Flag waving.......Flag burning

[MrFun]

The United States flag has important cultural symbols behind it -- that is the significance of our flag.

I can never bring myself to burn our flag in any protest that I would participate in, no matter how strongly I feel.

But, I also believe that we cannot ban flag burning for the same reasons we have not outlawed Ku Klux Klan activities, or banned the display of the treasonous Confederate flag -- it wittles away our freedom of speech.

But I do not understand how some who worship the Confederate flag, can claim to be patriotic Americans. It's oxymoronic in my opinion.

[ravagon]

Quite frankly I'm surprised that any public burning of flags, cds or any other combustable material is allowed.
It seems inherently stupid and, particularly in the US, prone to lawsuits should anything untoward happen.

But I do not understand how some who worship the Confederate flag, can claim to be patriotic Americans. It's oxymoronic in my opinion.

Its an American flag. Southerners fought and died for it. Whether or not they agreed with all it stood for. To many it represents these memories and symbolises opposition to government "oppression" rather than the racial hatred angle it has come to signify.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Agathon




Listen to yourself. More power to the flag burners I say.

I agree, with the caveat that they have Agathon rolled up inside of it.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Asher

Military training is only part of it...
It's indoctrination, too. Everyone wears the same clothes, everyone shaves their head, everyone is trained and they salute the American flag each morning(?), that kind of thing.

It all works brilliantly at the end, but it is a form of indoctrination mixed in with training...

We never saluted the flag in basic training either.

[Sikander]

Anyone who uses our flag is giving us their power, whether they worship it or burn it. So everyone who loves this nation should thank the nice commies for giving their power away by using our symbol instead of their own. Our symbol is very powerful because we are powerful, and worshiped around the globe by people who believe that we are far more powerful than we actually are. Suckers.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Sikander
Anyone who uses our flag is giving us their power, whether they worship it or burn it. So everyone who loves this nation should thank the nice commies for giving their power away by using our symbol instead of their own. Our symbol is very powerful because we are powerful, and worshiped around the globe by people who believe that we are far more powerful than we actually are. Suckers.

Exactly

[MrFun]

Originally posted by ravagon
Quite frankly I'm surprised that any public burning of flags, cds or any other combustable material is allowed.
It seems inherently stupid and, particularly in the US, prone to lawsuits should anything untoward happen.

Its an American flag. Southerners fought and died for it. Whether or not they agreed with all it stood for. To many it represents these memories and symbolises opposition to government "oppression" rather than the racial hatred angle it has come to signify.

I strongly disagree. I see the display of the Confederate flag outside of museums and Confederate veterans' cemeteries as smacking of treason.
It doesn't matter if this flag is still seen as "states' rights" symbolism -- it's still treason in my eyes.

Immediately after the tragedy of 9/11, it was the United States flag, not the Confederate flag that was draped over one wall of the Pentagon.

The Civil War is over, and you lost, ok?

[ravagon]

Originally posted by MrFun
Immediately after the tragedy of 9/11, it was the United States flag, not the Confederate flag that was draped over one wall of the Pentagon.

You've completely lost me on that one.
Why on Earth would somebody want to drape a Confederate flag over the Pentagon?
Its not even associated with the South in any way that I know of - Nor would it be appropriate to use the Union flag of the time - the incident happened today, as far as flags and history are concerned ...

Your other point - Do Union war museums in the North have the old Union flag outside? Why shouldn't Confederate museums do the same?

What about the old guys who re-enact civil war battles? Start telling them that they can't use their respective flags anymore and you may have another civil war on your hands.

[MrFun]

Ravagon -- my point is that the Confederate flag is anathema to patriotism with the example of the Pentagon.

And you misread my statement about museums -- the Confederate flag DOES belong in museums. And yes, battle reenactments is a third place where the Confederate flag is appropriate.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I see the display of the Confederate flag outside of museums and Confederate veterans' cemeteries as smacking of treason.

Why shouldn't there be Confederate flags on the graves of those men that fought for that rebellion?

The Civil War is over, and you lost, ok?

Um... he's from Australia, dude. He lost nothing.

[SlowwHand]

MrFun, get off the War Between The States.
Iowa wasn't even involved.

I've decided to be a cross-burner (Cross burner, not cross dresser).
I'm not against religion. Not against Blacks. I just decided I like fire.

And hey, I have a right, to freedom of expression.

[Az]

You know, at first, I though that this is a white fence down there.

[SlowwHand]

It is.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

I see the display of the Confederate flag outside of museums and Confederate veterans' cemeteries as smacking of treason.

Why shouldn't there be Confederate flags on the graves of those men that fought for that rebellion?

The Civil War is over, and you lost, ok?

Um... he's from Australia, dude. He lost nothing.

Go back and read my post.

There are three instances where the Confederate flag can be appropriately displayed:

1) Confederate veterans' cemeteries

2) historical museums and sites

3) battle reenactments

And Slowwhand -- Iowa was involved. We sent soldiers to the Union cause as the other Union states have done.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Are battlefields historical museams .

What about state capitals? After all, many of them have statues of people from the past.