A friend of mine uses a burning flag to start his BBQ every July 4th weekend... I had a small one that I used as a dipstick rag when checking the oil in my car.
"I don't believe the flag stands for freedom. It stands for corruption, bigotry and war, and instead of burning the actual government, which would be much better but also less feasible, burning a flag is a reasonable way to show you oppose that." I don't want to start an arguement so I'll just say it represents the government, good or bad. So if you want to protest the government I say burn the flag. It's a piece of cloth people. This country is too Christian to say it's has magical properties when it's sewn together like that so really. We assign more importance to most things than they need (just look at movie stars and football players)
The flag means freedom to me, but that's why i think people should be able to burn it. Loyalty isn't loyalty if you are forced, just like faith isn't faith if it is mandatory.
I think the flag and the pledge of allegience go hand in hand. In the pledge one is supposed to state that they pledge allegience to the republic for which the flag stands, as one nation, under god, with liberty and justice for all. THAT is what the flag is supposed to represent, only, our country doesn't even come close to any of that.... except the god thing. I think flag burning is a wonderful and poignant expression with the disapproval of the establishment. Etc.
Burning as a politcal statement is disgusting.I feel anyone caught in the act should be burned themselves.
Maybe I lack patriotism, but to me it is just cloth. I don't think that we need another stupid law on the books. We already have plenty. There are more laws, rules and regulations than there are citizens here in the US. (That may be an exaggeration, but you get my point) Plus it is stupid to claim the flag stands for freedom, then outlaw the paticular expression of freedom of flag burning. But to be hypocritical? Our gov't wouldn't do that!! So basically, ditto to what seamonster66 said.
I often ask the ultra-patriotic types exactly what it is that they're so proud of. That usually baffles them. Does being patriotic entail being loyal to your government even when it's wrong? Does being patriotic mean caving to the majority opinion of your fellow citizens even when they're wrong? Most people would answer no to both when directly asked, which leads me to believe that patriotism is nothing more than mindless nationalism. What possible reason is there for outlawing flag-burning? It doesn't result in an innocent person losing their property or being physically harmed. So shouldn't a free society allow it? Those who only believe in freedom of speech when they agree with it, don't really believe in freedom of speech at all.
I have an old flag with 48 stars. I thought about burning it once when i was about 16 but decided not to. Although it may be considered free speach - the action of burning a flag still comes from the emotions of hate and fear. It is not the people you are told to hate that are the enemy - it is hatred itself. let us know how your debate goes - i'd be interested to see if anyone looks at it similar to myself.
I could care less. We all have the right to express ourselves in any way we see fit. If someone thinks that burning a flag will help accomplish their goals then by all means go for it. If anyone doesnt like what they see then they can just turn off the TV or walk the other way. Personally I dont see how it helps anything. All it does is piss people off and if you're trying to change things then pissing people off will not do much to change their minds. Kinda reminds me of a little kid crying and stomping his/her feet. Makes a lot of noise but does little or no good.
Wanna know something interesting? According to the American Legion and the Boy Scouts (two groups not normally associated with radical-left anti-Americanism), the appropriate way to dispose of an old flag honorably is to burn it. The same groups that lobby for an amendment banning flag-burning want an exception made for themselves, or when it is done "honorably." That means that if they ever succeeded in getting their amendment passed, courts would have to look at whether or not a flag burner was being respectful when he did it...a messy situation for the courts indeed.
It's usually considered honorable if it is done in the right fashion. Holding a stick with a flag wrapped around it burning shouting out "Fuck the establishment" isnt going to do any good and its not the proper fashion.
The point is that those groups want to legislate based on whether or not the flag-burning is done in the proper fashion. Personally I support the right to burn a flag under any circumstances, but regardless the law should apply equally to everyone. A situation where the courts had to determine whether or not the flag-burning was done in the proper fashion would get downright ugly.
Haha, that's great. I especially liked "Thinking about flag-burning." If the DHS gets their way, thinking about things might become a crime...
