I bet Someone is that same guy who keeps getting offended when people say “Merry Christmas” to him because he is Jewish or Muslim or Atheist or whatever. I’ve never met the guy, but he seems to frequent a great establishments of right-wing business owners who speak quite ill of him.
Was the flag displayed in his lobby or in a lobby shared with other offices? If the former then I think it is weird but he’s a pussy for removing it. If the latter maybe he doesn’t have the right to display anything there.
Now, around where I live lots of doctors got born in other places and moved here. If that is the case where this doctor is, and he is a true blue native-born American, the flag might be construed to be saying that patients should see him not those damn furriners. Though the damn furriners had to pass the citizenship test and probably know more about American history and government than he does.
“I’m offended that you’re offended” would be an appropriate response.
God that song is horrific. I remember in school during the first Gulf War they played that obnoxious song over the loud speaker every day for months. Being bratty kids we mocked it and made fun of it to the point they had to stop playing it.
Anybody offended by the sight of the American flag should get the hell out of the country and go to where a flag does not offend them.
Well said. I agree 100%.
Anybody who doesn’t believe in the right to be offended according to one’s conscience should get the hell out of the country and go where people are not allowed to have unauthorized opinions.
Point of the thread is that the flag itself is not what is offensive, it’s the manner it is displayed.
What if a billygoat were wrapped in an American flag–would you find that offensive? I’m somehow certain you would get rather gruff about that. And quite naturally so.
I’m reminded of that line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “ask yourself, why do you seek the Cup of Christ? Is it for His glory, or for yours?” When people wave the flag to draw attention to themselves, to try to puff themselves up, that can be offensive.
Similarly, I don’t care for it as some sort of litmus test, like lapel pins on politicians. They’re not wearing it to make the country look good, they’re wearing it to make themselves look good.
[quote=“Shagnasty, post:30, topic:706169”]
Is the American Flag an ‘Offensive’ Symbol (in the USA)?
On American soil? No, that is about the 3rd dumbest idea I have heard today and there were some strong contestants. The American flag is very pretty and completely non-offensive.
We need to regroup, bow our heads and savor one of my favorite songs in a moment of silence.
[/QUOTE]I’m not in anyway offended by the flag. I am, however, offended by that horrid song. Ugh!
Seriously, everyone’s going to be offended by something. What are you going to do?
Too bad there’s no thumbs-up smiley here. 
Tacky? Maybe.
Offensive? No.
Perhaps an interior decorator patient remarked that the flag offensive to his finely tuned sense of style.
This also seems very plausible.
No, the trick is to understand that when you are in public you give social cues to others, constantly, just as they do to you. You can take responsibility for your social cues (not the same as taking responsibility for others’ judgements and behavior), or you can act like you can flout the nonverbal social coding that everyone reads, without legitimate consequence, and that there is some weird virtue in doing so. You know, like a teenager.
:dubious:
I’m not from another country, but I would have been offended by the anachronism. Not that I have anything against anachronism, per se, of course, but if they’re going to have it, I’d prefer that they BEGIN by offering utensils.
You’re right. Women especially should do this - take responsibility for the social cues they are giving to men.
Regards,
Shodan
I do not find it offensive. I find it cute.
Proofs.
Everyone should do this. However, remember the part where you are not responsible for anyone’s thoughts or actions except your own.
A guy who plasters a whole interior wall of his business with an oversized American flag should not be faux-naively shocked that there are strong reactions to it.
Also, and this is a hijack, most (straight) men would be surprised to know how most women view the way they dress and behave, as opposed to the way men believe women do. It is a great divide of mutual misapprehensions, based on the different ways men and women are visually and sexually wired. This is definitely a different thread topic though.
Sounds like conformity.
This is just another proof of the intolerance that is actually the biggest problem this world, country, individual people have and the most destructive to everyone’s way of life. IMO
But then again, as a person I will defend my space but I try to not even think about messing with yours until it starts hitting me on the nose.
The flag waving I really dislike is waving the flag of the country you came from while burning the one where you have chosen to go.
Until world peace is truly here, in every part of the globe, I feel that identifying with nation type places & their mores is something that humans need on a very basic level.
Mankind has a long way to go and the best place is to start with my own tolerance.
That’s just what I was going to say.
No, it’s not offensive, but people can get offended at anything. I wouldn’t be offended to see a French flag in France, or the Union Jack in England, or heck, either of those (or any number of others) here in the US, if the owner had some kind of connection to that country.
If it covered the whole wall, yeah, it might seem in poor taste. I try not to be offended by poor taste in others.