Poll: U.S. flag apparel shows patriotism

WASHINGTON, July 3 (UPI) -- A sizable percentage of U.S. citizens likely view individuals as being patriotic if they are seen wearing an American flag pin, a recent poll indicates.

A USA Today/Gallup poll found that six out of 10 respondents said wearing such pins was indicative of patriotism by the wearer, the newspaper reported Thursday.

The poll's finding comes after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama stopped wearing a flag pin last fall, invoking a debate regarding the item's patriotic significance.

Former White House speechwriter Eric Liu told USA Today that flag pins are typically seen as significant indicators of patriotism to many U.S. citizens.

"Symbols like flag pins are not trivial," he said. "They do say something, and they do matter to people on a real, powerful, visceral level."

The poll found conflicting results in the area of current U.S. policies. While eight out of 10 respondents said supporting U.S. policies was patriotic, two-thirds of respondents said opposing policies you personally disagree with also reflects patriotism.

The poll was taken between June 15 and June 19 and involved an unspecified number of respondents. No margin of error was provided.