I have a real problem with jingoistic flag wavers who cannot be bothered to learn the rules of flag etiquette and follow them.

Nasty tattered flags, flags flapping from one corner instead of two, flags a few feet down from the top of the pole because of snags or knots in the rope, flags left out 24/7 with no spotlight at night...

I have seen all of these right here in my own town. And it just pisses me off.

If you can't be bothered to take care of your flag properly, then leave it on a shelf somewhere!

I think that those who burn a U.S. flag in protest show more respect than some schmuck who drags one accidentally on the ground.

At least the flag burner is acknowledging the power of the symbolism.

Someone, somewhere once said that the opposite of love is not hate but indifference.

Yes, it was nothing but horrible noise.

I like it too. I guess Hendrix's style was a love it or hate kind of thing.

If you listen carefully to his version of the Stars and Stripes you can hear bombers dropping their loads. It was part of Hendrix' anti-Vietnam war statement

No kidding i loved that version

You know anytime a debate comes about the flag, there are those who are of the opinion that it is just a piece of cloth. Well everyone is entitled to their own opinion. The only problem with this belief is that it ignores the law of the land. Since we are a nation of laws, then what law says, must be what is correct.

Since the Supreme Court has recognized that the burning of the American Flag is protected speech, it therefore has recognized the flag not as a piece of cloth, but as a symbol.

In the military we are taught the the flag represents a living symbol of this country. The color Red represents the blood that has been shed to create and defend this country. The color white represents the purity and right of the nation, for it was a great ideal to declare independence of our nation and base it upon the idea of a government of, for and by the people. And finally the color blue to show the truth and valor of the people. We may not always agree what is the best way, but down deep, we each believe that what we do is just and honest.

Our founders pledged, their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to establish this nation. We may not be perfect, but that is because man can never be perfect, however, the ideals of this nation are meant to be strived for, in the hopes of one day became the ideal that the nation is based upon. Our founders created this country with the belief that all men are created equal, and that all are equal under the law and God.

The flag represents the greatness that this country can be, and it also reminds us of the men and women who have died in service to her. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Not only did they lay down their lives for their friends, but they lay down their lives for those they did not even know. Far too often people wish to stress the negative of what country stands for, it seems they are easy to remember for some. But those who do, fail to ever mention the positive, because if they do their message would lose all meaning.

dmk

But its the ammount of disrespect that is shown in the picture.
Yes if the flag was being burned then everyone's opinion would change drasticly because a picture of a burning flag is a sign of rebelion and disrespect towards our country.

But its just a kid that let the flag touch the ground for what the picture ONLY tells us for a second. What the picture doesnt show us is if the kid immedietly realized what happened and lifted it off the ground. Or his parents came over to him and explained to him about it.

There is no PHYSICAL damage done to the flag cept maybe a lil dirt.
Completly different then if the flag was burning because that is an action caught in motion and cant be reversed. Sure you can put the flag out but the damage done to it is permanent unlike it touching the ground.

The people who are tweaking over this are going a little overboard.
1)Its a kid who probably didnt know what the flag touching the ground meant
2)Its just touching the ground for what the picture holds for just 1 sec
which again brings me to
3)We dont know if the kid suddenly lifted it from the ground or someone explained it and no physical damage was done to it like an extreme measure such as ripping or burning it.

The kid droped it for a sec....give him a break

These were going around on the 4th of July!

Bravo Sarge!

Hear Hear!