Do you respect your country's flag?

[mrhappyface]

I grew up in a military, conservative family. In front of every house we ever lived the American flag waved. It was a sacred icon of patriotism to America. Every week, we washed it. Every single one was to be treated with respect. Hand over heart, eyes to the flag during the national anthem. To desecrate one was an act of treason. I don't know about you guys, but do you respect and love your nation's flag?

 

[El Poncho]

I don't hang it outside my house, or own one, but I wouldn't ever uh, burn it or something like that.

 

[Sebenko]

No.

Over here we generally get a bit confused as to how you can put so much value to a flag.

 

[SwimmingRock]

I don't see the point, to be honest. Maybe it's the fact I always hated my homeland and no longer live there, but I don't see any value in flags or nationality. Hell, I'm 24 and have yet to learn the national anthem of either my current or birth country.

Actually, I'd like to ask you (OP) why you think the flag is a 'sacred icon'. I get that it's the simple representation of your country, but why does that make the flag itself important? To clarify, I get why you'd look to the flag while singing the anthem, but not why the flag itself needs to be cared for. You can just get another one, right? Not trying to diss you or anything. I genuinely don't get it and would like an explanation.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

I'm Irish and I don't even take it out unless the world cup is on.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

I don't go out of my way, but I do feel bad when I see a tattered one, or one allowed to touch the ground.

But that could all be brainwashing from JROTC and all that flag duty. /shrugs

 

[Ldude893]

My city has its own flag, which I respect. My country's flag is something I'd like to burn.

 

[Black Patriot]

Well I have 2 flags, so I'll answer for both. I respect both my American Flag and my Australian flag, but I recognize that they're both just symbols, representations of ideas, not something to be worshipped. I do tend to think a bit higher of the American flag, but that could be because I live in Australia, so I probably just get a bit tired of only seeing the Australian one.

I also don't have a problem with burning a flag, either honorably or dishonorably, since its just a flag. I do think that American's put a bit to much enthusiasm into defending our flag, mainly because we don't have any other real symbol of our country to relate to. It doesn't help that the mainstream media has the habit of just plastering it everywhere, and I also resent that showing or not showing the flag somehow represents s persons patriotism, that's between me and my country, if I choose not to advertise how patriotic I am then that's my business.

So I guess my answer is Yes, and No... (sorry if that's confusing )

 

[mrhappyface]

I don't see the point, to be honest. Maybe it's the fact I always hated my homeland and no longer live there, but I don't see any value in flags or nationality. Hell, I'm 24 and have yet to learn the national anthem of either my current or birth country.

Actually, I'd like to ask you (OP) why you think the flag is a 'sacred icon'. I get that it's the simple representation of your country, but why does that make the flag itself important? To clarify, I get why you'd look to the flag while singing the anthem, but not why the flag itself needs to be cared for. You can just get another one, right? Not trying to diss you or anything. I genuinely don't get it and would like an explanation.

My entire family's military (well on the American side). Three generations of my family lived and died for that flag. So naturally, we feel a little inclined to venerate it.

 

[arsenicCatnip]

I don't feel especially patriotic, I guess, but I still get a little twinge when I see a tattered flag. Girl Scout training, I suppose, but desecrating the flag (the Stars and Stripes, or even just Colorado's state flag) is just wrong.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

You really should treat it with respect. If only because, in these more nationalistic times, one would not want to be flagged as unpatriotic.

/insert rimshot

But yeah, I don't think the flag itself is the big issue, more the idea that they represent. You can be perfectly patriotic without having to worry about a rectangle of cloth.

 

[MelziGurl]

I respect it, but not to those extremes. Its value has been lost over time, so most of the older generation generally have a good scoff here and there about it.

 

[iLikeHippos]

Well, some extremists in Afghanistan burned the swedish flag because they thought we should had done something about Dennmarks media for releasing a picture-contest of Muhammed. Twice.

I didn't get offended, I was laughing my ass of. xD

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Nah. I mean, I don't spit on it or anything but I don't particularly care for it either.
It's an okay flag.

 

[Queen Michael]

No. Because it's a piece of cloth.
Now people, those I can respect. And great works of art, now those I can respect. But I don't suffer from such a severe surplus of respct that pieces of cloth receive my adoration.

 

[Sebenko]

I don't see the point, to be honest. Maybe it's the fact I always hated my homeland and no longer live there, but I don't see any value in flags or nationality. Hell, I'm 24 and have yet to learn the national anthem of either my current or birth country.

If you move to another country, you owe it to that nation to integrate with that culture.
Are you expected to know the national anthem?