Respect Our Flag

After the Charleston, SC Church killings a few weeks ago, there was an outcry by citizenry to have the confederate flag removed from public display. Major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc. pulled it from their shelves, riding the wave of public opinion. But unsurprisingly, retailers' moral conscience over the US flag is jaded by profit.
In part, 4 U.S. Code § 3 - Use of Flag for Advertising Purposes; Mutilation of Flag - states: "The words 'flag, standard, colors, or ensign', as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America." This means if it looks like a US flag then it IS a US flag. In addition, 4 U.S. Code § 8 (b) - Respect for Flag - notes "The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise." This section is clear enough.

A mere cursory search on the search engine Google shows at least Walmart, Target, Amazon, Sears, Macy's, HSN & eBay all sell American flag beach towels. That's right - the US flag is placed on the ground to be sat & eaten on, have drinks spilled on it, diapers changed on it, etc.
Here's the point - WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE FOR DISRESPECT FOR OUR FLAG? If you want something to fight about, here's your opportunity. Get retailers to put patriotism before profits. Retailers take note - by law, our flag is to be revered. It's not to be used for profit.