Why do so many people disrespect the American Flag?

Question

The American flag is not a flag of the government. It is a symbol of who we are as Americans. Burning, shredding, trampling, or disrespecting the flag, as much as it is freedom of speech, is like saying "**** you" to the people who fought for that freedom. Not only is it disrespect to those who fought for our freedom, but to those who are happy to be free. The flag represents the People of the United States of America. For God's sake, if you think this country sucks so bad, go to another country like Iran. Burn their flag and see what becomes of you. You will quickly realize that America is a greater country than you make it out to be. People who burn the flag are just so narrowminded that they can't see that their freedom took many lives to achieve.

-God Bless America!!!!!!

Answer 1

It is those unwilling to fight for the American Flag who disrespect it, those unwilling to fight for freedoms and rights, then fight to maintain them.

"If you are going to burn the American Flag, please wrap yourself in it first."

Answer 2

First "so many people" is a myth. I've been alive 36 years and have yet to meet a people who bother with that. The fact they only legislation the Congress and President can agree on is a anti-flag burning amendment just points to a larger issue. I know Kid Rock and Willie Nelson offended people with the use of a flag in their attire. It's hardly an epidemic and more importantly I may not respect the expression I'll respect a persons right to express. It's a symbol as you say and it's substance is being trampled every time a service man is called a traitor for questioning the war or Government policy. It ceases to be the symbol of Democracy when religion becomes legislature. That's a Theocracy and it comes with it's own symbols found in the Spanish Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials, Crusades and The Holocaust.

Answer 3

I am disappointed in the young people of this country. I can understand why they are disillusioned with everything, but they are throwing away most of what their grandfathers and great grandfathers did for them.

I am not saying that only young people disrespect the flag. I just wanted to say what I had to say. I get tired of young people, who barely listened in history class, acting like they know what the heck is going on in the world. They put down anything American. They will be shocked when their world falls apart at the age of 50, because they didn't pay attention and listen, instead of flapping their lips.

Answer 4

ok in case you examine my previous responses you already know i'm not partial to liberal Nancy Pelosi yet what's this photograph from and how is it confirmed? no remember if it is what it appears that evidently then she particularly must be censured on the floor of the homestead and a few of her aids could desire to be fired. She is 2d in line to the Commander in chief and this is going on, i assume a Cuban flag could bypass up in the South backyard if she grew to become into president.

Answer 5

You said it. It's a symbol.

And like any other symbol, it's meant to be used as part of symbolic expression and communication.

What people like you seem to oppose is the use of that symbol to convey a message that you don't like. So, because you don't like what's being said, you want to prevent people from saying it.

You claim to love this country, but you apparently don't understand the core principles upon which it was founded. Read the Constitution some time. The entire concept of this country is to allow disagreement. To allow the people to say to the government "we don't like what you're doing". And to prohibit the government from punishing people for saying that.

What's disrespectful to this country and its values it telling people to shut up because you don't like what they're saying.

The flag more than just a piece of cloth. It is a symbol. And if this country is truly the land of the free and the home of the brave, we need to be willing to allow people to use that symbol in any message they want to express, whether we like it or not.

Or to quote from the Aaron Sorkin movie American President:
"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center-stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the land of the free."

Answer 6

Very well said.

God Bless America

Answer 7

its a piece of cloth.....what it stands for is in your heart and mind. you can't see how your narrow mind is taking that hard fought freedom away

Answer 8

burning the flag means: i am disgusted with the american govt, the american people

i am disgusted at the failure to maintain liberty, equality and fraternity, the great ideals of the american country

i am disgusted at what crimes are being committed by a people who are supposed to be the rallying point for freedom, the vanguard of civilisation for the world, the champion of the disempowered and underpaid

i am ashamed and disappointed that you failed to practice the essential vigilance, the heart of the democratic way, which was to prevent concentration of wealth, which is theft, injustice and tyranny, state terrorism, banditry, plunder and danger

burning the flag means: you americans have lost the right to be associated with the ideals and goodness of the american dream of freedom - for two centuries you have done nothing while tyrants stole the american dream - corporations, robber barons, federal reserve, employer thugs, tammany hall, military-industrial complex, mafias -

you have not even yet woken to the fact that the republic is dead, has been dead since you failed to heed jefferson's and lincoln's warnings against the rise of the corporation, which marked the beginning of the end, or the middle of the end, of democracy, freedom, safety, peace and dignity

by your lack of vigilance and maturity, you have betrayed the hopes of all humanity, you have lead the world at a furious pace towards extinction, with your irresponsibility, immaturity, craven deference and unsuspicion of your leaders, who were steadily turning into fullblown mass-murdering enemies to every innocence and goodness

you have never informed yourselves of the many many legal ways in which money is stolen from earners and makers by nonearners and rakers of money

you have never suspected that there was anything unjust with giant fortunes, although no one can work more than twice as hard as the average person

you have never feared large fortunes although one person was being paid an average of US$500,000 an hour and peaking at US$10 million an hour - taking out $10 million of goods and services in return for one hour of his time!

you have never suspected the existence of overpay even though you have been underpaid

you have never suspected that money was power and that unjust money was unjust power and that power corrupts or is attractive to the biggest rogues

you have continuously and happily grown giants of wealth and power, naively assuming those giants would take care not to trample on your liberties, although they did great crimes in your midst, naively assuming they would not use their power to rob and murder throughout the world, making enemies for you to fight for them

you didnt care how many liberties and people they trampled as long as you were left free enough to scratch and scrabble your way by legal frauds high enough out of the carnage

you could assume that the people who were being abused were always below you, never you

you didnt fear the creation of limitless wealth and power - you grew tyrants, and only looked to keep your feet out of the blood

instead of the true wisdom, to have everyone standing on the ground, equals, no one above weighing down on others, no one underneath, equality, fraternity friendliness, trust, justice, no overpay or underpay, aiming at equal pay for equal work, mutual respect, no anger of underpay, no oppression of overpower

you chose the heap of humanity, everyone oppressed and oppressing, happy as long as you could rise and be less weighed down, ignorant that the higher you went, the more you got pulled down at, the tougher and meaner the competition for the few high places, and the more likely you got thrown down from your high place [ceausescu] - not caring how many you oppressed by your climbing, not caring how many you had to kick in the face to prevent them getting up with you, not caring to see how the weight of the heap squeezed acres of blood from the bodies on the bottom [50 million a year [1% of humanity] starved to death, 50 million killed in the conflicts, 5% seriously injured], not seeing the many who fell or were thrown from high - not seeing that everyone without exception would be infinitely better off standing on the ground, liberty, equality, fraternity, peace, and plenty

the american flag is a good thing, a clean thing, a beautiful thing, a shining thing, a noble thing, and burning the american flag is symbolic too - symbolic of the fact that you have burned the american flag for 200 years

did you carry on the good work of the good founding fathers, and establish the maximum just fortune?

did you investigate the soundness of the arguments for unequal hourly pay and find their many flaws?

did you chronicle the many many wideopen legal ways by which money is stolen from earners to create tyrants?

did you distinguish in all that time the difference between making money by work, and raking money earned by others?

even to defend your own earnings, you didnt do this!

did you defend your birthright to one nth of the world's natural wealth, where n = the world population? - you let individuals walk away with big bags and buckets of oil and land and minerals and trees! stealing your liberty and fairshare of power along with your property!

you handed rogues money out of your own pocket to go and buy the whips and chains to imprison you!

it is not too late to redeem your good name and become again worthy of the flag you have burned and trampled for so long - but you will pay a high price! - you will have to become humble and patient students of the hardnosed realities you have neglected - be not just harmless as doves but wise as serpents, as jesus advised - canny and learned in how evil others can be -

rescue the flag!

[if you prefer to be offended by these words instead of taking any wisdom, kindness and truth that may be in them to your good, then walk on, to the bed you have made for yourselves!]