# Do you care about disrespect to the flag? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 19, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354 "2013-03-19T15:02:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/1 "2013-03-19T15:02:10Z")
Inspired by [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=685563) thread where the OP states that a less than respectful display of Old Glory was the most disgraceful thing they had ever seen, how much of a crap would you give if you were walking down the street and saw someone do [this to the Stars and Stripes](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/US_flag_burning.jpg) (or the Maple Leaf, or Union Flag - insert your own flag where applicable)? What would be the reaction of others in your locale towards the fire-happy individual with malicious intent towards the flag? Would he find himself beaten into dog meat, ignored as a lunatic, or what? I’ve borrowed [Brass Eyes ‘mad-o-meter’](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8oEaYnm9Fk&feature=player_detailpage#t=440s) for the poll - 5 is as bothered as you can get, 1 is barely registered annoyance. 0 is not concerned at all. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/2 "2013-03-19T15:09:23Z")
I said “low miff”. I don’t really get the point of flag codes and find the reverence of a flag when you’re not at a military encampment or at sea a bit silly. That said, I may get the tiniest bit miffed at somebody callously mistreating a flag because if you’re going to try and be patriotic by such a ridiculous gesture, you may as well get the silly rituals right. I guess I’d be a little more miffed about a flag burning, but not because of any love for the flag (or any particular patriotism on my part), but mostly because I’d be worried about the potential powder keg people who burn flags might end up being. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/3 "2013-03-19T15:13:04Z")
Also low miff. Kind of what Jragon said. More stupidity in the act than any other thing negative about it. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/4 "2013-03-19T15:16:17Z")
I do not like to see a flag mistreated through carelessness. For a while, it seemed like every jingoistic asshole had to fly the flag from his truck, and these flags were never treated correctly but were allowed to become tattered and soiled. I find that quite offensive. Similarly, I was in a government office and a flag was touching the ground. That’s just careless. If someone wants to rip it up, poop on it, or set it on fire to make a statement go ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/5 "2013-03-19T15:18:08Z")
I’m slightly depressed when somebody flies the flag but is ignorant of the rules. Ignorance is depressing. (Things like American Flag running shorts are also tacky.) If they’re being jingoistic, warmongering Teabaggers about it–but still get it wrong–they’ll get a sneer & perhaps some sarcasm. Flag burning? Not so safe in Texas but it \*is \*a free country… ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/6 "2013-03-19T15:20:46Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > (Things like American Flag running shorts are also tacky.) Yeah, it’s completely inappropriate. Those colors don’t run. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/7 "2013-03-19T15:25:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by Bridget Burke View Post > (Things like American Flag running shorts are also tacky.) [This,](http://www.wallpapers-tlc.com/walls2/flag%20bikini.jpg) however, is quite respectful. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/8 "2013-03-19T15:27:52Z")
I honestly don’t give a shit. It’s America. Do whatever you want with your flag. It’s still a free goddamn country, last I checked. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/9 "2013-03-19T15:31:09Z")
It’s a good eye-roll moment. The people think they are showing how “American” they are but it’s all torn and faded. Maybe they’re hipsters and are flying the flag ironically. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/10 "2013-03-19T15:32:54Z")
Uh, wait. You ask about disrespect to the flag and then you show a picture of flag burning. In my eyes these are different things. Flag burning is a political protest and as such it doesn’t necessarily bother me. The people behind it felt they had something to say and they needed a symbol and they chose this one. I understand symbolism and believe it’s important. That doesn’t mean they don’t care about the flag…on the contrary, I feel they feel like it’s not standing up to its ideals. What I don’t like is when people act like they’re being superior or something by portraying a flag and then disrespecting it. Keeping it on their car until its well past tattered and torn, or hanging it up every day in all weather until it’s near destroyed. That I think is disrespectful. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/11 "2013-03-19T15:38:01Z")
I voted 0. It is a symbol, nothing more. I don’t have anything invested in it as a symbol as, ideally, I think of America as a people and a philosophy. A huge part of that philosophy is the idea of freedom, particularly of speech, along with revolution and rebelion, so really, it would be hypocritical of me to take offense at someone deliberately disrespecting that symbol as a means of expressing themselves. And really, as a people and a philosophy, if we’re fragile enough that disrespecting that symbol could injure us, then the onus is on us to evaluate and either strengthen our resolve or reconsider our positions. I will say I’m somewhat bothered when people accidentally disrespect it, but only because it bothers me when people expect us to respect it, but then can’t be bothered to learn what the rules are. For instance, people who feel the need to put a flag on their door post, but then don’t know how to properly display it. But that’s really just an offense at the hypocricy and intellectual laziness rather than anything having to do with the meaning of the symbol ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/12 "2013-03-19T15:42:56Z")
To the extent that flags act as synecdoches for the country, and the country acts as a granfalloon for the people who comprise it, I actively dislike flags. A piece of cloth deserves no respect, nor does a nation. Respect belongs to people, not cloths or abstract ideas. That said, people deserve respect, and part of that respect is not upsetting them without good reason. Since hurting a flag upsets a lot of people, I wouldn’t personally do it without a good reason. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/13 "2013-03-19T15:49:48Z")
I voted 2. I’m with everyone who says it’s annoying to see a flag mishandled out of laziness, especially by people who are trying to send the “I’m a true patriot therefore you must buy my used cars” message. It annoys the fuck out of me that many people who uphold the sanctity of the flag as a venerated object, not a symbol, are the same ones who don’t have a problem with the aforementioned flag running shorts, bikinis, whatever. I heartily support someone’s right to burn the flag as a political statement. What the flag supposedly stands for is the very thing that guarantees their right to burn it. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/14 "2013-03-19T15:53:08Z")
Low miff. But not directly because of disrespect for the flag, but because people acting out for attention annoy me. Similar to someone spewing out random swear words. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/15 "2013-03-19T16:12:51Z")
It strikes me as odd that the very people who get riled up about disrespect to the flag are usually the same people wearing US flags as hot pants, bikinis, thongs, hats, shirts, cowboy boots and every other article of clothing that has stains and drippings all over them. And then they plaster flags over the filthy bumpers of their cars and dress their pets in flag outfits. These are the supposed super-patriots who would probably also think it is patriotic to buy US flag toilet paper for a 4th of July party to match their US flag paper plates and beer cups. Every so often there is some push to make flag burning a federal offense and/or include this heinous act in the Constitution. Seriously - is flag burning a big issue in your local Walmart parking lot? I can’t recall ever seeing a flag burning in the US, let alone have it be so rampant that we would need some kind of law requiring prison time or public executions. If some wild-eyed thugs in a third world country want to burn some poorly sketched version of the US flag, let them. So, unless it is the original, historical Betsy Ross flag, I don’t particularly care one iota. Wrapping yourself in a flag clothing, and surrounding yourself in flags, and flying flags from every nook and cranny in your house doesn’t make you a patriot - it makes you a lunatic. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/16 "2013-03-19T16:21:53Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Uh, wait. You ask about disrespect to the flag and then you show a picture of flag burning. In my eyes these are different things. > > Flag burning is a political protest and as such it doesn’t necessarily bother me. The people behind it felt they had something to say and they needed a symbol and they chose this one. I understand symbolism and believe it’s important. That doesn’t mean they don’t care about the flag…on the contrary, I feel they feel like it’s not standing up to its ideals. > > What I don’t like is when people act like they’re being superior or something by portraying a flag and then disrespecting it. Keeping it on their car until its well past tattered and torn, or hanging it up every day in all weather until it’s near destroyed. That I think is disrespectful. All that you see is a burning flag without any political message, although if in your eyes that _is_ the message then the question is how offensive you find that medium for the message. Having said that, setting something on fire is generally a good indication of a lack of respect for said thing, it rather boggles my mind that simple neglect could be seen as more disrespectful than actively destroying; if you’d care to elaborate for my own edification I’d appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/17 "2013-03-19T16:27:27Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > All that you see is a burning flag without any political message, although if in your eyes that _is_ the message then the question is how offensive you find that medium for the message. > > Having said that, setting something on fire is generally a good indication of a lack of respect for said thing, it rather boggles my mind that simple neglect could be seen as more disrespectful than actively destroying; if you’d care to elaborate for my own edification I’d appreciate it. I thought burning a flag \*was \*the respectful way of getting rid of one. You can’t just throw it in the trash. I’m perfectly fine with burning a flag for political reasons, even if it’s just to say, “It’s a free country and I can if I want.” ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/18 "2013-03-19T16:33:23Z")
_Low miff_ An anti-flag burning amendment always struck me as more disrespectful to the ideals of the US flag than any number of actual flag burnings. (Nice choice of scale, BTW, **Mr. Kobayashi**. I’ll burn your username in tribute, or something.) ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/19 "2013-03-19T16:50:43Z")
Low miff, pretty much like my reaction to any other act of obvious trolling. ---
**Author:** ![Weeping\_Wyvern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@Weeping\_Wyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeping_Wyvern)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354/20 "2013-03-19T16:53:01Z")
I don’t think burning a flag of a country like the U.S. is a very valid means of protest, since doesn’t stand for any particular faction, or even for the government, but for the country at a whole. So anyone who “desecrates” the U.S. flag is either very dull or very extremest. But I wouldn’t make it illegal to mistreat the flag. If nothing else, it’s impossible to enforce, since it’s very difficult to precisely define just what an “American flag” is. If you change the red to orange, does it still count? The thing which really annoys me is the obscene volume of flag imagery used in advertising. If you want to fly a flag in front of your store, yay go do it. But don’t put in on your corporate logo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-about-disrespect-to-the-flag/653354.md?page=2)