fast

One way that some communicate disapproval for government action is to burn the very symbol of it, the flag of the United States of America.

My first instinct is of disgust. How dare someone dishonor the sacrifice that our veterans have made for us. Flag burners be damned. This of course is an emotional response, and to be fast, I’m quite comfortable laying aside reason in regards to this issue, for our veterans (comprised with the mentality of both of emotion and reason) deserve the respect they very much so earned. Every decision doesn’t have to be grounded solely on reason—we are emotional creatures and THAT should be considered as well in the decisions we make. Why infuriate and antagonize and forego compassion for what we care deeply about? Flag burners be damned.

For every emotive position for, there is a purported reason against. Why not make a constitutional amendment protecting our symbol of freedom? The argument is that the freedom of speech is being trampled. It's claimed that laws against flag burning are in fact a sign of our freedoms being trampled. We are supposed to be free to express ourselves whether for or against government action. If we prohibit flag burning, then we are actually not respecting our veterans and what they fought for, or so the story goes.

An interesting note is that more often than not, disrespectful flag burning occurs when it surrounds the issue of flag burning than it does with disapproval of government action.

Finally, what’s your position?

Is it okay to protect our flag from unwarranted degradation for at least the sake of the emotional side of us, or is it not okay from a rational basis to allow our freedoms be trampled by prohibiting freedom of expression?

Reign_Cryogen

"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier,
who salutes the flag,
who serves under the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag."

-Charles Province

(By a show of hands, who didn't see that ^ coming? )

My position is one of saying simply, "Amen," as a former Sergeant of Marines.

Bill Snedden

While I believe that flag burning is generally in poor taste and of questionable utility, the reality is that the flag is a symbol that stands for something else. That something else is the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. One of those freedoms is the freedom of expression, like burning the flag. Americans who fought and died in national conflicts did so for those freedoms, not a piece of cloth. Refusing to honor those freedoms does a greater disservice to the memory of their sacrifice than burning a piece of cloth.

Worldtraveller

Well said RC. Pretty much sums it up.

I grew up in the military. I know many military and ex-military vets. In my experience, while none of them would ever do such a thing, I would bet less than 5% of them wouldn't say that it is one of the reasons they served.

Current cultural attitudes though, seem vastly different.

Cheers,
Lane

Reign_Cryogen

On this, we fundamentally disagree, by the way.

Godless Wonder

To protect the flag from flag burners is to protect a symbol by destroying the very thing for which that symbol stands.

People who think flag burning should be illegal need remedial citizenship classes.

john proctor

I like the way this poem frames the issue, and will also second the notion that to prohibit flag burning does a greater disservice to servicemen than to permit it.

However, I do think it is important to note that flag burning is speech, nothing more, nothing less. To find it repugnant is reasonable, but to find it repugnant while remaining without objection to a person holding a sign or shouting "Fuck the United States" is inconsistent.

GoodLittleAtheist

If you allow people to burn flags, then those people may infuriate others. I would rather have that, then have the government infuriate and antagonize its citizens by limiting freedom of expression.

penumbra

The flag is just a piece of colored cloth. As a liberal patriot and a veteran, I hope those that burn it catch themselves on fire a little bit in the process, but, bottom line, it's still just a piece of cloth. Usually flammable cloth. And easily replaced. Better they act out their aggressions/frustrations that way than throwing Molotov cocktails.

bature mai keke

does it matter who burns the flag?

If it is a non america, such as myself, surely I could burn a stars and stripes every night just to keep warm. It means nothing to me, after all.

If I was an american, however, who has maybe some duty to his nation, then that might be different.