Obamas new flag art: Is it wrong?

For the last few days I've been seeing Republicans pass around this image on Facebook. This is a flag print that the Barack Obama website is selling for $35. It's pretty simple as you can see, the rising sun logo and a 5 red stripes kind of shaped like the American flag.  Okay great, that's art. Except conservatives are throwing a fit about it. The "geniuses" over at Brietbart.com wrote

"By now, we're pretty much used to this creepy, narcissistic cult of personality merchandise from Team Obama. But does this print violate the United States Flag Code, which clearly states in part:

The United States Flag Code establishes advisory rules for display and care of the flag of the United States. It is Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code (4 U.S.C. § 1 et seq). This is a U.S. federal law, but there is no penalty for failure to comply with it. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that punitive enforcement would conflict with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.[1] 

This etiquette is as applied within U.S. jurisdiction. In other countries and places, local etiquette applies. 

The flag must not be marked with any insignia, letter, word, signature, picture or drawing."

Yeah Okay, sounds reasonable right? So Obama should obviously take it down. 

Except, that Barack Obama is not the first guy to do stuff with the flag. 

Image used from the Library of Congress: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Oops!

How about another?

Image Found at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/355234_richard-nixon-1960-presidential-campaign-collectibles

Well Shit!

Looks like two Republicans broke that rule. 

Using the flag as art, and as a campaign prop is nothing new, and is less of a "defacement" than Nixon's flag. This is just another way of Republicans trying to gin up anger towards the president while the Republicans in the Senate rejects jobs bills for vets.  Not only that but the Brietbart.com article even shows that the Federal law isn't even enforceable!

"This is a U.S. federal law, but there is no penalty for failure to comply with it. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that punitive enforcement would conflict with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech."

So it's a law, but with no penalty, and would conflict with freedom of speech.

Just like flying the confederate flag is free speech, you don't hear an uproar over that!

My opinion, is that this is art, and it is free speech. If you don't like it, fine. That's your business, you're entitled to say it. But don't come and tell me how wrong it is, and how offensive it is to deface the flag this way when Barack Obama, a Democrat does it, but don't say anything when a Republican does the same exact thing. 

It's art, get the fuck over it.

All images subject to copyright: Links to the images are provided, if you have an issue with a copyright email me at Talyn2004@gmail.com and I'll take it down and provide a link instead.