In September, my daughter, a cadet in ROTC class, participated in the ceremony of rising of the biggest US flag in our state. When we went to this site together, I found out that this flag is a part of a memorial, dedicated to the father of the owner of the real estate agency “Stars and Stripes,” located at the same site. This agency uses the US flag as a part of its brand image.
In my opinion, this ceremony was a hardly separable blend of the promotion of that real estate agency, of the private memorial service, and of the rising of the US flag. Local newspaper did not report the event. I have a feeling that my daughter’s time was used – mostly - for the promotion of this private business, without letting her and her family know what the entire ceremony was about. So, I do not think that using ROTC students for purposes of private business promotion is appropriate.
But this is my logic, and I’m not American. So I consider a possibility that this logic is a non-American one. I would like to figure out whether or not from American point of view such ceremonies are considered as those, where school teachers should and can call their students to participate without detailed explanation about the more-than-half commercial purpose of the event. Or, maybe, if the American flag is involved, it is not considered commercial in any case?
Thank you.
In my opinion, this ceremony was a hardly separable blend of the promotion of that real estate agency, of the private memorial service, and of the rising of the US flag. Local newspaper did not report the event. I have a feeling that my daughter’s time was used – mostly - for the promotion of this private business, without letting her and her family know what the entire ceremony was about. So, I do not think that using ROTC students for purposes of private business promotion is appropriate.
But this is my logic, and I’m not American. So I consider a possibility that this logic is a non-American one. I would like to figure out whether or not from American point of view such ceremonies are considered as those, where school teachers should and can call their students to participate without detailed explanation about the more-than-half commercial purpose of the event. Or, maybe, if the American flag is involved, it is not considered commercial in any case?
Thank you.