Burning American Flag....

[IResist]

It's distasteful, it's disrespectful, but it is a right.

 

[Pogo]

Burning an official flag is always rude and violent.
You can express your opinion in other ways.
If you burn a flag that represents a country you're disrespecting all its citizens

Actually no you're not. You're offending the ones who are into both fetishism and jingoism.
But I think that's kind of the point.

 

[Pogo]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

 

[DonaldReagan]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

 

[Vandalshandle]

So many people in this country can not, or do not, understand that the government is not the nation, and vice versa. During the Vietnam Era, the government of this nation did not stand for the things that made this country great. I never burned a flag myself, but I certainly understood why people did. And those that did were often physically assaulted by supporters of the war, just for exercising their right to protest. That escaladed the act of burning a flag from a "right", to a "duty", to my way of thinking.

 

[initforme]

Non issue to most of Americans....nobody really cares.

 

[Pogo]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

 

[Correll]

The difference between a free people and a people enslaved by the state is that a free people can express their opinion, which includes burning the flag, if they own it. Anyone would can't deal with that should move to a totalitarian country, like North Korea, where the penalty for that would be a firing squad conducted with antiaircraft guns.

And what is your opinion on the way liberal protesters have been shutting down speech, such as with Milo at Berkeley?

 

[Vandalshandle]

I don't have the slightest idea who "Milo" is. My support of free speech is unconditional, other than the obvious prohibition of shouting "fire" in a crowded theater. Anyone who breaks the law to prevent free speech should be arrested.

 

[DonaldReagan]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

 

[Montrovant]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

What if it is an American Indian who burns the flag, where would they "go back" to?

 

[Pogo]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

A piece of cloth "represents" whatever the subject in his/her subjectiveness, imagines it represents. To the jingoistic fetishist and the flag burner the representation is remarkably similar.

To those who aren't so symbolminided, it represents a piece of cloth that some fourteen-year-old girl in China made so she can eat.

Whatever. When one invests much, one stands to lose much.

 

[DonaldReagan]

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

What if it is an American Indian who burns the flag, where would they "go back" to?

Good point. That would be an exception

 

[DonaldReagan]

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

A piece of cloth "represents" whatever the subject in his/her subjectiveness, imagines it represents. To the jingoistic fetishist and the flag burner the representation is remarkably similar.

To those who aren't so symbolminided, it represents a piece of cloth that some fourteen-year-old girl in China made so she can eat.

Whatever. When one invests much, one stands to lose much.

Ok, ok, so the flag isn't important, I get it.

 

[mgh80]

I think it's disgusting and I have no respect for anybody who does it...however I do recognize that it's their 1st amendment rights to be pieces of crap and that I don't have the right to not be offended.

 

[Montrovant]

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

A piece of cloth "represents" whatever the subject in his/her subjectiveness, imagines it represents. To the jingoistic fetishist and the flag burner the representation is remarkably similar.

To those who aren't so symbolminided, it represents a piece of cloth that some fourteen-year-old girl in China made so she can eat.

Whatever. When one invests much, one stands to lose much.

Ok, ok, so the flag isn't important, I get it.

I'm not going to speak for Pogo, but I think the point is more that the flag has different importance for different people.

I see plenty of ways the flag could be seen to be disrespected: flag clothing, which both gets dirty in ways a hanging flag is not supposed to, and often might put the flag in less than respectful places (covering the ass or groin); flag bumper stickers, which like all bumper stickers, get dirty, torn, and faded; flag waving at sporting events, which to me has always seemed an almost intentional diminishing of the importance of the flag; etc. Yet, for some reason, these other, far more common disrespectful displays of the flag are rarely commented upon, while flag burning brings out a great deal of vitriol and even has people attempt to create constitutional amendments.

I don't particularly care if someone wants to burn a flag they own, so long as they don't do it in a way which endangers another person or another person's property. However, I understand that many people are upset by or offended by flag burning. I don't want to try to denigrate their opinion, but I do think flag burning should remain a protected form of expression.

 

[ABikerSailor]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

You know Donald, I'm one of those people that fought to keep this nation safe and free. Did it in the Navy from 1982 until 2002, and I can tell you that I, as well as many of my fellow veterans would be more interested in defending the right to burn the flag as an expression of free speech than they would in keeping people from destroying a piece of cloth.

It's the ideals of this country that I fought for, not some scrap of cloth. I served this country because I believed in what it stood for and all the freedoms it represented. Is all of that represented by the flag? Yeah, it is, but also realize that flag also gives you the freedom to burn it if you so feel inclined.

And, as someone who actually served this country, I respect your right to burn it. But, while you are exercising your right to free speech, remember that I also have that right and am allowed to comment on how I feel about you burning the flag.

Shoot.................if you come up with a good enough reason, I just might join you.

 

[DonaldReagan]

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

You know Donald, I'm one of those people that fought to keep this nation safe and free. Did it in the Navy from 1982 until 2002, and I can tell you that I, as well as many of my fellow veterans would be more interested in defending the right to burn the flag as an expression of free speech than they would in keeping people from destroying a piece of cloth.

It's the ideals of this country that I fought for, not some scrap of cloth. I served this country because I believed in what it stood for and all the freedoms it represented. Is all of that represented by the flag? Yeah, it is, but also realize that flag also gives you the freedom to burn it if you so feel inclined.

And, as someone who actually served this country, I respect your right to burn it. But, while you are exercising your right to free speech, remember that I also have that right and am allowed to comment on how I feel about you burning the flag.

Shoot.................if you come up with a good enough reason, I just might join you.

Thank you for your service, and I respect your opinion. I also realize that you are fighting for ideals, and not the 'scrap of cloth' that I believe embodies those ideals.

 

[Vandalshandle]

unacceptable or acceptable as "freedom of speech"?

Anyone who burns the American flag should go back to the country they or their ancestors came from.

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

The largest flag in Tucson, where I live, flies over the Honda dealership. It represents their desire to encourage people to buy Japanese cars.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Ironically a journey many of them made exactly so they would have that freedom of expression.

Very true, but they are still disrespecting the country that gives them such freedoms.

Actually they're disrespecting a piece of cloth. If they burned down the country then they'd be disrespecting it.

Wasn't your point anyway --- you said they should be deported.

I wouldn't say deported under law, so much as they should just GO back to where they came from and see how they like it there, good or bad.
Also, that "piece of cloth" represents the brave men and women throughout history who have fought to keep this nation safe and free. I suppose burning the entire country would be kind of disrespectful, too

You know Donald, I'm one of those people that fought to keep this nation safe and free. Did it in the Navy from 1982 until 2002, and I can tell you that I, as well as many of my fellow veterans would be more interested in defending the right to burn the flag as an expression of free speech than they would in keeping people from destroying a piece of cloth.

It's the ideals of this country that I fought for, not some scrap of cloth. I served this country because I believed in what it stood for and all the freedoms it represented. Is all of that represented by the flag? Yeah, it is, but also realize that flag also gives you the freedom to burn it if you so feel inclined.

And, as someone who actually served this country, I respect your right to burn it. But, while you are exercising your right to free speech, remember that I also have that right and am allowed to comment on how I feel about you burning the flag.

Shoot.................if you come up with a good enough reason, I just might join you.

Thank you for your service, and I respect your opinion. I also realize that you are fighting for ideals, and not the 'scrap of cloth' that I believe embodies those ideals.

You know, if more people spent time defending and understanding the ideals of this country and what really makes us great, they might not feel so protective of a piece of cloth.

What's more, if people understood what makes this country great, they wouldn't have fallen for the con man who managed to become president.