Man arrested for humping American Flag

[K e r b e r o s]

It is YOUR opinion. It is not MY opinion. That's whats wonderful about freedom, we can all have our own opinions without being persecuted for them. But as soon as you infringe on someone elses opinion by making that perticular opinion illegal you lose freedom, the same freedom all those people died to protect.

So its for that reason, you elect that flag burning be relegalized in some states?

How does a flag make you appreciate freedom more than freedom makes you appreciate freedom?

Because this is an age where people are willing to kowtow to a half-arsed evolved set of paganisms referred to now as these three secular bodies of self-imposed power-tripping hypocracies; Christianity, Catholicism, and Islam, at the drop of a suicide bomb or Matthew Shepard beating.

You learn to appreciate Freedom when, from inside your communities churches, schools, and they're own your homes, people willingfully practise the sacrifice of personal belief, choice, intellectualism, and democracy in favour of religious totalarinism because they lack the responsibility or brain to live or choose for themselves, because lets face it: It's easier to live if someone cuts out a plan for you to stick by, instead of living and adapting the ever changing standards of westernism.

Our flag over a holy book. Any day of the week.

 

[Absinthe]

Anyone who thinks that burning or destroying an American flag is ok doesn't understand what the flag truly represents and why it represents it.

Au contraire. Anybody who thinks that flag desecration should be considered treasonous doesn't understand what the flag is supposed to mean.

First of all, let me say that I have little sympathy for this man. He is clearly an attention-whoring twit. But the flag is a piece of cloth. It is a physical representation of an idea. We're not even talking about the fundamental core of the United States, which lies in the Constitution. A free country allows open expression, even if such expression rails against the very country that allows it. Dissent is not a ****ing crime.

What this man did to the flag harmed nobody. If you think it was stupid, then that's fine. I happen to agree. But to criminalize his act is to miss the entire point the flag represents. How can you can say that the flag is a symbol of freedom and then think it's right to punish somebody for what he freely does with it? It's nothing short of hypocrisy. In all honesty, **** the memory of the dead and the blood that was shed into it. It is not the obligation of people to care.

If they gave freedoms to be an unnapreciative dick, they might as well make stealing legal, too.

Because flag desecration and theft are totally similar. Am I right or am I right?

 

[DeusExMachina]

....
I think you're all dumb to be honest. Stern loves posting this dumb shit all the time, yeah woo, lololol am i rite. And then you got the "oh wow glad I live *insert country here*" because hey, laughing at something stupid we do allows them to ignore their own country's flaws. And then the american defenders come to save the day and then the more liberal americans argue with the defenders and then stern tries to act like he wasn't trying to start anything and then we get 20 page threads and then I chime in with something stupid or partially relevant.

Is it possible for us to break this cliche cycle? Please?

 

[Que-Ever]

Because flag desecration and theft are totally similar. Am I right or am I right?

They both have laws against them, so they both should not be done. Durr.

If there is a law against doing something, and you do it anyway, you're going to get punished. Am I right?

 

[K e r b e r o s]

It is not the obligation of people to care.

Yet it is not an obligation of ours to forget or respect dissent when, against the demands of reason or explanation, men can lay instead a lack of responsibility.

You're right. It is not the obligation of people to care, but if they don't care about they're freedoms, then it should'nt be in harms way to reduce they're liberties to a prison sentence.

 

[Absinthe]

They both have laws against them, so they both should not be done. Durr.

If there is a law against doing something, and you do it anyway, you're going to get punished. Am I right?

I had a similar conversation with zombieturtle in the latest marijuana topic. Just the same, both of you have missed a key factor in your arguments: Whether or not the laws in question are reasonable or justified in the first place.

Theft harms another individual or individuals by unrightfully taking their possessions.

Flag desecration insults your opinions. Whoop-dee-****ing-doo. I can go to a comedy club and have that happen.

 

[Muffin Man]

Because flag desecration and theft are totally similar. Am I right or am I right?

That all depends; was it his flag?

 

[VirusType2]

Burn him alive.

 

[Absinthe]

Yet it is not an obligation of ours to forget or respect dissent when, against the demands of reason or explanation, men can lay instead a lack of responsibility.

You're right. It is not the obligation of people to care, but if they don't care about they're freedoms, then it should'nt be in harms way to reduce they're liberties to a prison sentence.

I don't expect you to respect dissent. What I do expect is the justice system of the United States to not waste its time with frivolous crap such as this and trample the rights of its citizens under some outdated notion of patriotic morality. In a land where people can wear the flag as underpants, this is nothing if not woefully inconsistent. It is not my legal obligation to be supply an explanation or be reasonable with my actions, so long as I am not harming you or others. We can't lock people up for being victimless idiots.

 

[No Limit]

So its for that reason, you elect that flag burning be relegalized in some states?

I hear this statement a lot. The people that make this statement don't really understand how a free democracy is supposed to work.

The way a free democracy works is that it is set up to protect the rights of the minority, not force the beliefs of the majority on the minority.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Flag desecration insults your opinions. Whoop-dee-****ing-doo. I can go to a comedy club and have that happen.

The flag is not an opinion. It's a fact. It means more to me then our current President ever will and it represents the lineage of both our fallacies and successes.

You want to make a statement on why you hate America? Do so in words because I will not excuse the destruction of this countries property to benefit the mentally sick or politically upset.

 

[Uriel]

Whole thing is odd to me. The people with the biggest problem about this, don't even live in America.

"ZOMG, American patriots have laws against anti-patriotism. It's our duty that we must criticize again and again for every action America takes."

The guy was a total twink, just trying to do something controversial, to get attention or whatever. What is the point of burning a flag? What message does that send? I hate America, lets destroy it? Lets do away with everything it stands for? In no way is it constructive. In no way does it serve a purpose, other than to maybe offend. You want something changed in America, do it in a constructive, sane matter. Burning the flag is sending a message of hate.

 

[Absinthe]

That all depends; was it his flag?

I don't know if you're being cheeky or not. :| But I'll give a serious response any way.

The most this man can charged for is public indecency. If the flag did not belong to him, then he should be charged with theft. At no point, however, should the fact that the object of desecration was an American flag be of any importance whatsoever.

 

[No Limit]

The flag is not an opinion. It's a fact. It means more to me then our current President ever will and it represents the lineage of both our fallacies and successes.

Cool, thats what to it means to you, not me. So leave me the **** alone.

(I am using me as an example, I've never burned a flag nor do I plan on it, but I like to leave my freedoms open).

 

[No Limit]

Whole thing is odd to me. The people with the biggest problem about this, don't even live in America.

Umm, I live in America, I have for a long time. Before that as I child I lived under communism which makes me a little more understand of what happens when you start slowly chipping away at individual freedoms.

Absinthe seems to live in America also.

I really don't see your point.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

I hear this statement a lot. The people that make this statement don't really understand how a free democracy is supposed to work.

Your critiques I will not discard, but I cannot stake my arguements or rest them yet in the belief that you fundementally know better then all of our founding fathers. If I did that, I might die of old age.

I don't expect you to respect dissent.

Don't mistake me, Absinthe, dissent is naturally American. Yet if you want to share it, be public with it and stop using some over emotive effigy of burning flags to convey your political disbelief with our current generation of politicians and they're elected policies.

And I mean you, not directly, but to any of the "you" who'd support the destruction of our democratic symbols long above and before Bush. This much you owe a responsibility toward if, you're one of us who believe, that we, can do better.

(I am using me as an example, I've never burned a flag nor do I plan on it, but I like to leave my freedoms open).

Even if you did, if this is something you'd elect to have legalized then I have no intention of stopping you. Going through and making it an issue of freedom and designing it to be an allowed social right is acceptable, as long as individuals can carry with them an intellectual knowledge of our past and the intent to make our future as a nation better.

 

[VirusType2]

It bothers me almost as much as the fact that (some/most/all?) American Flags have a 'made in china' sticker on them.

All right, a .99 cent flag made of the cheapest materials with a life expectancy of one wind gust.

How patriotic. Our flags are made in other countries.

 

[Que-Ever]

I don't know if you're being cheeky or not. :| But I'll give a serious response any way.

The most this man can charged for is public indecency. If the flag did not belong to him, then he should be charged with theft. At no point, however, should the fact that the object of desecration was an American flag be of any importance whatsoever.

So you're saying, he shouldn't get punished for breaking a law.

 

[Absinthe]

The flag is not an opinion. It's a fact. It means more to me then our current President ever will and it represents the lineage of both our fallacies and successes.

You want to make a statement on why you hate America? Do so in words because I will not excuse the destruction of this countries property to benefit the mentally sick or politically upset.

The flag is a statement. Your value of it is a product of your opinion of it. I am not required to share in your views, no matter how important you may think the flag is or what it holds in your eyes.

Can anybody tell me what the real harm in this is? Not just some wishy-washy "Why do you hate freedom?" lecture. What are the serious, tangible repercussions of screwing with an icon?

 

[Absinthe]

So you're saying, he shouldn't get punished for breaking a law.

I'm saying this specific law shouldn't exist in the first place.

So yeah. What's so terrible about that? I'm not one to think that the status quo should be accepted "just 'cuz".

 

[VirusType2]

The flag is a statement. Your value of it is a product of your opinion of it. I am not required to share in your views, no matter how important you may think the flag is or what it holds in your eyes.

Can anybody tell me what the real harm in this is? Not just some wishy-washy "Why do you hate freedom?" lecture. What are the serious, tangible repercussions of screwing with an icon?

mass fear. (terrorism). of course this guy doesn't seem to incite fear. But angry mobs of people burning flags do.

 

[Absinthe]

Don't mistake me, Absinthe, dissent is naturally American. Yet if you want to share it, be public with it and stop using some over emotive effigy of burning flags to convey your political disbelief with our current generation of politicians and they're elected policies.

And I mean you, not directly, but to any of the "you" who'd support the destruction of our democratic symbols long above and before Bush. This much you owe a responsibility toward if, you're one of us who believe, that we, can do better.

I see where you're coming from, and I agree that this was extremely stupid on his part. But I hold that the destruction of the American flag is deserving of society's headshaking. Not legal recourse.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Your value of it is a product of your opinion of it.

Indeed, so when you burn it, I view it as your explaning to me that this countries liberties and rights will be subjected to religious quartering, the people social or religious slavery, and that everything our forefathers fought and died for would mean nothing to those who are at the very least not going to repent or reconcile the moral misgivings of religious or social manipulation and lie.

But I hold that the destruction of the American flag is deserving of society's headshaking.

And who in society, besides us, is shaking they're head?

 

[Que-Ever]

I'm saying this specific law shouldn't exist in the first place.

So yeah. What's so terrible about that? I'm not one to think that the status quo should be accepted "just 'cuz".

Say someone doesn't like the law of gravity. They climb up in a tree, and say they are going to start floating around. We don't know if this is because he's trying to get attention, or if he's retarded and really thinks he can fly or what. He jumps out of the tree, and breaks his arm.

Probably, you're thinking something like, "you can't compare the forces of nature to a law made by a bunch of stupid old conservatives in a town hall", but they were both (probably) established before any of the people involved with this scenario were born, there's nothing any of them can do to change either, and if you try to break either, something bad happens. It's not like the law has hard feelings against that one guy.

 

[No Limit]

Your critiques I will not discard, but I cannot stake my arguements or rest them yet in the belief that you fundementally know better then all of our founding fathers. If I did that, I might die of old age.

Why do you assume the founding fathers disagree with me?

And another interesting question since this was bought up. Do you think the founding fathers were virtual saints and we should take everything they said at face value?

 

[Absinthe]

Indeed, so when you burn it, I view it as your explaning to me that this countries liberties and rights will be subjected to religious quartering, the people social or religious slavery, and that everything our forefathers fought and died for would mean nothing to those who are at the very least not going to repent or reconcile the moral misgivings of religious or social manipulation and lie.

Or, when I burn it, I might just be acting like a dick for the sake of it. Or maybe if I desecrate it, I'm doing so for an artistic purpose.

Or maybe I am doing what you say I'm doing. I still fail to see how that requires legal intervention.

And who in society, besides us, is shaking they're head?

I imagine most people. But even if that was not the case, so what? What you're doing is supporting the government forcing opinions down the throats of its citizens. Again, it's not a crime to be an idiot.

Say someone doesn't like the law of gravity. They climb up in a tree, and say they are going to start floating around. We don't know if this is because he's trying to get attention, or if he's retarded and really thinks he can fly or what. He jumps out of the tree, and breaks his arm.

Probably, you're thinking something like, "you can't compare the forces of nature to a law made by a bunch of stupid old conservatives in a town hall", but they were both (probably) established before any of the people involved with this scenario were born, there's nothing any of them can do to change either, and if you try to break either, something bad happens. It's not like the law has hard feelings against that one guy.

You're right. I am thinking that's a stupid equivocation.

The thing is, laws against flag desecration can be changed. And the law apparently does have hard feelings against this one guy. After all, it is based on nothing but the sheerest of moral pretenses.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Why do you assume the founding fathers disagree with me?

Well, first things first: It's because they're dead. You can ask them but only the wind will answer.

Do you think the founding fathers were virtual saints and we should take everything they said at face value?

At face value ... are you attempting to marginalize the importance of they're actions or words to just that, face value, or are you subjectively passing this query along as if I take, what they say, at face value?

I don't believe in marginalizing -- it just sounds to small. For me, our forefathers actions meant a lot and it is only left for us to improve upon or persevere with.


As for face value, what about, what they said is something you'd consider worthy of reobservation and revision?

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Or maybe if I desecrate it, I'm doing so for an artistic purpose.

People molest children for "art". If they're ever wasn't a more false reason veiling the political upset and internal turmoil people feel reguarding our present situation, then I'd more likely call it honesty were it not for the lies that hide its true purpose.

I'm just going to say this for the lot of you here, in that burning a flag is a lot like a statement, because when you burn it, you're also 'burning' a statement: The statement that we should live free. When, however the only way you choose to respect a fellow statement is to "burn" it, people of this ilk remind me nothing but of religious or social facisms that scapegoat they're own terrible realities with phrases like, "Non-believers will be tortured and killed, believers will be the Prophet or goto to Paradise" or "rational thought can be defined as long as it excludes psychological taboos like, 'thinking outside of our government/anarchial served box'."

You've got something worth to say? Speak it, because a picture is'int worth a thousand words if the picture was'nt drawn to have them.

I still fail to see how that requires legal intervention.

If there is a law against speeding, legal intervention is required to see that people do not speed. If it is a law in your state that mandates all flag burning illegal then it is wise not to burn or desecrate a flag.

But by all means, if this is a law you do not think is constitutional then it is time to bring it to the attention of congress, and litigate to them what is so mature about destruction being called art, or statements in the form of unresponsible property damage and politically upset slander.

 

[sinkoman]

The flag is not an opinion. It's a fact. It means more to me then our current President ever will and it represents the lineage of both our fallacies and successes.

You want to make a statement on why you hate America? Do so in words because I will not excuse the destruction of this countries property to benefit the mentally sick or politically upset.

It's a freaking piece of cloth. I'll shit on it as much as I like, and if the government wants to stop me, then i'd say that my government is a fascist pile of crap.

This country was formed on the ideal that so long as I don't hurt anybody, I do whatever the **** I want, whenever the **** I want. It's sad to see that our founding ideals are slowly disappearing.

Kerberos, laws are created to stop people from harming each other. There is no harm involved when somebody takes a shit on your precious flag.

 

[Absinthe]

People molest children for "art", stop sueing me of your point and just spill it. Or, I could say it for you. Burning a flag is a lot like a statement, because when you burn it, you're also 'burning' a statement and when the only way you can respect a statement is to "burn" it, people of this ilk remind me nothing but of the NSDAP and they're inaugural book burning rallies.

You've got something worth to say? Speak it, because a picture is'int worth a thousand words if the picture was'nt planned to draw them.

Child molestation hurts the child. Flag desecration hurts your opinions. There's an ocean of a difference there, and I'm surprised you'd stoop to such a comparison. We don't live in a world where every act or image needs to have meaning or even a half-assed explanation behind it. Leave them to their stupidity unless it threatens to intrude on you (which shows no indication of happening any time soon). Just like my view of religion, I believe this is a matter best solved through change of the social zeitgeist. Not prohibition.

If you think such sights are without worth, then don't look at them. Prop up a counter-argument. Or just call them out on their stupidity. At no point is it necessary for the government to step in and babysit your sensitivities.

If there is a law against speeding, legal intervention is required to see that people do not speed. If it is a law in your state that mandates all flag burning illegal then it is wise not to burn or desecrate a flag.

But by all means, if it is a law you do not think is constitutional then it is time to bring it to the attention of congress, and litigate to them what is so mature about destruction being called art, or statements in the form of unresponsible property damage and political upset slander.

Sure it's not wise, but that's beside my point. And I would very much like to see this brought to the attention of congress because I view this as a victimless crime - an utter oxymoron. Of course, I doubt there'd be any reasonable discussion of it at this point in time when it seems every politician is more interested in playing one-up games over who is more American.

 

[co05]

Absinthe ftw.

I say Absinthe 2008!

Edit: But seriously, it's really disconcerting to see politicians start to enforce their ideals on people. I full-heartedly agree that the flag reperesents freeedom and the people who die for it, but my neighbor might not. I don't agree with him, but I respect his opinion.

Kerberos,

Just stop with the "the flag means this, the flag means that" stuff. As I've said, I agree, but it's PURELY an opinion. I doubt that you'd get a group of people to unanimously agree with you. Yes, it's pointless to burn it and defile it, but if I'm not being physically harmed by it, there's nothing really that can be rightfully done.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

It's a freaking piece of cloth. I'll shit on it as much as I like, and if the government wants to stop me, then i'd say that my government is a fascist pile of crap.

Then you'll shit on your own freedoms and right to exercise them, so when you surrender all reason to some under thought effigy veiled statement and are reduced to a prison sentence, it will be you're name that I forget behind cell bars.

This country was formed on the ideal that so long as I don't hurt anybody, I do whatever the **** I want, whenever the **** I want.

You're hurting more then just me its also other people you're offending and thank god this is law because you deserve nothing more then government sponsored shit ration and stale as brick bread when you'd do nothing to share with us what burning a flag means to you, only to neanderthalocly protest our current regime by trampeling on our past, wet dreaming of anarchy.

Sure it's not wise, but that's beside my point.

Yes I know, because its zeeOMG so cool to not be wise. It's all about getting yours and not sharing it with anyone else.

Flag desecration hurts your opinions.

It also hurts the trust and saftey people feel in they're government when individuals around them throw a big nasty, "Oh, nobodys paying attention to my political temper-tantrums so lets go riot some shit", so when I think of someone burning our flag I also envision someone less then intellectual as it takes mere thuggery to destroy property but diplomacy to SHARE IT.

I say Absinthe 2008!

You think he or I would be better then Bush? As long as they're are mistakes, then they're will always be the humanity that is George W. Bush Junior. Strange, your just as foolishly patriotic as I once was. Believe the words, not the heart because you know nethire.

 

[sinkoman]

Then you'll shit on your own freedoms and right to exercise them, so when you surrender all reason to some under thought effigy veiled statement and are reduced to a prison sentence, it will be you're name that I forget behind cell bars.



You're hurting more then just me its also other people you're offending and thank god this is law because you deserve nothing more then government sponsored shit ration and stale as brick bread when you'd do nothing to share with us what burning a flag means to you, only to neanderthalocly protest our current regime by trampeling on our past, wet dreaming of anarchy.



It also hurts the trust and saftey people feel in they're government when individuals around them throw a big nasty, "Oh, nobodys paying attention to my political temper-tantrums so lets go riot some shit", so when I think of someone burning our flag I also envision someone less then intellectual as it takes mere thuggery to destroy property but diplomacy to SHARE IT.



You think he or I would be better then Bush? As long as they're are mistakes, then they're will always be the humanity that is George W. Bush Junior. Strange, your just as foolishly patriotic as I'am. Believe the words, not the heart.

I really could care less who the **** I offend. If you're offended by my defecation on the flag, then tough luck for you. If you're offended by my sexuality, tough luck for you. If you're offended by the car I drive, TOUGH LUCK FOR YOU.

DEAL WITH IT, don't make the government start punishing me because you're offended by what I do. Aside from this stupid one, there are pretty much ZERO LAWS that stop me from offending anybody. You know why? Because it's my freedom of opinion.

The government isn't there to shield you from the world, au contrair, it's there to protect you, PHYSICALLY, from idiots without morales. It's your own job to maintain your own sanity in your opinions, and it's your own job to deal with your opinions, mentally. If your opinion of me shitting on the flag is that i'm committing treason, well you need to deal with it yourself. The government isn't going to baby you all the way through your life.

You may think the flag stands for all this stupid crap, "my freedoms, my religion, my rights", BLA BLA BLA. Well you know what, it DOESN'T. IT'S A DAMN PIECE OF CLOTH. If I shit on a rag, you could care less. But I shit on a rag painted like the flag? OH NOES STOP THE PRESSES AND ARREST THIS MAN!

It's a stupid law that really does nothing but harm the peoples own freedoms, which is ironic considering that people like you view the flag as exactly that, our freedoms.

KERBEROS, you've really come to the point where you're arguing nothing. The only thing you're saying is that we're basically stupid. It seems to me that you've pretty much run out of valid arguments.

 

[Absinthe]

It also hurts the trust and saftey people feel in they're government when individuals around them throw a big nasty, "Oh, nobodys paying attention to my political temper-tantrums so lets go riot some shit", so when I think of someone burning our flag I also envision someone less then intellectual as it takes mere thuggery to destroy property but diplomacy to SHARE IT.

Since when is flag desecration comparable to rioting? You have a very big gap in your logic between the destruction of the flag and the erosion of government trust. Let's re-clarify: We are discussing the sole act of destroying the flag, independent of any other crimes.

How intelligent you think these people are is irrelevant. I think creationists and fundamentalist Christians fail at utilizing their intellect, but I have no legal grounds on which I can fight them, nor would I support any legal action against the expression of their ideas. I find the "moral majority" to be a bigger threat to the United States than any flag-burning dipshit, but I'm not calling for arrests over their expressions or displays.

We do not have the thought police. People can express their views no matter how stupid, ignorant, and juvenile they may be. It's when such thoughts manifest into actions at the expense of others that the government can step in. For instance, there's a difference between making an "anti-fag" website and actually murdering somebody over their sexual orientation. If you truly value freedom in the United States - the freedom of speech in particular here - then the extent of your outrage should be calling this man an idiot. Not calling for his incarceration.

Any way, I'm done here... at least for tonight. I think I've said all that can be said from my standpoint. The flag is an inanimate, artificial object. The value placed in it is always up to the individual, and to think that somebody can be imprisoned for treating it with less respect than others would is astounding.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

I really could care less who the **** I offend.

Yea, and you just did'nt develope that mental instability while you were on vacation. Bullied? Sure, everyone is at some point. Pressured? Yep. Happens. Unsure, Sure, Maybe, You dunno? Yep. We all do that. So, whats so different between you or I that one of us has to choose recklessness and hate to express his opinions? None, its just that you think it says more about your political suffering or upset when infact it says nothing at all of the sort, except that you hate my rights and the rights of others and yourself. It also speaks of your intellectual capacity to debate or work out your problems through diplomacy, however lacking. And this effigy burning symbolic political emotive bullshit does nothing to forward your progress when as a follower, you cannot explain it to me, and further does not cause understanding amungst people but rage. ... Can you understand why?

So where or why is someone deserving of personal hurt or offense just to benefit your consortium of policy or country bashing? It's not clever anymore to burn a flag -- its old, retire it. Try talking, we understand it better.

Since when is flag desecration comparable to rioting?

As long as the statement is ill-rational and destructive, then however by the straw you'd accuse me of drawing, would flag burning be comparable to a riot or utter lawlessness, because a riot is ill-rational with the intended goal to be lawless simply to achieve, entirely, nothing. I will forever be intolerant of someone who would drive recklessness and propaganda as rationalized statements or actions that are just and will just not fall into line nor fathom with the thought that these people are thinkers when they choose brutality or law-breaking as apt methods of sharing ones opinion.

 

[Qonfused]

It's not clever anymore to burn a flag -- its old, retire it. Try talking, we understand you better.

Talking lacks the impact and doesn't create a huge stir as burning a flag obviously does.

I understand why some people would be pissed off at some guy burning a flag, or humping it, but the fact that he got arrested is pretty extreme. He should have claimed "symbolic speech," and he would have been let go.

 

[co05]

So where or why is someone deserving of personal hurt just to benefit your consortium of policy or country bashing? It's not clever anymore to burn a flag -- its old, retire it. Try talking, we understand you better.

It's old, yes, but no one has ANY right to say that a person can or cannot do it.

 

[sinkoman]

Yea, and you just did'nt develope that mental instability while you were on vacation. Bullied? Sure, everyone is at some point. Pressured? Yep. Happens. Unsure, Sure, Maybe, You dunno? Yep. We all do that.

So where or why is someone deserving of personal hurt just to benefit your consortium of policy or country bashing? It's not clever anymore to burn a flag -- its old, retire it. Try talking, we understand you better.

Because when i'm restricted my right to voice my opinion, in any way shape or form, i'm restricted one of my freedoms, that is, to voice my opinion

I really would never want to burn the flag, believe me, but it should be one of my freedoms to do whatever the hell I want to a silly piece of cloth, regardless of what others think that piece of cloth stands for.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Kerberos,

Just stop with the "the flag means this, the flag means that" stuff.

No, because it means something to me and you will never convince us that our flag or rights as a people should be destroyed, whether physically or symbolically.

Talking lacks the impact and doesn't create a huge stir as burning a flag obviously does.

Sure, let's just shoot my babysitter for doing a shitty job after the fact I expressed to her mother that the impact of her watching my child was about as senseless and chaotic as leaving my kid in the goddamn dryer with it set to 90-minute heat dry press. Sounds rational? No, and its not suprising.

Again, it strikes me as nothing more then some makeup drowned emo whining about life when he's got it all. And compared to a lot of other countries, most of you do.

I really would never want to burn the flag, believe me, but it should be one of my freedoms to do whatever the hell I want to a silly piece of cloth

That cloth is not silly -- it's our nations flag. Either you respect what its meant to ensure and entrust you with and explain legitimately whats going wrong in your political and social world, or you sue yourself of ever having one extra year of your life thats not behind bars.

 

[Qonfused]

Sure, let's just shoot my babysitter for doing a shitty job when before of mentioning her piss-poor work, nobody cared. So now, while she's bleeding and dying from "lead poisoning", I'm sure the news will happily cater to my message when I just killed the anchors daughter.

Go **** yourself. Flag burning only means that your so upset by some political fart in the wind that the only rational way you could convince yourself of expressing this outraged, would be through the burning of a symbol of our freedom to express our outrage and concern.

Again, it strikes me as nothing more then some makeup drowned emo whining about life when he's got it all.

Rofl, calm down man. I was just saying the TRUTH. If someone says "I hate America," no one cares. If the same person burns a flag, people get all riled up. It's the truth. No need for that hostility, lol.