How important is your country's flag to you?

Question

I feel that It doesnt bother me that much if people turn it upside down. It is just a symbol. How do you feel?

I am not condoning flag burning or vandalism, It just doesnt bother me, because it is not like they are flying planes into our buildings or anything.

some people are always going to be disrespectful, like when you said I am not nice cowboy.

Answer 1

its just a piece of cloth

flag worshippers have their priorities twisted

Answer 2

The flag is important symbol when you think about it. It represents who we are, where we have been, the things we have fought for, the freedoms we enjoy. That's a powerful statement for something that is "just a symbol." When people disrespect our flag, I feel they are disrespecting what we as a nation and a people are. I am especially offended when those people demand rights in a country they hold nothing but contempt for. The United States has made itself a mecca for illegals and legals alike, providing medical care, housing, social services, education, and social freedoms many would not have in their home countries. They live a much better life here in the states, have so much more opportunity, and yet they have no loyalty or respect for the country that has given them a better life.
I am sorry, but it sickens me.

Answer 3

Lady. Your stance is all messed up! You have not done one damn thing for this country but Talk and Complain!

Go serve, get shot at, see your comrades killed maimed or die in your arms then come back and open your mouth.

The flag is more than just a symbol. Trying telling that to all the families that were given the flag that covered their love ones casket and now lays folded in a prominent place in their homes so that it can be seen everyday as thought the love one is there.

Tell that to all the ones that stood up under enemy gun fire and went forth with it raised high and to the ones following it that got killed before the rest took out the enemy!

Go to the hospitals where the casualties of war lie cripple, lame, disfigured and run your crap by them!

Go to Iraq and run your line to the soldiers returning from a mission with some of their dead troops wrapped in the American flag!

I try to stay objective in any forum, and respect that everyone has a right to say their opinion.

But lady, Damn it, like too many others, I have been shot at for this country and there are too damn many like you that have not given or done a damn thing and want to step on and slap every veteran or civilian who has paid the price with life or limb.

The American Flag is a physical part of all those that carried her, died while holding her, and wept for the ones she covered in death.
NOTHING ABOUT THAT IS SYMBOLISUM!

Answer 4

US Flag:

Turning it upside down is a distress signal.

If people want to burn it, they should wrap themselves in it first.... then fire away.....

It is one of the very few flags in the world that stands for Freedom and Rights.

Desecrating the US Flag just means the one doing it is a total idiot.... it is a worthless action that has no effect on Americans.... other than lowering America's regard for the ones doing it. Like I said, "idiots"

Our Flag still waves, sometimes flutters, in the breeze. It is a symbol of America, it is the symbol of a winner, the best place to live on Earth.

Answer 5

that is true... it would only be offensive if someone blew up a populated area, fly a plane into a building, or went on a killing spree on Innocent people.... a flag is a flag... I don't think the flag makes this county the most powerful nation in the world.

i didn't find the upside-down flag thing offensive either since it wasn't burned, but some people ACT as if they're so patriotic..

Answer 6

A flag is a symbol of where we live and who we are. What it means depends on how patriotic you are.

I'm Welsh and I know Welsh people who will only fly the Welsh flag because the hate the Union Jack. I also sadly see a lot of intolerance and anti-English bigotry among my fellow Welsh (like the ones who tore down any England flags that were flying for the world cup) which puts me off as I then associate that sort of behaviour with the Welsh Flag and find it hard to be a real Welsh patriot as I don't want t be associated with that sort of thing.

When England played Portugal in the World Cup my next door neighbour flew a Portguese flag as a delberate insult to the English (and to my boyfriend) and that made me mad and ashamed to be Welsh.

My boyfriend is English and I've had Welsh men come up to me and call me a "traitor" and tell me I should get a Welsh man ("what, an intolerant idiot like you?" I ask them).

I am happy to fly both the Welsh flag and the Union Jack. In the same token some people attribute the Union Jack to the National Front and nazism, but to be honest I think people are trying to reclaim flags. My boyfriend flies the English flag (when its not being torn down by idiots) and to him it symbolises who he is and where he comes from and I can totally respect that.

I think it can be offensive to turn a flag upside down or burn it if you are trying to directly insult the people of the country and their culture. It annoys me to see Welsh boys tearing down English flags because it smacks of bigotry and intolerance. I'd possibly be offended if someone tore downa Welsh flag but then I would probably just laugh at them for being a bigot.

I do sort of like the Union Jack though, I dunno why I just reminds me of when I was a kid and the Silver Jubilee and all that. It saw the UK through WWII and that can't be a bad thing. If someone burned or tore down a Union Jack I would see it as an insult to the men and women who died in WWII to save us from the Nazis - my father fought in WWII so I would be insulted by that.

Answer 7

You got some really good answers on here. You probably already know how I feel but I will tell you a little anyway. The United States flag is NOT just a symbol and I think that it's very sad that you feel that way. It represents generations of wars in this country, which in turn represents many deaths, deaths that bought YOUR RIGHTS IN THIS COUNTRY IN BLOOD!

I cannot for the life of me understand how someone such as yourself can be born in the greatest nation on earth and take up consistently for criminal trespassers and their criminal actions and say something like this about the "symbol" that represents your country. You are probably a nice person, really. Maybe you are just misguided. At any rate, I think it's sad.

Answer 8

Turning it upside down is not disrespectful of the FLAG (although it may be a statement against the government.) It is a military symbol of distress.

In protest, it means a country in distress.

Answer 9

In the U.S. the flag being upside down is a sign of distressed. Burning the flag is a sign of disrespect if it is done in protest. I believe that a flag is a symbol and the U.S. flag is the true symbol of freedom. Freedom in titles us to express ourselves.

Answer 10

It is just a symbol ????

Keep Talkin SH*IT
WE THE PEOPLE Will Shove Our Flag
SO FAR Up YOUR @$$
That You'll Be Pickin The Stars And Stripes
Outta Whats Left Of Your Teeth

THATS How I Feel

Answer 11

i'm all for symbolic significance, but i don't get the extreme anger and violence that is associated with desecration of the flag. that is when people should be able to let go and say, "well, it's just a piece of fabric" rather than getting out of control and letting the flag burner's actions have such a strong affect on them. if you do let it get to you like that, you're letting them win. the flag doesn't carry the same significance to the person doing the desecrating, so why let it get to you? it's like a christian drawing a picture of mohammed - they know it's naughty and will anger the muslim, but other than that it has no symbolic significance to the christian, so the muslim should just let it go.