It does mean something to others, just not the same as it does to those living there. Think of the olympics, your flag is basically your teams symbol, it’s the country you represent. The other countries flags are not meaningless, but stand as symbols of your opponents. Which to the seriousness of the occasion, often dictate respect and honor for your fellow competitors, as you know they to have worked hard to be there. I think if a team at the olympics started burning their flag, the emotions of dishonor would show more clearly than if someone just does it on the street. Though the situations are very comprable. It would dishonor not only that country, but also every person who gave their all to bring the team to where it was.
I think if someone is going to burn the flag, they should have to burn one that has the names of every person who died to bring them that freedom on it. That way they would not have to hide behind the technicallity of a nameless piece of cloth. That way they could see the names of those whom they dishonor go up in flames.
Like that country song says…“All gave some, some gave all.”
yes burning a flag is showing disrespect for the country, and potentially the people who are representing the country (in whatever form, sports, parliment etc…)
however i disagree with your further development in that you say “it disrespects all the people who built the country, fought for the freedom, or got hem to where they are”
i don’t see how for example.
someone buring a US flag in IRAQ is disrespectful to franklin or Clinton.
however yes it is disrespectfull to BUSH, if it was burnt 5 years ago then it would be disrespectful to Clinton.
you see if someone is against a country etc… they are not normally against the entire history of the country, they are actually against the current state/form of the country.
personally i didn’t have anything against clinton (well a few things, and of course his unfaithfullness was pretty low). so i would never have protested against him.
however i was against BUSH’s policys more and protested against him (i didn’t burn any flags though)
anyway i wasn’t disrespecting Clinton i was disrespecting BUSH.
so yes i agree with you but no i don’t agree with it disrespecting everyone, because it wouldn’t be targeted at everyone (well in some extreme case’s yes the entire of america, and western nations are targeted)
If you think of islamic fundametalists burning flags, I would say they want to disrespect the whole nation. I always get a bed feeling when a American flag is burned this way, the same if Palestinians burn Israel flags.
They actually mean the whole nation.
Therfore, if you want to disrespect Bush or Sharon then burn a portrait of them but not the flag.
I appreciate your generosity but a book would have a much higher calorific value (hm, book burining is a bit problematic, too).
Perhaps, burning a piece of wood would combine PC and a high calorific value in a better way.
Why is flag burning the first thing that people think of when they want to protest the American government. Surely people can protest more originally, and less offensively. I would never burn a flag of another country and would definately never burn one from my own. People died to protect what my flag stands for, the same way that people died to defend other country’s flags.
I have no problem with people protesting a government that they don’t agree with, but what are you proving by burning a flag. Is it original…no. Is it thought provoking…no. Is it accomplishing anything…no. Is it insulting…yes. If you look at the flag of your contry (any country) and all you see is a piece of cloth, maybe you need to step away from the chat pages a little while and ponder what your country has done for you. Without any exception I can think of on these message boards, everyone I have seen here is from a country that allows them freedom of expression. France, Scotland, Italy, America and many others I have seen here all guarantee these freedoms, why cheapen these freedoms with childish displays that hurt more than they help like flag burning.
All I ask is that people who choose to protest by burning flags consider the people who died to protect the freedoms that they take for granted. Find another way.
the point being to offend someone, or agrivate them!!!
People died to protect what my flag stands for, the same way that people died to defend other country’s flags.
umm for all due respect the USA is the only country that gives their flag such great meaning.
i would not die for my flag, but i would die for my country (a flag is not a country, if someone tried to shoot my flag down from a flagppole i would not die for it, however when the US invades our country i will die for it)
the flag does not stand for anything, your constitution stands for what you belive not a flag (it may symbolise it but does not stand for it)
If you look at the flag of your contry (any country) and all you see is a piece of cloth, maybe you need to step away from the chat pages a little while and ponder what your country has done for you.
WHAT geeze this is forgein thinking for me, perhaps you need to step back and take a bit of a look at a flag in an un-meaningfull way. my country has done stuff ofr me YES, but has my flag ever saved my arse, or given me education NO, you are again confsing a flag witha country. without a country a flag is nothing. but you can have a country without a flag.
All I ask is that people who choose to protest by burning flags consider the people who died to protect the freedoms that they take for granted. Find another way.
Ummm the flag doesn’t give freedom!!!
so you are saying if you change the chinese flag to be the same as the american one they would suddenly become FREE.
but then again it was a joke so hey it doesn’t need to.
Alltaken[/quote]
Simple, in America people should have the freedom to own a AK-47 without a permit and be allowed to burn anything as long it doesn’t create a flamming Chicago.
While I agree that flag burning should be legal, I do not agree that it is just a piece of cloth. To have a government or country that is “the land of the free…” then you should be able to burn a flag if that is what you want to do. However I think the flag is more then just a piece of cloth. It is a symbol of the United States ie… 50 stars. I served 10 years in the US Army, I learned alot about the flag and the Rules and Regulations governing the flag. I also learned alot about our country and although I love my country and am proud to be a US citizen, I do believe that we put to much emphasize on the hole flag burning thing. And just to clearify things a bit, there are alot of things that would be considered just as bad as burning that are in the Flag Rules and Regulations. Such as:
Section 8
para i
The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
But nobody talks about that on the news, how many hats, cups, plates, etc etc have the flag on them.
para j
No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform
To include t-shirts
and just to really blow you away, it is acceptable to burn the flag
para k
The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning
Well thats all I have to say, I usually do not post on these topics, but i felt lead to say my 2 bits.