Hi CB, before we have a flag free day I wanted to weigh in a bit on the flag desecration discussion.
Memories of standing and saluting the flag at morning and evening colors as a military member are "seared" into me. The feeling one gets from viewing the flag rippling against the wind alongside some foreign pier is a real experience. Your walking along, then all of a sudden the whistle goes off and you stop talking or doing the mundane things of life and take a moment to reflect on your country, why you're there, and watch the symbol of home raised or lowered in a respectful manner. It really gets to you at times, and makes you appreciate the passion so many have for that simple piece of colored cloth. In my experience, not many countries share that same king of connectiveness toward there homeland.
Having said that, I think it demonstrates the strength of our country when people are free to destroy or defame the symbol which unites us. The pitch for freedom which ignites so much passion and draws people toward the flag, also heightens the awareness toward that same feeling when it is defamed or treated with contempt. What flag burners fail to realize when they perform their act of defiance, is it draws out the nationalism in all freedom loving Americans, and brings us closer together, not further apart.
So, I don't think we have much to worry about in regard to flag burners, as long as enough Americans view the act as abhorrent toward the cultural values we share. |
