--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't tell people what flag to fly." description: "\"I can't tell people what flag to fly.\" — Lesley Stahl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/926/lesley-stahl-43061_flag_i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly-281_281318.png" --- # I can't tell people what flag to fly. ![“I can't tell people what flag to fly.” quote by Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/926/lesley-stahl-43061_flag_i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly-281_281318.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/926/lesley-stahl-43061_flag_i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly-281_281318.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/926/lesley-stahl-43061_flag_i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly-281_281318.png) > “I can't tell people what flag to fly.” [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom of expression includes allowing others to choose their symbols, but not imposing personal preferences. **In simple terms:** Respect others’ choices. Key Takeaway Respect others’ symbols. Themes freedom respect expression Mood thoughtful neutral Type political philosophical When to use this quote - public protests - national holidays - social media debates Key Concepts political symbolism personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - When does personal expression become harmful? - How to honor diversity while maintaining unity? A Different Perspective Balancing free speech with hate speech concerns is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flag/) [Flag Fly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flag-fly-1693608/) [Fly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fly/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Flag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-flag-2727410/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Tell People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-people/) ## Related quotes > [I am a big believer in letting your own personal freak flag fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-vangsness/i-am-a-big-believer-in-letting-your-own-personal-freak-flag-fly/) [Kirsten Vangsness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-vangsness/) > [I'm a big believer in letting your freak flag fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-nokia/i-m-a-big-believer-in-letting-your-freak-flag-fly/) [Princess Nokia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-nokia/) > [“It was time to let my freak flag fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrolyn-anderson/it-was-time-to-let-my-freak-flag-fly/) [Derrolyn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrolyn-anderson/) > [If that's what you're thinking, then don't even question it. Go let your freak flag fly, brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/if-that-s-what-you-re-thinking-then-don-t-even-question-it-go-let/) [Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/) > [I don't judge others. I say if you feel good with what you're doing, let your freak flag fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/i-don-t-judge-others-i-say-if-you-feel-good-with-what-you-re-doing/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [I wish black people had a flag they could put into the ground, like when the troops stormed Iwo Jima.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/i-wish-black-people-had-a-flag-they-could-put-into-the-ground-like/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [America is the one place where you can talk of 'this nation' and everyone knows exactly what you think. People put a flag on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/america-is-the-one-place-where-you-can-talk-of-this-nation-and/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [After 1957, Israel had to wait 10 full years for its flag to fly again over that liberated portion of the homeland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menachem-begin/after-1957-israel-had-to-wait-10-full-years-for-its-flag-to-fly-again/) [Menachem Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menachem-begin/) > [The United States' flag should only fly in Cuba when the island is free, when dissent is embraced, and when democracy is restored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-menendez/the-united-states-flag-should-only-fly-in-cuba-when-the-island-is/) [Bob Menendez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-menendez/) > [Let your freak flag wave. Let your freak flag fly. Never take it down (never take it down). Raise it way up high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shrek-the-musical/let-your-freak-flag-wave-let-your-freak-flag-fly-never-take-it-down/) [Shrek The Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shrek-the-musical/) > [Letting your freak flag fly is something, no matter who you are, that takes great bravery, straight up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/letting-your-freak-flag-fly-is-something-no-matter-who-you-are-that/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [There are few industries as defiantly opaque as shipping. Even offshore bankers have not developed a system as intricately elusive as the flag of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/there-are-few-industries-as-defiantly-opaque-as-shipping-even/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) > [I don't fly the Confederate flag on my property, but I'm not going to try to belittle or embarrass anybody who wants to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-stewart/i-don-t-fly-the-confederate-flag-on-my-property-but-i-m-not-going-to/) [Corey Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-stewart/) > [Germany has spent the decades since World War II in national penance for Nazi crimes. America spent the decades after the Civil War transforming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/germany-has-spent-the-decades-since-world-war-ii-in-national-penance/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Tell people what specific action to take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-abraham/tell-people-what-specific-action-to-take/) [Jay Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-abraham/) ## More by Lesley Stahl > [Charlie didn't want to give up meat and smoking. Now he's gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/charlie-didn-t-want-to-give-up-meat-and-smoking-now-he-s-gone/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) > [Life insurance companies are failing to pay out death benefits when they know the person is dead, and they're claiming they don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/life-insurance-companies-are-failing-to-pay-out-death-benefits-when/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) > [It is actually against the law for a citizen to give money to a terrorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/it-is-actually-against-the-law-for-a-citizen-to-give-money-to-a/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) > [I don't know of anybody's political bias at CBS News. We try very hard to get any opinion that we have out of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/i-don-t-know-of-anybody-s-political-bias-at-cbs-news-we-try-very-hard/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) > [Everybody knows if it's on the Internet, some brilliant hacker can get at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/everybody-knows-if-it-s-on-the-internet-some-brilliant-hacker-can-get/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) > [I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima - and you know, is the price worth it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/i-mean-that-s-more-children-than-died-in-hiroshima-and-you-know-is/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) > [You never know when the best day of your life is going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/you-never-know-when-the-best-day-of-your-life-is-going-to-be/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) > [I thought administration was the running of the office. The Xerox machine. Paying bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/i-thought-administration-was-the-running-of-the-office-the-xerox/) [Lesley Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) [Explore all 9 Lesley Stahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/) ## More Flag quotes > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [Trump devotees don't care about shrinking the size and scope of government. They don't care about the Constitution. They're not Republicans, except as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/trump-devotees-don-t-care-about-shrinking-the-size-and-scope-of/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [“These days you don't need a country to have a flag, you don't need to win an election to become president, and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/these-days-you-don-t-need-a-country-to-have-a-flag-you-don-t-need-to/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle, Our Flag will be recognized throughout the World as a symbol of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/we-are-determined-that-before-the-sun-sets-on-this-terrible-struggle/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [South Carolina, as a matter of compromise, displays the Confederate flag on a flagpole in front of the state capitol. Because I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/south-carolina-as-a-matter-of-compromise-displays-the-confederate/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [To hold Old Glory, a symbol of freedom and liberty to many around the world, not just in the United States, this one means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/to-hold-old-glory-a-symbol-of-freedom-and-liberty-to-many-around-the/) [Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/) > [“...screaming about your rights as an American while rockin' the confederate flag is like arguing against gay marriage with a dick in your mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trae-crowder/screaming-about-your-rights-as-an-american-while-rockin-the/) [Trae Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trae-crowder/) > [Is burning an American flag a disgusting, reprehensible act? Yes, it absolutely is, and I would tell that to the face of absolutely anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-timpf/is-burning-an-american-flag-a-disgusting-reprehensible-act-yes-it/) [Kat Timpf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-timpf/) > [“But not without help from the NASA Technical Services Division. A flag doesn’t fly without wind. The moon has no atmosphere to speak of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-not-without-help-from-the-nasa-technical-services-division-a-flag/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Colin Kaepernick is the latest professional athlete to spark a national debate about the meaning behind the American flag and the national anthem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/colin-kaepernick-is-the-latest-professional-athlete-to-spark-a/) [Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/) > [The flag represents all the values and the liberties Americans have and enjoy everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shuster/the-flag-represents-all-the-values-and-the-liberties-americans-have/) [Bill Shuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shuster/) > [“A son for a flag is a lot of sacrifice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/a-son-for-a-flag-is-a-lot-of-sacrifice/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [Yeah, I don't think I'm taking my shirt off to play flag football in the park with the kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-mccaffrey/yeah-i-don-t-think-i-m-taking-my-shirt-off-to-play-flag-football-in/) [Ed McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-mccaffrey/) > [ “\[The main road was\] now teeming with people carrying torches, pitchforks, and rakes, and one very confused man who apparently had mistaken the mob… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuthbert-soup/the-main-road-was-now-teeming-with-people-carrying-torches-pitchforks/) [Cuthbert Soup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cuthbert-soup/) [Browse all 618 Flag quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flag/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can't tell people what flag to fly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lesley Stahl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Flag" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/926/lesley-stahl-43061_flag_i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly-281_281318.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/926/lesley-stahl-43061_flag_i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly-281_281318.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/926/lesley-stahl-43061_flag_i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly-281_281318.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I can't tell people what flag to fly.” — Lesley Stahl", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lesley Stahl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-stahl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I can't tell people what flag...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-stahl/i-can-t-tell-people-what-flag-to-fly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```