Federal law allows the American flag to be flown upside down, but only as a “signal of dire distress." Why has it been seen lately?

To reject the flag is, in some ways, akin to rejecting part of oneself. What does it mean when so many Americans have let the flag go?

Personal distress There have been some notable instances in American history when the flag was flown upside down. Overturning of Roe v. Wade The Flint, Michigan, water crisis Sept. 11 terrorist attack ...

The flag hung upside down — a long-standing signal of distress or protest — for several hours before being removed. The protest was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.