American Arrogance or Pride?

Here’s a story that few remember today.

The 1908 Olympics were held in London, England. At that time, during the “Parade of Nations,” it was a customary tradition for teams to dip their nation’s flags as a show of respect for the ruling monarch of the host country.

Patrolman Martin J. Sheridan, of the NYPD was part of the American Olympic team. Sheridan was born in 1881 in County Mayo, Ireland and immigrated to New York in 1901 and joined the police force in 1906. Sheridan held a grudge against the English because they helped make the Irish potato famine so bad.

Sheridan was scheduled to bear the American flag. However members of the Olympic committee knew of Sheridan’s dislike for the English and replaced him with Ralph Rose to carry the American flag.

Irish-Americans had a strong sense of patriotic pride to their new found country. Another Irish-American, Mathew McGrath, went up to the American flag bearer and said, “Dip our flag and you will be in a hospital tonight.”

The American flag was not dipped which caused an international incident. During a news conference, Sheridan spoke for the entire Olympic team; he pointed to the American flag and said, “This flag dips to no earthly king.”

That precedent was set which is still followed today during the Olympic Games.
The American Flag has never been dipped to anyone since that day in 1908.

In fact, the United States Flag Code was officially changed to read, “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.” (See Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1 § 8)

American Arrogance or Pride? What do you guys think?

Hooray for the Irish heritage. I wouldn't dip the bloody flag to a king or queen or anyone else for that matter.

I only cut the Union Jack out of ours! But bear in mind doing this has no intent of disrespect to the English.

Duchy, you may be interested, go and check out the flag of Eureka Stockade because that is my flying avatar. I'm probably as anti-monarchy as anyone. In time this will be changed in a peaceful manner.

Australians on the whole are an arrogant, arguing bunch, and we would be a republic now if only we could come to some agreement on what our alternative was going to be. To date the biggest stumbling block is how to decide on the stucture and election of the head of state, so much for good democracy!

daedong said:

Australians on the whole are an arrogant, arguing bunch, and we would be a republic now if only we could come to some agreement on what our alternative was going to be. To date the biggest stumbling block is how to decide on the stucture and election of the head of state, so much for good democracy!

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Now that sounds like a simple quandry: just agree to disagree and draw the top five choices out of a hat or something; no matter how the exact structure comes out, just imagine all the great new things you could argue about!

Now what am I doing getting off topic when I won't have much computer time in the next few days?

Back to topic, I'd say the specific event was likely a mixture of pride, anger, and perhaps a little arrogance. Regardless, I'd say it set a great precedent for national pride!

daedong said:

I only cut the Union Jack out of ours! But bear in mind doing this has no intent of disrespect to the English.

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An English patriot may not see it that way. Do you care?

Caution...... the English may think you’re an arrogant Aussie.

daedong said:

Duchy, you may be interested, go and check out the flag of Eureka Stockade because that is my flying avatar.

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You may be interested that one of my ancestors (Hugh Burns or Byrnes) allegedly participated in the Eureka Stockade battle.

Hugh was an Irish-American immigrant. He left New York and went to California. Then he went to Australia. He returned to the U.S., worked on the railroad, and was supposedly killed fighting Indians in 1872.