For a town that prides itself on hosting the “Oldest Continuous 4th of July Celebration” in the country, there seems to be little respect for the Stars and Stripes that honors our hard fought independence.

Throughout Bristol you can find faded, frayed, torn and tattered flags flying from homes and public buildings or stuck in the ground and dragging in the dirt.

Please show some respect for our American flag. Fly it properly or please don’t fly it at all. If it’s a matter of cost, take the old flag down, retire it to the flag box outside town hall and run your laundry up the flagpole instead.

Even the red, white and blue stripes running down the streets of Bristol get refreshed at least once a year. At a minimum we should be able to properly fly new flags when needed.  

After all, the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our colors proudly flying deserve the respect.

Paul J. Salesi
Senior Chief, USN (Ret.)
249 Hope St.