American Flag Flies Again Legally at California Retailer

Patriotism or Marketing Campaign?

San Joaquin County Officials Question Motive

An extra-large Old Glory is officially approved for flying at a Camping World store atop a 130-foot flagpole, but San Joaquin County officials are questioning the retailer's true intentions.

"This is a savvy marketing campaign cloaked as patriotism by a recreational-vehicle dealer," said one supervisor. "They're using the American flag to draw attention to their business."

Camping World in Stockton, California, is again flying its massive American flag four months after San Joaquin County officials ordered it to be taken down. The flagpole violates county zoning laws, but the retailer has since obtained a permit to fly it.

The decision has sparked a debate about the true meaning of patriotism and whether commercial interests should be allowed to exploit it. Some argue that the flag should only be flown by government agencies and military installations, while others believe that any American has the right to display it with pride.

"O say can you see, by the dawn's early light," sang Francis Scott Key in "The Star-Spangled Banner." "What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?"

The answer, it seems, is still up for debate.