Do you get angry/annoyed when people disrespect your country's flag?

[DerpyDerpyDerp]

I don't get upset if you attack symbols. Just don't hurt anybody.

 

[eggy32]

No. It's just a rectangle with some stripes on it. I don't think I've ever heard of someone making fun of a flag, so I've never had the chance to get angry at them.

 

[Ranorak]

I honestly can't remember any instance of seeing someone 'disrespecting' a Dutch flag. Probably because I don't care at all about this and wouldn't even notice. Tricolour red-white-blue flags are terribly unoriginal anyway.

Sir, I wish to high five you!

As I kid, I even had a bit of a hard time telling the difference between our flag and France.

Ours is horizontal Red, white and blue, and theirs is vertical red, white and blue. For those unaware.

 

[Jakub324]

I'm British (English, to be precise) yeah, kind of. Especially when they say it's the flag of slavery. They'd be more right if they said it was the flag of the Martians. I get annoyed when people disrespect any country's flag, come to think of it.

 

[Mark Flanagan]

Not really, End of the day it's a piece of pretty cloth you hang on a stick. It's not worth getting upset over in the big picture.

 

[supermariner]

I'm sure the youtube video of David Mitchell ranting about how anyone can give a shit about burning flags on Mock the week will turn up sooner or later

but no. I don't care if anyone disrespects the Union Jack or the St. George's Cross
And i don't really understand the viewpoint of anyone that does.

 

[King Toasty]

Canada? Fuck no, our flag falls from trees every goddamn autumn. I step on maple leafs all the fucking time.

Flags aren't representative of a country's ideals. It doesn't show their people, their attitudes or their leaders. A flag has very little meaning, except what people assign to it. And I think people put waayyyyy too much meaning into them.

[Edit] Example: My friend is from 'Merica. I was joking around with some people about how boring the States flag is. She just flipped the fuck out, yelling at me to show some respect for the Stars and Stripes. Then she yelled at me for disrespecting the Canadian flag, saying, "A flag is your country, If your flag breaks your country breaks."

I find this view unacceptable. A country should not be seen by it's symbol, but by it's actions.

Each part of the flag does represent something though. There are meaning for each part of the flag here and thats why people get upset, here its not a flag but something that represents much more.

Each part of the flag has some symbolism. But it doesn't show what your country stands for.

 

[uberDoward]

I'd sooner burn my countries flag before I care what other people think about it.

America is such a horrible place to live in today's society. If I actually had the money to get citizenship somewhere else, as well as secure a place a live and all the expenses that go alone with moving to a new country, I'd be the fuck out of here.

No you wouldn't. People struggle, with absolutely nothing to their names, from all over the world to get here - you can leave the US after cashing just ONE welfare check, which America is all too happy to give to anyone without money.

But you won't leave, just as all the other Internet Warriors screaming how much they hate living in America won't leave. It's way cooler to just bash on America, and be like the rest of the idiots screaming how horrible America is, isn't it?

I don't hear of many other countries that people are risking life and limb to get into, illegally if need be.

As for the flag, I'm shocked at how many people here don't even understand the history of the country they are bashing (speaking as an American here, sorry others across the drink) - it's been said MULTIPLE times, and seems to be ignored - the flag of the United States of America stands for exactly that - the United States. From the 50 stars representing each of the 50 states (side note - very worrisome that Ivy League graduates - politicians - seem to have a hard time knowing how many freakin' states are here), to the 13 stripes representing the 13 colonies, the United States flag represent the birth of, and continuing promise of, the great country that is the United States of America.

*queue up the Star Spangled Banner*

 

[Funky Flump]

Erm, Not Really. Its A Flag, A Symbol. But I Dont Think It Really Means Anything.

 

[Xelzeno]

In my country you are pretty much treated as a rascist if you have a flag hanging anywhere, or for that matter on a shirt or something. And I guess I see that as disrespect and I hate it. Otherwise I don't care about flags being mistreated.

 

[GWarface]

Even though Denmark has the worlds oldest state-flag, i really couldnt care less.. Seeing how we propably stole it and all that..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_flag

 

[Vakz]

We actually have a law that says "If the flag falls to the ground or in any other way gets dirty, you have to burn it".

 

[Genixma]

Not really. Even though I guess there are laws about the US flag I never really cared if someone disrespected it. I just shrugged it off and moved on.

 

[flamingjimmy]

I show no respect for any flag, they are just pieces of coloured cloth, they do not deserve respect.

Also, I despise nationalism, I think it is the pretty much the worst ideology in human history.

 

[commodore96]

It pisses me off when someone burns a flag or disrespects it.

 

[Conza]

I've mulled on this question off and on for the past few years, usually when I see a badly worn or tattered flag being flown, either from a flag pole or from a home/car/whatever. The question is this; Do you get angry/annoyed when you see someone disrespecting the flag of your home country?
Anytime I see an American flag that has tears, holes or rips in it and is still being flown I get annoyed. And I got angry one time when I saw a firefighter carrying the flag back inside, wadded up and part of it dragging on the ground.


While I have never served in the U.S. military, nor do I have memory of anyone in my family serving, I did grow up near a naval base ( Naval Station Norfolk to be specific) so maybe that's where my respect for the flag comes from. Back home, being in what is essentially a Navy Town, I never saw a flag that had even a tiny flaw, or that was improperly illuminated.
But out here, in the middle of the country, I've seen flags that have had huge rips in the seams, one flag had a torn seam that an from the front edge nearly to the field, and I've seen them left out in heavy storms (which had been predicted for several hours).

I get extremely angry, I believe disrespecting the flag should be considered a criminal act, punishable by severe fines and possible jail sentences.

 

[Creator002]

Not angry, but a little annoyed. Especially if they're doing it in my flag's country. I mean, if you hate Australia that much just ignore it.

 

[StBishop]

Nahhh not really. The Australian flag isn't worth picking a fuss over.

Disagree.

I understand why some people are confused by the reaction to disrespecting a flag, I really do. I just can't divorce the flag from what it symbolises and

[insert John Cleese saying "It makes me maaaaaad" in Python "Restaurant Sketch"]

I recently discovered that there is a small group of people in Australia who refer to Australia day as "Murder Day" or some such, because apparently we're celebrating the day that the settlers murdered the Aboriginal culture? I'm not sure of the specifics but I know it involved flag burning which I find disgusting.

I can understand that some people may not want to celebrate Australia day, I also understand that they'd rather use that day as a sombre time to reflect on what has been lost, Lord knows there's been a large amount of a vibrant culture destroyed. But I cannot abide by burning our flag, on our national holiday, in public areas.

It's fucking rude, disrespectful, and if the roles where reversed and a previously oppressed (and to an extent still repressed) majority were burning a flag of a minority the shit would hit the fucking fan.

 

[Metaik]

Tbh I couldn't really care less. Maybe if it was personal to me but then again I don't see how anybody could get riled up about some colours/pattern somebody else decided would best represent a certain area of land. Spose you could argue that it is what the flag represents however in most cases the flag no longer represents those qualities. For Example, the Union Jack, the supposed unity certainly takes a bit of a kicking when you consider that most of the constituents that form it are vying for their own independance. Also of note is the current English flag, it wasn't even originally ours, we used the flag to benefit from the protection of a Geonoese fleet as English ships travelled through the Mediterranean Sea, paid the Doge at the time for the privelege and just ended up keeping it, how people can draw any other meaning from these things baffles me.

Then again if you believe that your flag really does embody the spirit of your dwelling place then good for you I guess and enjoy the feeling of being empowered and all that, but I don't think you should expect me or others to look upon it with anything bordering a border that borders on reverance.