Flag etiquette inquiry.

[cstone]

There is a law for that.

36 USC §175. Position and manner of display

• (e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.
• (f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag's right.

[O2HeN2]

No such flag or pennant may be placed ... to the United States flag's right.

How do you define "right" since my right isn't the same as a person standing on the other side of the flagpole from me.

And section (e) says center, which would put a flag to the right.

In only four sentences they managed to have an ambiguity AND a contradiction.

O2

[Rumline]

And section (e) says center, which would put a flag to the right.

That's talking about when the staffs are of equal height. If unequal height, US flag should be on the tallest one (and in the center if possible)

ETA:

How do you define "right" since my right isn't the same as a person standing on the other side of the flagpole from me.

Another way of saying it would be "to the left of the intended viewer." In the example photos, a line of equal-height poles runs parallel to the wall of a building. It is much more likely that someone will be viewing the flags from the street/parking lot than from in between the poles and the building. Thus the American flag should be the "leftmost" from the intended viewer's perspective, and it is in those photos.

[Martinjmpr]

How do you define "right" since my right isn't the same as a person standing on the other side of the flagpole from me.

Were you ever in the military? Reason I ask is because the way I've always thought of it is like this: A line of flags is like a squad of soldiers standing in formation. When a platoon or company is lined up where do the squad leaders stand? On the far right side of the formation, looking forward (which means that if you are facing towards the formation, the squad leaders will be on your left as you look at the formation.)

If a row of flags is displayed in front of a building like that, then the building itself is at the "back" of the formation and the area in front of the flags is the "front." In that case, the American flag should be on the left as you look towards the building or on the right if you are in the building and looking outward.

In a case where a set of flags is in an open park or something, I think what you have to do is designate one direction to be the "front" and then place the flags accordingly.