Which is more important: aligiance to the USflag or the aligiance to the USconstitution. Why?

Answer 1

The Constitution (combined with the Bill of Rights and other amendments) is much more important, because it defines our basic rights and our relationship with the state, as well as the relationship between the several states and the federal government.

The flag is merely a symbol.

Answer 2

Well, the Constitution of course--it's not just a document, it's what makes the whole system work on a daily basis. Flags can come and go. But a couple replies to earlier answers....One, the flag does not represent the Constitution--it may represent the nation, but don't even think about equating the flag and the Constitution. I'll take a country with a Constitution and no flag rather than one with a flag and no Constitution. Two, there actually IS an example of someone swearing allegiance to the Constitution: the President of the United States is required to do it BY the Constitution when he takes office ("I, [doofus], do solemnly swear that I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Even if some presidents sort of forget about it later...) And there are any number of oaths of office requiring the oath-taker to swear to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. No matter how often you may say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, nobody swears an oath to it.

Answer 3

The Constitution, any day. The flag is just a symbol, but the Constitution is what our government is founded on. If someone tries to violate the flag, it may be upsetting, but it's not going to change our lives. If the government tries to ignore the Constitution, however, it can take away the very rights our country was founded on in the first place. Remember that next time Bush says it's OK to tap phone lines.

Answer 4

The last answer was correct- the constitution is a "living" document that establishes the ground rules for our nation. The flag while an important symbol of the United States, has no power of esablishing the right of man, the serperation of powers between the executice, judical, and legislative branches, etc...

Answer 5

The Constitution, which is a document which clearly states the American values and the foundations for the American state and way of life. The flag is a symbol and has no inherent meaning, therefore it can be corrupted (think of the swastika -- originally the sign of the four Vedas and there unification as a whole, today -- except in Hindu-inhabited places -- a sign of oppression and genocide).

Answer 6

The constitution and bill of rights is the law of the land. It is what guides and protects all of us from the president on down to a new born.

In the end the flag is just a symbol, a powerful one but a symbol. It has no power in and of it's self to protect or guide only what those governed by our constitution and bill or fights give it.

Answer 7

The Constitution of course, it is who we are, our laws, basically our entire system, and WE The People give consent....if the flag i s burned, well just a charred bit of cloth, but if the Constitution is disregarded, then we are no longer the United States of America, as that is what the Constitution created.

Answer 8

As important as the flag is, the Constitution is greater. It is the supreme law of our land, originally drafted by our Founding Fathers and amended as needed. To not obey the Constitution is to not obey the law!!!

Answer 9

I have never heard of anyone offering or declaring "allegiance" to the Constitution - is this a concept that I missed in civics class? Hmmm, did I even take a civics class?

My allegiance is to my country - not to a flag, however it may blow, nor to a document, however it may be written.

Answer 10

Pennants are no more than instruments of identification. It is the words of our nation's founders that guide us.