your behalf. “I was overwhelmed by the spirit of the South American people, especially those who had so little,” Mycoskie says. “And I was instantly struck with the desire – the responsibility – to do more.”

During his first year in business, TOMS sold 10,000 pairs of shoes and Blake returned to Argentina to lead his first Shoe Drop during which he gave to the children who had inspired him. In November 2007, TOMS had its second Shoe Drop, hand-placing 50,000 pairs of shoes on children in South Africa.

Ms. McCoy said, I was so inspired by this story. I couldnt help but want to sell these shoes.

FlagandBanner.com offers TOMS Vote Democrate and Vote Republican shoes. We hope that you will know for every step you take, a child youve never met is better off.

If you would like to participate in a shoe drop off, please contact Friends Of TOMS, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to give further aid to communities by the TOMS One for One mission.

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas— It seems the landscape of political campaigning has changed, literally! In looking around Little Rock, it appears the political yard signs that use to adorn so many lawns have pulled up stakes and left.

Yard Signs

It used to be that yard signs were the mainstay of any political campaign and were handed out for free by any given candidate’s office. Today, however, chances are that if you ask your local republican or democratic party campaigners for a yard sign, they won’t have any to give. Kerry McCoy, owner of FlagandBanner.com in Little Rock, Arkansas, knows this first hand. She is getting so many requests for political merchandise that her flag company has had to branch out into political decals, buttons, and yes, yard signs, to meet the demands of her customers. www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=22

Presidential Candidates and Other Hopefuls

“I am shipping political yard signs all over the country,” McCoy said. “I guess the candidates are spending their advertising dollars on TV ads rather than yard signs.”
www.flagandbanner.com/fab/productpage.asp?id=MCCAINSIGN
www.flagandbanner.com/fab/productpage.asp?id=OBAMASIGN

In Virginia it’s been reported that there is a lawn sign war raging over voters who are frustrated because it’s nearly impossible to get a lawn sign for their preferred candidate and they fear their candidate’s efforts will be harmed because of it.

Political strategists have long contended that a yard sign is worth several hundred dollars of almost free advertising. Whether or not candidates adhere to this contention or not, McCoy sums up the situation best. “It is a sign (or not) of the times.”

For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, visit www.FlagandBanner.com.

Other information on the Flag and Banner website includes:

Half Staff E-mail Alert To register for a free email alert notification when the President calls for the flag to be lowered to half staff, register at ../../mlsubscription.asp.

 

The United States Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship day, is an American federal holiday that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution, and also recognizes all who have become citizens due to either coming of age or naturalization. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.

On Sept. 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine brave men who changed the course of history. Now Constitution Day is a time for us to continue their legacy and develop habits of citizenship in a new generation of Americans.

On February 29, 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill establishing September 17 as Citizenship day replacing the May observance and moving the date to the one on which the U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787. The intent of the bill was to give recognition to those who had become American Citizens during the preceding year.

Today we consider Constitution Day as a birthday for our country and it serves as a means for American citizens to express their pride in their citizenship. Constitution Day also designates a time to honor the Constitution of America and learn more about the famous piece of legislation. The Act that passed the holiday also states that federally funded schools are required to provide lessons on the U.S. Constitution during the holiday.

Our American flag gifts are great citizenship gifts for your friends and family members who have recently become US citizens! We have a variety of American citizenship gifts such as eagle bookends, US flag purses, American flag bikinis, US flag lapel pins and much more!

To find out more information on Constitutions and Citizenship see the following links:

 

• Constitution Center.org
• YouTube School House Rock: The Preamble
• The United States Constitution Online
• Welcome to the United States
• Wikipedia Citizenship
• Wikipeia Constitution Day World List
• Wikipedia The United States Constitution
  
   

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  7th anniversary of 9/11

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  Partners of Maria Ramires, who was killed in the 9/11 attacks, wait outside the former World Trade Center site before ceremonies marking the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York September 11, 2008.

  REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz (UNITED STATES)

  The flag hanging on this gate is a Flag of Heroes in honor of those who died on 9/11.

  
  Gene Stilp, of Harrisburg, unfurls a memorial flag at the Flight 93 Temporary Memorial outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, September 11, 2008, the seventh anniversary of the attacks on New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.
  REUTERS/ Jason Cohn (UNITED STATES)

   

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  Patriot’s Day: Commemorating 9/11 with The Gadsden Flag

  Filed Under AFB Press Releases | Leave a Comment

  LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas—FlagandBanner.com (https://www.flagandbanner.com), a leading retail supplier of American flags and patriotic items, is selling the Gadsden Flag as well as the American flag, for those who want to fly a flag on Patriot’s Day to commemorate the victims who perished in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

  The Gadsden Flag has a brilliant yellow background with a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike. The words “Don’t Tread On Me” are centered below the snake.

  The Gadsden Flag History: Don’t Tread On Me

  The flag was named after Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina, a Colonel in the Continental Army. A member of the Marine Committee of the Continental Congress, Gadsden and his fellow committee members decided to outfit the burgeoning country’s new Navy. In 1775, he designed the flag and then presented it to Commodore Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island, the first commander-in-chief of the Continental Fleet.

  The Gadsden Flag and 9/11

  After the tragic events of 9/11, American patriotism surged and the American flag was in great demand. Kerry McCoy, owner of Flag and Banner in Little Rock, Arkansas remembers the days that followed. “There was suddenly a scarcity of American flags to purchase. We sold out of every American flag we had in stock. Our business was not the only one this happened to. As an alternative to the American flag, requests came pouring in for the Gadsden Flag,” McCoy said.

  “The Gadsden Flag seemed to be the appropriate representation of how the people of our nation felt. The phrase ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ took on renewed significance as did the rattlesnake, an historic symbol of resistance against tyranny,” she said. “It seems to have once again become a popular symbol of freedom and resolve in America,” she added.

  Flag and Banner, located in Little Rock, Arkansas, is currently flying the largest Gadsden flag in the world. It measures 15’ x 25’.

  The Gadsden flag and the American flag can be purchased at ../../fab/productpage.asp?id=HGADS35

  For a concise history of the American Flag, see ../../fab/flag.asp?cpage=history1.

  Other information on the Flag and Banner website includes:

  Flag E-mail Alert To register for a free email alert notification when the President calls for the flag to be lowered to half staff, register at ../../mlsubscription.asp.

  For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, visit www.FlagandBanner.com.

   

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  HURRICANE FLAGS ARE BACK AND FLAG AND BANNER.COM TELLS THEIR STORY

  Filed Under AFB Press Releases | Leave a Comment

  LITTE ROCK, ARKANSAS – Flag and Banner.com, a leading retail supplier of American flags and patriotic items, recently announced that those square red hurricane flags with the black square in the middle are making a comeback after nearly two decades on the sidelines. ../../fab/productpage.asp?id=NUSST3636FO

  Hurricane Gustav Reminds Us Of Need For Hurricane Flags

  Kerry McCoy, owner of Flag and Banner, said that “What may seem like a step back in technology is really just one more way to protect the public. After the Katrina disaster and now, in the midst of a very active hurricane season and having to deal with the likes of hurricanes Fay and Gustav, we all want to feel safer and to have all the possible warning tools available.”

  “During the past thirty years,” McCoy said, “the length of time that I have been in the flag business, I have seen occasional purchases of U.S. Storm Signal flags, consisting of one or both of the red Gale Storm Pennant and the red and black squared Hurricane Storm Flag. But ever since Katrina, they are making a huge comeback because they really are needed.”

  
  Hurricane Flags Are Back After U.S. Coast Guard Discontinued Use

  In 1989, after 100 years of use, the Coast Guard found Storm Signal flags to be an inferior warning device compared to other technological devices such as television and radio. But today, with more storms and with what seem to be increasingly stronger storms, the Coast Guard is trying everything they can to protect coastal resident and visitors, and that includes bringing back the “Hurricane” flag. “While the flag’s reach is limited, we can expect to see more of the red and black squared flags flying along the coast for boaters and tourists to observe,” Kerry said.

  To view and/or order hurricane and gale signal flags, visit ../../fab/productpage.asp?id=NUSST3636FO

  For other interesting information on the Flag and Banner site, see www.flagandbanner.com

   

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  FlagandBanner.com announces Best Patriotic Decor Photo Contest winners

  Filed Under Current Events | Leave a Comment

  Thank you to all who submitted their photos to the FlagandBanner.com Best Patriotic Decor Photo Contest. We really enjoyed the photos we received and want all of our participants to know how difficult it was to decide our winners. We encourage all those who participated, and to those who havent yet, to check back with us for upcoming Photo Contests. To find out more about our upcoming Photo Contests sign up for our Newsletter and Flag Alerts, check our Press Center for updated information, or visit FlagandBanner.coms homepage for announcements. To view the rest of our participants photos visit our Customer Photos page.

  All entries were judged on three factors:

  1.Use of Flagandbanner.com products (40%)
  2.Creativity (40%)
  3.Quality of Image (20%)-Image is sharp and in focus.

  Awards are as follows:

  Grand Prize: $200 Gift Certificate
  1st Runner Up: $100 Gift Certificate.
  2nd Runner up: $50 Gift Certificate.

  The Winners:

   

  
  The Grand Prize Winner is Steve Pfeiffer of Chula Vista, California.

   

   

  
  The First Prize Winner is Rick Jackson of Kingsburg, California.

   

   

  
  The Second Prize Winner is Sue Ladage of Brentwood, Missouri.

   

  We love receiving images of your patriotic decor, birthday parties, boating events, or custom banner installations. It is thanks to those who have sent us images in the past that sparked our photo contest. This is a small way to show our thanks for coming to FlagandBanner.com for your decorating, marketing, and patriotic needs. Thanks again, for sharing your stories with us.

August 26 of each year is designated in the United States as Womens Equality Day. Instituted by Rep. Bella Abzug and first established in 1971, the date commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote on August 26, 1920. It was the culmination of a 72-year-long civil rights movement that originated at the womens rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. This was the first in the world. For many years and generations womens suffrage supporters wrote, lectured, marched, and lobbied to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see victory in 1920.

In celebration of Womens Equality Day here is a list of resources to find out more information:

 

• Directory of Womens Organizations
• National Womens History Project
• National Organization for Women
• Womens Equality Day, 2008
• Womens Suffrage
• Womens Voices. Womens Vote

 

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas—FlagandBanner.com (https://www.flagandbanner.com),a leading retail supplier of American flags and patriotic items, announced today that it will be providing free Flag Etiquette information year round for all those interested in learning the proper way to display the United States Flag.

Back To School: Time for Answers

“Every year when school starts we get a lot of e-mails and phone calls about proper flag etiquette. So many patriotic Americans are unaware of proper flag etiquettewhen to take flags down, how to dispose of flags, and other general flag information,” stated Kerry McCoy, owner of Flag and Banner. “Because so many people from all over the United States getting ready for school to start have inquired about when and how to display the flag, we decided to provide the information in one place along with our e-mail alerts for people wanting notification on when to fly their flags at half staff,” Kerry continued.

Information on the Flag and Banner website includes:

When should the American Flag Be Flown? For a list of the primary holidays including five during which the flag should be flown at half mast, go to ../../fab/flag.asp?cpage=flagseason.

US Flag History For a concise history of the American Flag, see ../../fab/flag.asp?cpage=history1.

How to fold the American Flag For a step-by-step guideperfect for churches, scouts, schools and others, see ../../fab/flag.asp?cpage=folding1.

Half Staff E-mail Alert To register for a free email alert notification when the President calls for the flag to be lowered to half staff, register at ../../mlsubscription.asp.

Back to School Ideas for Teachers, Students and Parents Unique ways to educate students or thank your favorite teacher or student. See ../../holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=37.

How to MakeYour Flag Look its Best Professionals use the “flag spreader.” See
../../fab/productpage.asp?id=CFLAGSPM.

For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, go to www.FlagandBanner.com.

The bidding process for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games was officially launched on May 16, 2007. Four candidate cities were chosen for the shortlist on June 4, 2008. The final selection will be made by the full IOC membership on October 2, 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark, with IOC recommendations made approximately one month before the selection.

Chicago, Illinois, the city ranked third as the host for the 2016 Summer Olympics, recently contacted FlagandBanner.com for assistance in finding 205 flags to place on display for their bid. With some difficulty they were not sure how to display the differing country flags properly on the wall. The Flag Etiquette for most flags is much like the American Flag. When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flags own right, that is, to the observers left. National flags of multiple countries should be arranged in alphabetical order. * This is a general guide only. Policies, rules, laws, traditions and customs of your country or other countries may differ from the information contained in this article. If in doubt, always consult your government or another official authority about the appropriate display of your countrys national flag. To contact an official authority on proper flag etiquette for different countries, see the U.S. Dept. of State website for more information.

As an Annin authorized dealer, we would like to share the story of The Pow-Mia flag with our customers. We want to remind our customers that today is the day to celebrate the Anniversary of the POW-MIA flag and remember those who are lost to us.

Today the black and white POW-MIA flag, with its silhouette of a bowed head, set against a guard tower and a single strand of barbed wire serves as a national symbol and a challenge to a country not to forget.

In 1970 Mrs. Mary Hoff, an MIA wife and member of the National League of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia recognized the need for a symbol for our POW/MIAs. She read a newspaper article in the Jacksonville, Florida Times Union about Annin Co. that explained how Annin helped to design and subsequently manufactured the flags for the newer UN member nations. After contacting Annin, Mrs. Hoff found Norman Rivkkes who was VP of Sales at the time very sympathetic to the cause. He in turn contacted a local advertising agency and contracted graphic designer Newt Heisley to design a flag to represent the group.

The job came just as Heisley’s son Jeffrey was returning from Marine training at Quantico, VA. Home after becoming ill during training, Jeffrey’s gaunt appearance became the inspiration for the silhouette. Newt Heisely, himself a World War II veteran who flew missions in the Pacific, was glad he got the chance to design the symbol and help the group. “I used to fly within range of the Japanese and wondered how I would hold up if I ever got captured. When I did the design, I thought how easy it would be to forget those guys”, he said.

The now familiar slogan, “You are not forgotten”, was born of that sentiment. Heisley also remarked in an interview that the flag was not originally intended to black and white. He figured that once the League selected the design from the several he submitted, a suitable color would be chosen. One less somber, more optimistic, he said. The black and white motif stuck.

Following the League’s approval Annin manufactured the flags for distribution. The image was never copyrighted and is now part of the public domain.

Neither Heisley nor the League ever anticipated the flag’s popularity would reach the level that it has today. Newt Heisely has been honored by Congress and by many veterans groups and patriotic organizations in the years since he first conceived the flag design. He is now retired and living in Colorado Springs, CO.

Since its inception in the early 1970’s the POW/MIA flag has had a career of its own. Its design has been copied on everything from bumper stickers to belt buckles and these items have been used as fundraisers for many veterans’ causes.

On March 9, 1989 an official League flag was installed in the US Capital Rotunda where it stands as a powerful symbol of national commitment to America’s POW/MIA’s. It is the only flag ever to be honored in this way. On August 10, 1990, Congress passed US Public Law 101-355 which officially recognized the League’s POW/MIA flag.
On November 18, 1997 President Clinton signed into law the 1998 Defense Authorization Act. A section of that act requires that the POW/MIA flag be flown from Military Installations, National Cemeteries, V.A. Medical Centers and many other Federal Buildings.

It remains one of the most popular organizational flags flown in the United States, selling in the tens of thousands every year. Annin Co. remains an officially sanctioned supplier of the POW/MIA flag to the Federal Government and keeps the flag stocked in a wide variety of sizes and styles.

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite , LA to cast the ships bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence, recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the hair on my neck stood up. It had a big meaning to it for all of us, he said. They knocked us down. They cant keep us down. Were going to be back.

The ships motto? Never Forget

This article is thanks to www.ussnewyork.com.

At FlagAndBanner.coms headquarters in Little Rock, Meghan Pittman, Kerry McCoys daughter, decided to make the worlds largest Gadsden flag. This applique flag is 15 feet by 25 feet and is currently flying on FlagAndBanner.coms flagpole. After 9/11 the United States of Americas people began to fly the Gadsden flag as a representation of freedom and patriotism.

The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the snake is the words DONT TREAD ON ME. The flag was designed by and is named after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina. The Gadsden flag was flown early in 1776 by Commodore Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island, first Commander-in-chief of the Continental Fleet. Its inscription represented a warning by the colonists to the British during the Revolutionary war. Considered one of the first flags of the United States, the flag was later replaced by the current Stars and Stripes (or Old Glory) flag. Since the Revolution, the flag has seen times of reintroduction as a symbol of American patriotism.

For instance, unofficial usage of the Gadsden flag by the U.S. Government has been seen, particularly in the wake of September 11, 2001, most notably by Customs and harbor patrol boats in U.S. ports and individuals serving abroad in the U.S. Military. The First Navy Jack, which was directly related to the Gadsden flag, has also been in use by the U.S. Navy, and since the terrorist attacks is flown on all active naval ships. Citizens of the United States of America began flying the Gadsden flag in response to being attacked on their soil. No one will tread on American soil without a fight.

Whether you approve or disapprove of the war, FlagandBanner.com encourages you to remember the events, and the people who died on 9/11. Hold your own September 11th Memorial or simply take a moment of silence during your day.

This July 2nd, Kerry McCoy and Jason Harper discussed decorating supplies for the 4th of July. In celebration of Independence day, Kerry McCoy added a spin to buying at FlagandBanner.com for her customers. The Wheel of Discounts allowed customers to receive discounts on items in FlagandBanner.coms showroom in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Customers received up to 50% off on items. However this did not count Jasons surprise additional discount of 30% for watching the segment on Channel 7 Morning News. The Wheel and the additional discounts expired July 4th. Dont forget Flagandbanner.com for your decorating needs around July 4th and Christmas. Sign up for our Flag Alerts Discounts e-mail. This newsletter offers discounts on items online, and notifies you when to fly your flag, proper flag etiquette, tidbits of historical facts on flags, and more. This service is free to the public, and you may unsubscribe at any time.

To watch this interview see our Video Archive. Watch this and other interviews regarding flag etiquette, patriotism, and FlagandBanner.com.

Wei Shengchu, 58, a supporter of traditional Chinese medicine, poses for photos with his head covered with acupuncture needles depicting 205 national flags and an Olympic torch, in front of Beijing Railway Station July 7, 2008. Wei wanted to express his well wishes for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games as well as to promote traditional Chinese medicine, local media reported. Picture taken July 7, 2008.

(Henry Lee/Reuters)

Supporters of overall leader Frank Schleck of Luxemburg wave flags with pictures of Schleck and his teammate and brother, Andy, at the finish in Jausiers the 16th stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Cuneo, northern Italy, and Jausiers, French Alps, Tuesday July 22, 2008.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Travelhost magazine is a publication that features traveling ideas for cities all over the United States of America. For the Little Rock issue, the magazine features Arkansas Flag and Banner as a must for shopping in the city of Little Rock.

This is by far the most red, white, and blue youll ever see under one roof. There is an extensive selection of flags ranging from the traditional American, to those of every state in the union, every country in the world, and every branch of the military. There is evena section dedicated to the confederate flag. Dont see exactly what youre looking fro? No a problem. McCoy and her staff will help custom design your flag from a variety of materials ranging from nylon to canvas to vinyl mesh. And dont forget the hardware to display your flag - Arkansas FlagandBanner.com has anything you could possibly need from pole, to the stand, to the cords and tassels, to the hardware to flag display cases.

With so much to see, you definitely wont leave empty handed unless you take advantage of Arkansas FlagandBanner.com shipping service- all the more reason to load up! But dont worry. If you get home and wish youd gotten the American flag sunglasses with Swarovski crystals, you can always go back. FlagandBanner.com is only a few keystrokes away.

This illustration provided by The New Yorker magazine, the cover of the July 21, 2008 issue by artist Barry Blitt, shows Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama dressed as a Muslim and his wife as a terrorist. The magazine says the cover is meant to satirize the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Obama.
(AP Photo/New Yorker)

Support your democratic candidate and fly your Political party flag!!

Arkansas FlagandBanner.com is a leading manufacturer of custom flags and banners for museums, events, family gatherings, government and military, or religious organizations. See examples of our Custom Portfolio online at FlagandBanner.com, or check out a small sample of one of our patriotic designs for the Old State House on the cover of TravelHost magazines map. This map features coupons and directions to different places to see in Little Rock. From historical sites and natural spots, to places to party, Little Rock has got it all! FlagandBanner.com is proud to call the state of Arkansas, and the city of Little Rock its home. We highly recommend it is a place to live or visit.

Early in the morning on June 23, Tracy Douglass of KARK news interviews Flagandbanner.com owner Kerry McCoy about 4th of July decorating tips and flag etiquette. Kerry McCoy decorated a local home with American flag style pulldowns and red, white, and blue striped full fan bunting. She also decorated the walkway with stick flags and informed viewers about an easy way to install a low-budget portable in-ground flag pole. Tracy Douglass and Kerry McCoy informed viewers of resources on Flagandbanner.com on flag etiquette.

To watch this interview and find out more see our Video Archive. Watch this and other interviews regarding flag etiquette, patriotism, and FlagandBanner.com.

On June 13, Fox 16 News reporter Kelly Duzsick interviews FlagandBanner.com owner Kerry McCoy about economic effects on flag sales and patriotism. Kerry McCoy talks about how internet sales are causing her business to grow, and patriotism is still popular despite economic challenges. Ms. Duzscik also interviews Janice Sanders to find out why her flag is flown at half staff year-round.

To watch this interview and find out more see our Video Archive. Watch this and other interviews regarding flag etiquette, patriotism, and FlagandBanner.com.

LiveScience.com: Lifes Little Mysteries
— LiveScience Staff

James Montgomery Flagg created the iconic illustration of Uncle Sam.

Flagg, an illustrator and portrait artist best known for his commercial art, contributed 46 works in support of the war effort during World War I. Leslies Weekly first published his illustration of Uncle Sam as the cover of the July 6, 1916, issue with the title What Are You Doing for Preparedness?

More than four million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918. The image also was used extensively during World War II.

In 1961, Congress passed a resolution that officially recognized meat packer Samuel Wilson (1766-1854) as Uncle Sams namesake. Wilson, who supplied meat to the army during the War of 1812, is reputed to have been a man of great fairness, reliability, and honesty who was devoted to his country.

 

 

Greg Soltis
LiveScience Staff
LiveScience.com
Tue Jul 1, 5:11 PM ET

John Adams predicted in a letter to his wife Abigail that Americans would celebrate their Independence Day on July 2. Off by two days - not too bad for government work.

On July 2, 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, signed only by Charles Thompson (the secretary of Congress) and John Hancock (the presiding officer). Two days later Congress approved the revised version and ordered it to be printed and distributed to the states and military officers. The other signatures would have to wait.

Many actually viewed the Declaration of Independence as a yawner - a rehashing of arguments already made against the British government. John Adams would later describe the Declaration as dress and ornament rather than Body, Soul, or Substance. The exception was the last paragraph that said the united colonies are and of Right ought to be Free and Independent states and were Absolved of all Allegiance to the British Crown.

For Adams, it was the momentum towards achieving American independence initiated on July 2 that future generations would consider worth celebrating, not the approval of this document on July 4.

Interestingly, the pomp and circumstance that many Americans presume took place on July 4, 1776, actually occurred days to weeks afterward.

The Philadelphia Evening Post published the Declarations full text in its July 6 newspaper. And the Declaration of Independence was publicly read from the State House in Philadelphia on July 8. Later that day, it was read in Easton, PA, Trenton, NJ, and to the local embryonic militia to provide much-needed inspiration against the formidable British.

The shouting and firing of muskets that followed these first public readings represent Americas first celebrations of independence.

As copies spread, the Declaration of Independence would be read at town meetings and religious services. In response, Americans lit bonfires, fired guns, rang bells, and removed symbols of the British monarchy.

The following year, no member of Congress thought about commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence until July 3 - one day too late. So the first organized elaborate celebration of independence occurred the following day: July 4, 1777, in Philadelphia. Ships in the harbor were decked in the nations colors. Cannons rained 13-gun salutes in honor of each state. And parades and fireworks spiced up the festivities.

Fireworks did not become staples of July 4 celebrations until after 1816, when Americans began producing their own pyrotechnics and no longer relied on expensive fireworks from across the pond.

Since 1777, the tradition of celebrating Americas independence on July 4 has continued.