Community Corner

Should the U.S. Dip the Flag to U.K. Dignitaries?

This controversial non-gesture may be ending very soon.

Reuters is reporting that the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is considering an end to the long standing tradition of not dipping the American flag to the dignitaries of the host country during the Olympics' Opening Ceremony.

"We have traditions, Britain has traditions, everybody has traditions but we're still talking internally but it is not an issue we see as a big issue," said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun to Reuters.

The tradition started in 1908, when the Olympics were first held in London. The flag bearer of the US team refused to dip the flag as a sign of respect to the King of England. 

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Subsequent flag bearers had dipped the flag in Olympics in the 1920s and 1930s, but the team refused to dip the flag to Adolf Hitler during the Berlin Olympics in 1936, and has not done so since.

Is this non-gesture a non-issue? Should the American flag be dipped to foreign dignitaries as a sign of respect? Tell us in the comments!

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