Quote:
Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I personally don't get offended by the symbolism, except in the following circumstance:
Someone publicly burns a flag in front of a veteran who cares (if I knew this for certain), I'm going to do one of two things:
1.) stand by and laugh as the veteran and anyone else who cares kicks his ass; or
2.) if I see someone I personally know, and personally know to be a veteran, getting agitated by said flag burning, I'll join in the ass-kicking.
Aside from San Francisco, I'm not sure any police officer in the country would care to intervene.
Note: what you do in the privacy of your backyard or whatever is none of my business.
Also note: cities that prohibit burning things outdoors (e.g., Chicago) should strictly and evenly enforce the prohibition on people who burn flags.
Like you are saying though, there is no need for Congress to get involved. This is a giant circle jerk in an election year.
Hello
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I had a massive flag in my place in college. It took up a whole wall. I'm a huge fan of Rick Rubin's work as a producer, so I own a lot of American Recordings discs. American Recordings' symbol has been an inverted flag for a long time. I thought it looked cool, so I inverted the flag on our wall. Some waterhead from the baseball team gave me a rash of shit once in the midst of the horrible mushroom trip (idiot ate close to a whole 1/4) about the sanctity of the flag. It was one of the most amazingly incohrenet arguments I ever heard. He was totally freaked out and grasping for any "simple value" which would help him keep his grasp. I advised him the only thing that could save him was a heavy does of whiskey, which advice he wisely took. Once he calmed down and got over the first wave, he was a pleasant fellow. I kind of feel he represents most people who have hard-ons for "symbols" and speak of certain values as "sacred." They want, er, need, to believe in something really badly, or have been trained like dobermans to believe in certain "sacred" things. But if you can punch through the layer of dogma that shields their brain like a malignant meniscus, they suddenly realize just how silly their adherence to these middle class values really are. The pillars fall and they suddenly think "Fuck, why the hell am I going nuts over some idiot burning a flag?"
I'm patriotic as hell. I'd volunteer to torture Queda folks and I still get misty passing the Trade Centers. But I'm also likely to wipe my ass with the flag in front of anyone who spins some horseshit about pledges and the sanctity of any symbol. Folks of that mindset need a swift jolt to the side of the head, just like folks who actually burn flags deserve to be laughed at for being equally stupid.
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