Poll: Do you care about "flag burning"?

[Don Savik]

It bugs me that people will get so worked up over a stupid symbol instead of something.....you know....important...like homelessness and hunger......

If a symbol gets you more worked up emotionally instead of say....other human life, then its time to evaluate your priorities.

 

[Pegghead]

A flag's just a bit of coloured fabric at the end of the day, but it's the symbolism of the act and the intentions behind it that truly irk me.

As an Australian I've seen some pretty disgusting uses for our flag, and though I might come off as patriotic (which is used as some kind of insult nowadays) these people who are out there burning the flags of other nations and groups would be shocked if I went out and burned their flag, and to me that's more just a despicable double standard than anything else.

Besides, most of the time flag-burning is just a misguided attempt at protest that just aims to bring in the most attention, there are far more worthwhile and peaceful ways of showing criticism of other groups.

 

[game-lover]

I chose the second option. I said bothers me a little because when I give it thought, it's really more of an obligatory bothered feeling.

Like, I know what it stands for and what the symbolism is when someone burns our flag. I get it. I also understand why others would feel extremely affronted.

But personally, I don't feel anything in my heart when I see a flag burning. I just... don't.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

Alright, I personally feel that makes as much sense as wearing a shoe on your head. Presumably there should be some logic behind it, but apparently not.

I love posting my opinions and watching them get ripped apart. Why can't I be offended by flag burning?

I love posting something reasonable and having people twist it to mean something else.

Let's get some things straight.
1. I did not say that you could or could not do anything.
2. I am objecting to the comparison between flag burning and racial slurs.
3. I made no comment on being offended by flag burning itself, only on the comparison.

Alright, I'll rephrase my question why do you find it so un-logical that I find flag burning as offensive as a racial slur?

One is discriminatory, backed by a very negative past including violence and serious consequences.

The other is merely a gesture against the government of a nation and its actions.

One is a personal affront to people, the other is a comment on their feelings towards a government and how it's acted.

You say that flag burning is a gesture towards the government, I see it as a gesture against the people of a nation. Because of this I get as offended as someone that has been the victim of a racial slur.

 

[Fijiman]

The only two times where I would really have a problem with flag burning are if either I worked really hard to make the flag that is being burned or if the burning flag is being swung at me.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

No, considering it is just a piece of fabric. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. People dislike the US? Shocking...oh, wait...no it isn't.

 

[Agayek]

It seems mostly pointless. I think it's basically a way for angry people to vent without actually doing anything harmful (or useful).

People who get offended should keep in mind that it's just a piece of cloth that's being burnt, instead of, you know, a human being.

This is my take on it. It accomplishes nothing except add more CO2 to the atmosphere. Someone, somewhere doesn't like someone else somewhere else. I am shocked by this surprising and unknowable fact. Just absolutely appalled.

I may get a bit annoyed with people run around screaming "BURN THE HEATHENS" or whatever their equivalent is, but a flag burning doesn't bother me at all.

Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

You say that like they're different things...

A nation stands for a certain set of ideals, just like a religion does. It's functionally equivalent to burn one or the other. I will agree with you on the language though, that's a bit different.

As I said above, I don't see it as offensive, simply because it's people blowing hot air. It's relatively rare for people to actually get along properly, and demonstrations of that distaste are far preferable to actual violence.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

Alright, I personally feel that makes as much sense as wearing a shoe on your head. Presumably there should be some logic behind it, but apparently not.

I love posting my opinions and watching them get ripped apart. Why can't I be offended by flag burning?

I love posting something reasonable and having people twist it to mean something else.

Let's get some things straight.
1. I did not say that you could or could not do anything.
2. I am objecting to the comparison between flag burning and racial slurs.
3. I made no comment on being offended by flag burning itself, only on the comparison.

Alright, I'll rephrase my question why do you find it so un-logical that I find flag burning as offensive as a racial slur?

One is discriminatory, backed by a very negative past including violence and serious consequences.

The other is merely a gesture against the government of a nation and its actions.

One is a personal affront to people, the other is a comment on their feelings towards a government and how it's acted.

You say that flag burning is a gesture towards the government, I see it as a gesture against the people of a nation. Because of this I get as offended as someone that has been the victim of a racial slur.

That makes little sense since people burn their own flag. Thus they clearly mean it as a message against the government. It would make no sense as a message against themselves.

Just because someone lives in a country doesn't mean that they identify with the people of that country. A man born in the US, UK, NZ or spain whose family are from say Afghanistan might see himself as Afghan nationality more than the nationality of his birth country. It's likely that residents burning the flag of their country don't want to be associated with that country.

 

[Storm Dragon]

A flag may represent a particular country, but burning one is nothing another way of saying "I hate the country that this flag belongs to". Whatever, man, it's just a piece of fabric with pretty colors on it.

I suspect that I may be an anomaly among Americans for this viewpoint.

 

[RamirezDoEverything]

Want to burn my flag? Go ahead. My nation is far superior to yours.

Amurca all day errday.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

Alright, I personally feel that makes as much sense as wearing a shoe on your head. Presumably there should be some logic behind it, but apparently not.

I love posting my opinions and watching them get ripped apart. Why can't I be offended by flag burning?

I love posting something reasonable and having people twist it to mean something else.

Let's get some things straight.
1. I did not say that you could or could not do anything.
2. I am objecting to the comparison between flag burning and racial slurs.
3. I made no comment on being offended by flag burning itself, only on the comparison.

Alright, I'll rephrase my question why do you find it so un-logical that I find flag burning as offensive as a racial slur?

One is discriminatory, backed by a very negative past including violence and serious consequences.

The other is merely a gesture against the government of a nation and its actions.

One is a personal affront to people, the other is a comment on their feelings towards a government and how it's acted.

You say that flag burning is a gesture towards the government, I see it as a gesture against the people of a nation. Because of this I get as offended as someone that has been the victim of a racial slur.

That makes little sense since people burn their own flag. Thus they clearly mean it as a message against the government. It would make no sense as a message against themselves.

Just because someone lives in a country doesn't mean that they identify with the people of that country. A man born in the US, UK, NZ or spain whose family are from say Afghanistan might see himself as Afghan nationality more than the nationality of his birth country. It's likely that residents burning the flag of their country don't want to be associated with that country.

You seriously think that every person who burns a flag in their own country thinks that way? I think you're really projecting your view of flag burning onto others and just trying to make it fit when it doesn't.

I didn't say all. For the record I don't agree with my government or what it's doing in the middle east, I'm not burning flags and I know a lot of people who feel the same and again they aren't burning flags.

 

[dyre]

Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

You say that like they're different things...

A nation stands for a certain set of ideals, just like a religion does. It's functionally equivalent to burn one or the other. I will agree with you on the language though, that's a bit different.

As I said above, I don't see it as offensive, simply because it's people blowing hot air. It's relatively rare for people to actually get along properly, and demonstrations of that distaste are far preferable to actual violence.

I think it's a little different, because people in the Middle East don't burn flags because the US stands for liberty and democracy and all that good stuff; they burn them because they don't like US interference with their region.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

Alright, I personally feel that makes as much sense as wearing a shoe on your head. Presumably there should be some logic behind it, but apparently not.

I love posting my opinions and watching them get ripped apart. Why can't I be offended by flag burning?

I love posting something reasonable and having people twist it to mean something else.

Let's get some things straight.
1. I did not say that you could or could not do anything.
2. I am objecting to the comparison between flag burning and racial slurs.
3. I made no comment on being offended by flag burning itself, only on the comparison.

Alright, I'll rephrase my question why do you find it so un-logical that I find flag burning as offensive as a racial slur?

One is discriminatory, backed by a very negative past including violence and serious consequences.

The other is merely a gesture against the government of a nation and its actions.

One is a personal affront to people, the other is a comment on their feelings towards a government and how it's acted.

You say that flag burning is a gesture towards the government, I see it as a gesture against the people of a nation. Because of this I get as offended as someone that has been the victim of a racial slur.

That makes little sense since people burn their own flag. Thus they clearly mean it as a message against the government. It would make no sense as a message against themselves.

Just because someone lives in a country doesn't mean that they identify with the people of that country. A man born in the US, UK, NZ or spain whose family are from say Afghanistan might see himself as Afghan nationality more than the nationality of his birth country. It's likely that residents burning the flag of their country don't want to be associated with that country.

You seriously think that every person who burns a flag in their own country thinks that way? I think you're really projecting your view of flag burning onto others and just trying to make it fit when it doesn't.

I didn't say all. For the record I don't agree with my government or what it's doing in the middle east, I'm not burning flags and I know a lot of people who feel the same and again they aren't burning flags.

If you don't deny that people burn flags don't all think that way then where's your point? Clearly there are people who burn it to protest the government.

And so what if they're not burning flags and you aren't? What's that supposed to prove?

Alright I've changed my mind all flag burners think that way. Why would someone burn a flag to piss of their own government, if they still wanted to identify with that countr? Why don't they protest using pickets and rallies?

 

[That_Sneaky_Camper]

The flag is just a symbol for the United States of America. Middle Eastern people burning it no more destroys my country or the ideals it stands for any more than an lunatic can blot out the sun by writing darkness on the wall of his insane asylum cell. In a way I actually find it kind of flattering as it takes a great deal of dedication to hate, I feel if our politicians and fellow American citizens loved our country as much as those people hate it then the USA would be a lot better off.

Now ideally I would wish they wouldn't burn the American flag as I view it to be a rather beautiful symbol but it isn't the end of the world if some Arab people burn 1 single flag as we have many more to replace that flag. As another poster said the U.S Military actually retires old flags by burning them, they are actually doing our country a favor ironically.