Reply #119: The flag isn't frozen in time. It doesn't represent a person or a policy

[AZBlue]

or an administration or a vote on a bill or a war. It represents a country, past, present and future. It represents the greater ideals and aspirations of that country, not a specific mistake and or problem. It represents all the people of a country, not the president or the secretary of state or anyone other one person.

If a person cares enough to stand up and protest something they see wrong in that country, why would they then turn around and destroy that country, even in representation? If it is a matter of free speech, then in my opinion it's possibly the most ridiculous and absurd example of free speech I could think of. It contradicts itself. "I believe in this country (and the free speech it awards me) so much that I'm going to burn the very symbol of it!" Huh?

If someone hates this country that much (not this president, not this war, not this policy, not this administration, not this law, not this congress, but this country) then burning a flag isn't going to solve their problem anyway.

And, maybe the flag is just a piece of cloth to some but it's a lot more than that to most people, both now and throughout our history. If that's your opinion of the flag, then so be it - you're completely entitled to that opinion. But, that's not a majority opinion and most Americans would like to see the flag respected because it means much more to them than just some fabric. If you don't believe me, then why does everyone know who Betsy Ross is if she was just another seamstress? Why do we still sing the "Star Spangled Banner"? Why is it draped over coffins of military and police? And so on.



(And before anyone quotes Supreme Court rulings to me, I'll save you time - I really disagree with that case, so it won't sway my opinion or "enlighten" me.)