Everyone has the right to protest but when you burn the flag you have already lost the argument because it's negative and achieves nothing.

I was just joshing ya dude.

FWIW though, the Boy Scout manual is chock full of good information.

What world was that, exactly? I don't remember it ever being illegal to burn the flag in America.

How were we more free back then (assuming I'm wrong above)?


Again, how so?

I agree about their intentions, but they still have the right to express themselves. To deny that right is to deny a liberty that should remain basic.

The president is a human being, and one in an important position. We can't threaten him because it's too easy to inspire someone else to carry out that threat. The flag represents our country, and what it stands for. But it's still just a symbol. The founding creed of the United States is individual liberty. To take away any liberty because you don't like what it represents is to begin the erosion of all.

We had a case of a youth burning an Australian flag flown by the RSL (Returned servies league). He got a suspened sentance, and he then wrote and apology the the RSL.

The RSL then put forward a proposal for him to carry the flag on ANZAC day (the Australia version of veterans day), but had to scap it after fears that the guy could be hurt.

The general view was the guy was an idiot, and the punishment was good enough (he was found guilt of destruction of property). I don't think flag burning sould be banned, but bring your own, don't go destroying other peoples property!

Back in the 70's it was illegal to burn the flag in demonstration. I beleive it was the late 80's or early 90's where the Supreme Court ruled that it was OK.

On the freedom portion - PC is where you right to free speech, etc. is eroding. None of this existed back then. Back then, you just paid a common curtisy to your fellow man. Now you are expected to follow a set guideline depending on whom it is you meet and to step outside of that will bring practically a wraith down on you. As an example, I still don't get why Spanish is becomming a second language in this country and I am still called white, when I can't call anyone else by their skin color. No one calls me European American. It's all PC.

To burn ones flag is to incite revolt, inspire hate,' breed contempt, and its the road away from Nationalism - something that is required to grow as a country. No other way to describe it. I do not think it is a liberty and the Supreme Court shouldn't overturn and allow, but they did.

Try and burn a flag in China and see what happens. They have way more nationalism than we have this day and something such as flag burning would probably get you executed. CHina will take over America if this trend continues.

I'm just saying that it should be a law, at least in my country. Beyond that I really don't care where you go. If all countries were to make it a law against burning the flag, then I guess your stuck whether you like it or not Noob. Besides, you can still rant and rave, moan, bitch and cry as much as you always do. :know:

By the way, did you know that if an immigrant wants to become a citizen of the U.S.A, he or she must must take an oath to the following:

allegiance to the United States Constitution,
renunciation of allegiance to any foreign country or leader to which the immigrant has had previous allegiances to,
defense of the Constitution against enemies "foreign and domestic"
promise to serve in the United States Armed Forces when required by law (either combat or non-combat)
promise to perform civilian duties of "national importance" when required by law

So if a person must take said oath, I don't see anything wrong with making it also illegal to burn the flag. :)

So is calling the president any number of vile names, which we can do.

I disagree with you there, but any arguments I could come up with would simply be me disagreeing, not making a case; so I have to leave that one to opinion.

But isn't that what makes us better than China in respect to freedom? Or are you saying we should be more like them?

Part of the American system involves the freedom to gather in public...even for self-proclaimed Nazis in a Jewish suburb. It involves the freedom to publish pictures of the president altered to look like Adolf Hitler. It involves the freedom for people who "hate and loathe" our country to say so in public. It even involves the freedom for my mayor to stage a rally protesting the president when he spoke here, which I found to be in extremely poor taste in a public official. It involves the freedom for me to say I think said mayor-or the president himself-is an idiot.

Yes, burning a flag in China (or Nazi Germany) would get you shot. I thank God I don't live under those kinds of rules. I also get upset when I see someone burn the flag I revere, but as long as it's one they paid for themselves I'll continue to defend their right, not privilege, to do so. The Declaration Of Independence states that our rights are God-given (or natural to us, if you don't believe in any kind of god), and that we form countries to defend those rights. If someone offends us in exercising said rights, that's our problem, as well as theirs. You can't have it both ways; either we're free, or we're not.

I second that. It would be the same as burning down your house Noob by protesters...... I suppose you wouldn't object to that would you? Well the flag represents the house you live in, your country you call home, that you live and die for.

I voted yes, if they don't like a country that much then get the hell out.

voted yes. I belive that if you live here, you should atleast respect our flag.

Ignoring some of the essential flag burning of this topic, it's interesting how some react to such elements as burning a national symbol, either your own or somebody else's. I think GT182 sums it up rather clearly:
For me I'm not mortally offended if some scrote wants to burn the cross of st George or whatever, I find it somewhat disrespectful in the same way I find some folk who don't know how to close their mouth when eating, disrespectful and impolite. But then again I'm fairly realistic about what, at least the way things work over here; being patriotic about UK is all about. Or rather not about. To put it another way, I call my country home but I don't live and die for it. Perhaps if we were all transported back in time 60 years then I might think differently. I think this has something to do with the perceived or otherwise self effacing attitude that we brits are supposed to have.
American culture seems very different in this respect, perhaps given the nature of a country populated (initially) by european/other immigrants over the last 200 years or so where a sense of a new national identity is actively fostered. More "WOOO-HA! go America!" than the "yes... er quite, jolly good" you might expect from the typical English stereotype.

Whether the UK is richer or poorer for this lack of a strong national identity (outside of the football wa**** mentality) I'm not sure, but as I alluded to in my first post in this thread; we shouldn't make hasty new laws that potentially contradict that grey area we like to call freedom of speech ie. jail people for essentially doing something silly and in so doing making that expression itself a crime, when there are perfectly good laws already to deal with people setting fire to stuff in the middle of the street. All that is required is a modicum of common sense when using existing legislation, not making ill conceived 'headless chicken' laws for the sake of what I like to describe as popular opinion - something no law should be constructed upon.

I don't approve of the lack of gratitude some seem to show for what is their adopted home especially when they are spouting the worst kind of bile imaginable. If you want to complain, go right ahead, it's something of a national pastime for us brits :lol: but do it with a little humility - let some of that britishness rub off on you.
But it's that lack of respect (which manifests itself in the flag thing, amongst other ways), the cause and not the action that really annoys me. As I said (and have given some more thought to since) sod off to somewhere where, as an illiterate fanatic, you'll fit right in. Realistically you could be burning rubber chickens for all the difference it makes to any patriotism I might feel. As Neal said, "It's the idea the textile represents" the thing itself is just being used as a lever to polarize feeling, though I feel that most brits, myself included, have a somewhat lukewarm response to such actions**. Given this, these radicals would probably have more luck getting under our collective skin these days by attacking something closer to our hearts. Like taking the PG-Tips chimpanzees hostage, or something.

Lol, that's the trouble with relinquishing an empire that encompassed most of the known world- when all the apologizing for behaving 'like mad dogs and Englishmen in the midday sun' and owning everything and everyone in sight is done, or not having a good old fashioned straight-up enemy like 'Jerry' :roll: to focus the nations intent upon, there's just no cohesion anymore.:-j I don't know what is worse sometimes; the lack of clear resolution and consensus in these matters or the fact that people seem to need some greater 'foe' in order to center the nation's intent towards something good and useful for a change.


**
Illustrating this view is an amusing comment from another site, regarding the london bombings. Despite the outcry we were not off at the drop of a hat, invading Afghanistan (oops we're already doing that hehe), er, Pakistan then, because some of the chaps responsible went to alleged terror training camps there or somewhere near by.

Just checked the voting, this is a close vote, almost down the middle.

Nonsense.

Nonsense as well. I don't risk my b*tt for a country wich never did anything even nearly the way i think it's good. I don't call "my" country home. My House is my home. To hell with thatever nation. "We" get under attack? Time to leave. At least if the country in question would like to get rid of anyone who thinks like i do. NO country has aquired enought raspect from me to die for it. All a bunch of the worst people around who call themselves politicans. Those can go wherever they want to *meep* off and die. SANE normal people as politicans who don't care for personal gather, that would be *the* country.

No such thing till yet.

To hell with the social benefits that feed you as well?

Well Noob, then it must be why you use "Resident Moron" in your sig. If you don't respect yourself then I can understand why you don't respect anything esle., your country or someone else's included.

If I burnt the flag of someone else's country they'd be just as mad as I am when they burn the flag of mine. And if they did it in front of me, I set their shorts on fire... tout suiet.

Good one Neal. Let him go hungry for awaile.