Flag burning is highly offensive to me, and a lot of people. The guy who burns Old Glory knows that, and it fuels his desire for attention. It's the reason he burns the flag, to offend. If he wanted to use his free speech to change minds, win opinions, and further his goals, he would employ a little wit, some humor, a smattering of logic and reason. But someone who would burn a flag cannot put higher facilities to use. He's a garden variety idiot. Burning the flag is the social equivalent to dropping your pants and taking a massive dump in the middle of a crowded subway car. "Hey, look at me! See how stupid and offensive I can be?"
The thing for me is, when someone decides to be that offensive and that provacative, I feel moved to return the favor.
Quote:
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"For it has been said so truthfully that it is the Soldier, not the Reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the Poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag who gives that protester the freedom he abuses to burn that flag."
Zell Miller
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I would add it is the soldier, not the psuedo-intellectuals, forum philosophizers, and leet_skillz doods who has given us the freedom to debate the line of good taste and respect for national institutions.
And as Subman said, these people are cowards as well. Just like my Madonna example, a guy who burns a flag in the UK, Germany, Finland, or the US knows he can get away with it. We don't see him burning flags in countries like China of North Korea, do we? No, of course not. He doesn't have the balls.