Flag wavers - statistics concerning awareness of and commemoration of Flag Day - Are You Normal?

American Demographics, June, 1998 by Bernice Kanner

On Flag Day (June 14th), the red, white, and blue may not wave from every door in America, but patriotism is far from dead. Twenty-seven percent of Americans claim to know when Flag Day is and what it means. Another 39 percent are a little uncertain about when it rolls around, but are firm about what it represents. On the other hand, 16 percent know when it is but are vague on what it means. Just 18 percent are completely unaware of the meaning or date of Flag Day.

Nearly one in four people flies a U.S. flag to commemorate Flag Day, and another 37 percent think they ought to. Thirty-nine percent of respondents don't think that Flag Day should be recognized as a holiday in any special way.

Respect for the flag shows up when people are wearing it, too. Twenty-one percent of respondents say they like to see the image of a flag on clothing and regard it as patriotism.

But many do find burning a flag offensive, and a slight majority think flag burners should be punished. Ten percent consider flag-burning a heinous crime and believe flag burners should receive imprisonment, while 42 percent feel that they should be required to perform some type of community service. The rest don't think flag-burners should be punished, because they are exercising their constitutional rights.

Eighty-nine percent of Americans say they know the Pledge of Allegiance by heart, while 8 percent know most of them and fudge the rest. The remaining 3 percent have to pass on the pledge.

--Based on an online survey conducted in February 1998 by CyberDialogue, a New York City online research firm.