To the editor;
I attended the first game of the Kamloops Invitational Baseball Tournament last week and was discomfited by two incidents at the beginning of the game.
As dignitaries and executives were piped on to the ball field, two young women headed the parade, one holding up the U.S. flag and the other carrying the Canadian flag.
During the opening ceremonies, the U.S. and Canadian anthems were sung and I was dismayed that I was the only person I could see in the large crowd who was actually singing O Canada.
Worse dismay came as the dignitaries left the field because both young women apparently felt their
formal roles were over and both dragged their flags across the diamond as they were leaving.
Now, I have no reason to think these young women should know anything about flag etiquette, but it was upsetting to me that the organizers of the formalities obviously don’t, either.
And, if there was anyone in the stands from the U.S. (and I assume there was), they would be no more pleased than I was at the sight of their flag being dragged across grass and infield dirt.
Is it too much to ask that pride of nation be exhibited at these events?
Please sing our anthem the next time and remember that no nation’s flag is allowed to touch the ground.
Diane McLeod
Kamloops, B.C.