Poll: Do you care about "flag burning"?

[Cavan]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

My first thought was actually to make some sort of jibe about Cuban cigars D:.

On topic:

There are few things in the world that bother me less than scraps of coloured cloth being set on fire. In the same way I do not object to you pooping on your video game discs despite somewhat identifying as a gamer and being a massive fanboy for this or that.

I think if you steal somebody else's thing and then destroy it, then that is offensive. Legally purchasing your own thing means nobody else owns any rights to it, copies of the bible arn't in limited supply, you just put money into the economy to do that, i'm sure people will also catch fire.

Destroying anything you have the right to legally own on private property is your business, even if people can see you from it. Burning things in public is already illegal as far as I remember, so that's fine.

 

[Fishyash]

At face value it may not seem like an issue, but it does actually bother me a little bit.

It's simply the symbolism though. It's no different (IMO) from burning a bible, for example. The message behind it is little short of hateful. Something that bothers me a lot.

However, at least they're doing it to just a flag, rather than a person... you know, something actually physically harmful. It only bothers me a little because of that.

 

[Eddie the head]

I would rather someone burn the flag and wrap themselves in the Constitution than burn the Constitution and wrap themselves in the flag.

 

[the clockmaker]

Well in other countries, I don't like it and think that it is an ignorant thing to do. When, for example an Iraqi or Iranian burns a US/UK/AUS flag, then I see it as daft a thing to do as US/UK/AUS pers burning a koran, the key differance being one will result in a minor diplomatice wrist slap and the other several deaths.

WHen someone does it in their own country, I think that while it should be legal it is a stupid thing to do. I mean, by burning the flag you are quite clearly rejecting the nation, in itself not stupid, something I disagree with, but not stupid. Where it all falls apart though is that, at least in this country, they will still accept medicare, unemployment benefits, arts grants etc etc. It just makes the whole thing seem like juvanille rebellion, 'I hate you dad...can I have money for petrol?'

 

[BOOM headshot65]

Hate it! HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE IT!!!!! No amount of words can describe how much I hate it. But I can try with these:

Spoiler: How about....

If it annoyes you so much and you are an American, WASH the flag. That is far more respectable. But if you are American and I see you BURNING the flag of YOUR country, I will Knock your lights out Find a fire extinguisher, even if it is dirt.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

It makes me sad, but it's constitutionally protected, so I just have to suck it up and accept that there are gonna be flag burners.

 

[geK0]

I'm quite indifferent to it.

If you get angry about it, you're pretty much doing exactly what the flag burners want you do do : \ It's sort of like trolling like that.
Why get so uptight over symbolic gestures anyway?

 

[Jamieson 90]

Not at all because at the end of the day what you're effectively doing is burning your own flag, one you paid for, so yes what a waste. Oh and I really don't care at all about the UK, in fact it's pretty crap.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

 

[Thaluikhain]

My issue with flag burning is that a national flag represents the nation, not just whatever thing in the nation you happen to be upset with.

If someone in the Middle East wants to burn the US flag because they hate the US, fair enough. But if a US citizen US wants to burn the flag because of something the US government is doing, it better be really fucking major and have the approval of the nation.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

Alright, I personally feel that makes as much sense as wearing a shoe on your head. Presumably there should be some logic behind it, but apparently not.

I love posting my opinions and watching them get ripped apart. Why can't I be offended by flag burning?

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

Alright, I personally feel that makes as much sense as wearing a shoe on your head. Presumably there should be some logic behind it, but apparently not.

I love posting my opinions and watching them get ripped apart. Why can't I be offended by flag burning?

I love posting something reasonable and having people twist it to mean something else.

Let's get some things straight.
1. I did not say that you could or could not do anything.
2. I am objecting to the comparison between flag burning and racial slurs.
3. I made no comment on being offended by flag burning itself, only on the comparison.

Alright, I'll rephrase my question why do you find it so un-logical that I find flag burning as offensive as a racial slur?

 

[baconsarnie]

It doesn't and won't offend me, because whilst the flag is a symbol, to me it holds no power. Start burning pictures of the queen and i might get a bit offended.
The first thing that came into my head

 

[Don Savik]

It bugs me that people will get so worked up over a stupid symbol instead of something.....you know....important...like homelessness and hunger......

If a symbol gets you more worked up emotionally instead of say....other human life, then its time to evaluate your priorities.

 

[Pegghead]

A flag's just a bit of coloured fabric at the end of the day, but it's the symbolism of the act and the intentions behind it that truly irk me.

As an Australian I've seen some pretty disgusting uses for our flag, and though I might come off as patriotic (which is used as some kind of insult nowadays) these people who are out there burning the flags of other nations and groups would be shocked if I went out and burned their flag, and to me that's more just a despicable double standard than anything else.

Besides, most of the time flag-burning is just a misguided attempt at protest that just aims to bring in the most attention, there are far more worthwhile and peaceful ways of showing criticism of other groups.

 

[game-lover]

I chose the second option. I said bothers me a little because when I give it thought, it's really more of an obligatory bothered feeling.

Like, I know what it stands for and what the symbolism is when someone burns our flag. I get it. I also understand why others would feel extremely affronted.

But personally, I don't feel anything in my heart when I see a flag burning. I just... don't.

 

[Total LOLige]

I do take offense to flag burning, It's like calling a black man "a dirty ******" or a brown person "a paki bastard" except you're saying it to an entire country. I'm from the UK, I also object to the burning of anything that represents a culture so koran burning, bible burning, poppy burning is offensive. I'm not personally offended by bible or koran burning because I'm not a muslim or christian but it is disrespectful.

What? No it isn't. Those are other terms are discriminatory and have baggage behind them. Burning a flag protests what the nation is doing. Burning a Koran or Bible protests the ideas they stand for.

I didn't say flag burning was the same as burning religious texts.

Okay. Drop the religious part and that still leaves my issue with saying it's the same as a racial slur.

I personally feel that flag burning is as offensive as a racial slur.

Alright, I personally feel that makes as much sense as wearing a shoe on your head. Presumably there should be some logic behind it, but apparently not.

I love posting my opinions and watching them get ripped apart. Why can't I be offended by flag burning?

I love posting something reasonable and having people twist it to mean something else.

Let's get some things straight.
1. I did not say that you could or could not do anything.
2. I am objecting to the comparison between flag burning and racial slurs.
3. I made no comment on being offended by flag burning itself, only on the comparison.

Alright, I'll rephrase my question why do you find it so un-logical that I find flag burning as offensive as a racial slur?

One is discriminatory, backed by a very negative past including violence and serious consequences.

The other is merely a gesture against the government of a nation and its actions.

One is a personal affront to people, the other is a comment on their feelings towards a government and how it's acted.

You say that flag burning is a gesture towards the government, I see it as a gesture against the people of a nation. Because of this I get as offended as someone that has been the victim of a racial slur.

 

[Fijiman]

The only two times where I would really have a problem with flag burning are if either I worked really hard to make the flag that is being burned or if the burning flag is being swung at me.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

No, considering it is just a piece of fabric. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. People dislike the US? Shocking...oh, wait...no it isn't.