My Thoughts on Things...
Flag Burning
Wed, July 12, 2006 - 4:49 PMIn my mind, you legally protect things that are precious and rare. I haven't heard that there's a shortage of flags – in fact, my guess is we can make 'em pretty much as fast as we like or just order more from China. They're also not constructed of any exotic materials that make them especially valuable. And while I do think that the ideals and freedoms our flag symbolizes are quite valuable, I also think that almost nothing makes a stronger statement about how powerful and important those freedoms are than allowing an individual to state his or her position by including a burning flag as an exclamation mark on that statement. The symbol is not the precious element, it's the ideals behind the symbol that are precious. By putting the symbol above the ideal we're actually sacrificing that which we hold most dear.
A flag is just a flag, but the freedom to burn a flag is precious.
Wed, July 12, 2006 - 4:49 PM -
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5 Comments
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Fri, July 14, 2006 - 5:07 AM
I agree. I think that the people who are trying to push this are trying to somehow equate flag burning with hate speech, which should be limited in some cases (but there are people who would argue against that limit, too). However, the reason you would limit hate speech is because it damages some person or group, or could incite violence towards them - there is no such danger with flag burning (unless the idiot chooses to do it in front of some ultra conservative haven, and then they are the endangered party).
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Unsu...
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Sun, October 1, 2006 - 10:24 AM
I struggle with this issue at times. I agree that the symbol means more than the object; just as the burning flag often symbolizes a disrespect or hatred toward this nation and/or it's government. Many are less disturbed to see this act in other countries, but here at home, it often happens by those who are simultaneously reaping many benefits provided to them by this country and in cases which I observed, the act was conducted by some who were not even passionate about the protest/event of which they were a part. It was nothing more than a desire to get a reaction and some attention. Depsite the importance of freedom of expression, I feel there are better ways to get attention and ultimately, constructive results. MLK was one who taught us how. All flag burning seemed to do is spark controversy, debate, more anger along with more time wasted at the educational and governmental levels over-analyzing it while more pressing, worthy issues exist.
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Sun, October 1, 2006 - 10:40 AM
I agree that burning a flag does often just spark controversy, debate, and anger, but that's all the more reason not to make it illegal. If that's the criteria we used to ban various forms of expression, we really will have lost what is often considered to be our most basic freedoms. Martin Luther King's speeches often caused these same reactions, yet I doubt any reasonable person would ever say that he should not have been allowed to make them.
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Unsu...
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Sun, October 1, 2006 - 1:27 PM
Were not in disagreement on the importance of basic freedoms or the freedom of expression. As much as I don't agree with flag burning, I don't allow myself to get worked up when I see it happen. I think that's partly because in my life, several of those I met who actually did it had half-baked reasons and well, appeared to be half-baked in general.... literally. We also agree that the act stirs anger. Your right, it does. But that's the basis of my struggle. It doesn't seem reasonable to ask one to see an ideal behind it's violent or angry symbolism when such symbolism distracts from the ideals (if any were actually derived by those protesting). In other words, why not articulate the ideals up front in the spirit of constructive discourse? That's the basis of my MLK reference. He certainly angered some as well, but because of his approach, more people ultimately decided to listen to him. I believe flag burning has substantially lost its impact partly due to the big debate over doing it and because it has become somewhat "throw-back" or tacky when done domestically. As noted, all it seems to do is get attention, but none of which that points to ideals or solutions.
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