What do you think about the American government voting to protect the American flag from desecration?

Question

I wave it proudly in my front yard, I have carried it into battle in foreign lands, I have always held it in the highest regard. I have carried it into the sacred circle at Native American gatherings in honor of this country. I pledge allegiance to the flag....... Your thoughts please?

Thank you all for your answers, this is a very important issue to me. I recieved so many excellent answers that I dont feel qualified to choose the best one, so I am going to leave this questions responses in the hands of your peers.
Again ,thank you for taking the time to think about what the American flag means to you and America as a nation.

Answer 1

The flag is the symbol of our COUNTRY ... not the successive governments ... consequently, if you desecrate the flag, you desecrate the country ... any American who desecrates the flag, spits on his country and on the people who spent their lives defending it ... well, if that's what they want to do, then that's what they want to do, in the name of "freedom of speech" .. personally, I think if anyone feels they have a need to express contempt for their country, all I can say is ... America is not for you ... get out of it ...

Answer 2

Personally, I have always had more respect for those countries which allow people to do what they wish with the flag, like Britain, than countries that are so insecure they need to criminally prosecute those who mistreat the flag, like Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

I greatly respect your honor for the flag. And I have no desire to desecrate the flag. But I think a person should have a right to make a statement by putting a peace sign on the flag, or using the flag as part of an NRA logo, or even burning the flag. The flag isn't the point, the freedoms and ideal of the country is the point.

Also, I think any stand against desecration of the flag needs to include the use of the flag for commercial purposes, or else it is just hypocrisy, punishing political speech while allowing advertisers and companies to do what they want, for the sake of a buck.

Answer 3

I think it's right on that they did it, the free-speech crowd will have an episode to be sure, but since some of them started out in some other country where they have no appreciation for what america is, or what it represents to its' citizens, they can go take a flying leap...you can still voice dissent, and SHOULD, if/when the mood strikes you, that's the spirit of free speech, but desecrating our national colors means you're basically a little ***** that has no concept of what it is you're complaing about, nor do you know anything about OTHER countries that are 20 times worse, easy, than the United States of America. We try hard to accomodate all comers, but there's some reasonable limitations on this crap that have long since been exceeded.
If you're in America, you're either a tourist, on business, a student, or you're moving here to live, pretty easy to differentiate
between the reasons, and the 5th reason is to stir up hate and discontent. It's that last 5th group that needs some strong words of encouragement to find another hobby...americans have patience, but it's not infinite, and those limits are in the process of being exceeded, and americans are starting to get a little choked about the whole business....it's one thing to try and lay out the red carpet, it's another thing altogether when someone comes and craps all over your red carpet, and that's essentially what's been happening. I support the flag amendment, enough people have been hurt and killed in protecting those colors through the years, they deserve a little respect...

Answer 4

I refuse to pledge allegiance to the flag, to do so you need to know what it is about and every christian out there who pledges and swears to God their allegiance to this flag is burning in hell if they are not fighting to keep this government a selfrepresenting republic that abhors the corporate powers that be like our founding fathers did, but half the people dont even know what the hell the bill of rights says, think the constitution is subversive and have no idea about the true history of this country and are mindless drone pledging a bunch of words they dont know what the hell they truly mean

Answer 5

If the dang idiotic hippies would just STOP burning the flag, we wouldn't have to make a law to protect it from being burned.

The liberals are taking away our rights to say the Pledge of Allegiance and want to take away our rights to protect our flag. I'm OFFENDED by that. The ACLU is the primary culprit in the loss of our CIVIL rights. Ironic isn't it. When freedom of expression is being able to put the Cross in a jar of urine or being able to burn your country's flag, then we really really need to step back and truly look at what we are doing. And I'll say it again, if you hate this country SO much that you feel you have to burn the flag, please move. Go to some crappy 3rd world communist/socialist country where they LOVE to burn flags. You'd be much happier there.

Answer 6

You are indeed an Honorable person. I do believe it is really needed. It ticks me off when I see the U.S. Flag being desecrated. I also think an immediate expulsion from America would be an appropriate sentence of being sent to Cuba or China or how about Iran(that would be good, the Air force can do a border flyby of Iran securely affix him/her with a paintball gun dressed in black ops fatigues with a patch that says special person Or a" gift to the people of Iran" or a Target on his back, then push the offender out with a cheap parachute and let him fend for himself ). was a pleasure to express my thoughts and answer to your question.

Answer 7

I think its just a waste of time. There are many other more important
issues that need to be addressed. I am proud of the flag and I would never desecrate is. However, if someone should do so...Then they are morons, just like them damn morons that protest the at the solders funerals (Westburo Baptists run by that Reverend Phelps) I think that is far worse to desecrate a solders funeral, But these people are protected by free speech! and I do support free speech....Now...I think the American Government should spend more time investigating and Impeaching that that lying Neo-Con that is distroying our country,

Answer 8

I am royally pissed if anyone desecrates our flag. However, one of the things I revere about this country is freedom of speech. There are times when desecrating the flag would be 'fighting words' and not protected. I immediately think of those people who protest the Iraq war at the funeral of a slain soldier. I would hope some of his buddies came armed in that circumstance, to tell the truth.

However, I don't want a Constitutional amendment to stop flag desecration. I don't want people to act that way, but I don't want to start down the 'slippery slope' of banning political speech.

I do however, reserve the right to vote against things if I see people in favor of a cause desecrating our flag or putting another flag above ours at one of our schools. I am entitled to my own freedom of expression. I am also entitled to have their choice of means of expression color my opinion of them.

Answer 9

America already has laws about this, so I see it as a ploy by our government to make Americans feel as if they are important, and that our traditions must be up held. Yet, every time I call to make an adjustment on any of my accounts, I have to press 1 for English, even though Mr. Bush has said that English is the American language. He is so full of it.

Answer 10

I admire the way that you think. I wish there were more TRUE Americans here. You can tell who the morons here are. Any piece of garbage that won't pledge allegiance to our flag is not for us but against us and should leave this country as fast as possible. We don't need traitors here, we have enough of them in Congress.