Is Flag Burning a Good Method of Expression of Political Views? (Congress, soldiers)
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In any event, I just don't understand why protesters seem to think offending or inconveniencing people is a good idea. Reminds me of when Black Lives Matter tied up Manhattan traffic just before Thanksgiving 2014. My son was on his way into New York City by bus from Lehigh University and I was on my way to pick him up at Port Authority. His bus took three hours to make it from Liberty Airport in Newark to New York. I never made it in since the traffic was, as shown by MapQuest gridlocked all the way from NYC back to Mamaroneck in Westchester County. Fortunately I reached my son, an intelligent, resourceful 18 year old at the time and he walked across town to Grand Central Terminal. I picked him up at the Metro North Station in Larchmont.
Do you think I was influenced favorably towards BLM?
Flag burning has a similar effect on people; it either enrages or disgusts them or at best their neutral. I'm not going to say, "those people must really hate Trump so so will I." The question for debate is whether flag burning is a good way to express political views. I submit that it is not.
The anecdote about Thanksgiving 2014 doesn't contribute to a discussion about flag burning.
Asking about BLM doesn't relate to flag burning.
People's feelings about Trump doesn't relate to flag burning.
Yes - it gets people's attention
No - many of the people whose attention it seems to get the most aren't capable of having a rational discussion on the topic and can't see past the flag burning itself.
Personally I'm not in favor of it, but I think it is protected "speech", and I don't get upset about it. I actually get upset about the superficial people who get all bent out of shape about it; very immature to get so consumed about it. And BTW, I often fly my flag.
The question for debate is whether flag burning is a good way to express political views. I submit that it is not.
That implies you have a set of protest techniques that are appropriate for expressing political views. That does not jibe with freedom of speech. Different people have different ways of communicating. Flag burning is apparently one of those. I wouldn't do it, but it does not bother me that somebody else chooses to do it. And no, it does not cause me to change my mind about anything. But it does communicate the depth of their anger and frustration, which is apparently very high. So I guess all in all, it has achieved its purpose.
My recommendation is if you don't agree with their gripe, just ignore the whole thing. If you do agree with their gripe, then write your congressperson. It is not worth getting upset over. The country has bigger problems to solve.
As an American, I'm all for protests protected by the 1st Ammendment, inconvienced or not, but I never really understood flag burning, to me it's just below skinning a bald eagle.
I would add that people who are against flag burning are the people who never feel the need to protest or feel oppressed. From their perspective there is nothing worse than burning a piece of cloth with hints of nationalism over the pursuit of life in a free nation. I'm all for burning the flag, as I am a proponent of free speech, even when I don't agree with it.
In any event, I just don't understand why protesters seem to think offending or inconveniencing people is a good idea. Reminds me of when Black Lives Matter tied up Manhattan traffic just before Thanksgiving 2014. My son was on his way into New York City by bus from Lehigh University and I was on my way to pick him up at Port Authority. His bus took three hours to make it from Liberty Airport in Newark to New York. I never made it in since the traffic was, as shown by MapQuest gridlocked all the way from NYC back to Mamaroneck in Westchester County. Fortunately I reached my son, an intelligent, resourceful 18 year old at the time and he walked across town to Grand Central Terminal. I picked him up at the Metro North Station in Larchmont.
Do you think I was influenced favorably towards BLM?
Flag burning has a similar effect on people; it either enrages or disgusts them or at best their neutral. I'm not going to say, "those people must really hate Trump so so will I." The question for debate is whether flag burning is a good way to express political views. I submit that it is not.
There are 1000's who die for the flag(Soldiers, Cops) etc. Its an insult to them . They should be arrested.
Usually only extremists or illiterates do burn flags of other countries. These guys are taking it to a whole new level of stupidity.
Personally I'm not in favor of it, but I think it is protected "speech", and I don't get upset about it. I actually get upset about the superficial people who get all bent out of shape about it; very immature to get so consumed about it. And BTW, I often fly my flag.
Yes, flag burning is protected speech, but it can also have negative consequences for a person who engages in such a practice, and the Constitution provides no protection against such consequences.
There are 1000's who die for the flag(Soldiers, Cops) etc. Its an insult to them . They should be arrested.
Usually only extremists or illiterates do burn flags of other countries. These guys are taking it to a whole new level of stupidity.
Progress comes through education and knowledge.
I would hope that no one dies protecting a flag. I would hope they die protecting freedom and their brother next to them, if they must die. A flag is a representation of America, which is it's federal government, which should be open to subjective criticism. No one is burning dog tags.
And usually nationalists and xenophobes fly their nations flag unnecessarily.
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