Walking on the flag

[SSJ455]

Originally Posted by 2010SSRSM6

This went down the rabbit hole......

As a Vet who served 15+ years before being medically retired due to injuries sustained defending MY flag, I don't care if you are red, green, blue, black or yellow......you stomp on MY flag, I'm stomping your ass.

Anyone who's actually served in the military knows that not all soldiers are created equally. When you take an obvious problem out of society and put it in uniform do the problems magically go away? Nope. Every branch of the military has problems, just like society. This thread is a perfect example of that fact.

Just because someone's ancestors had a hard time, doesn't mean that every future generation gets to act like an ass. My grandparents went through shit too but I'm not letting that dictate how I live my life. I took care of them until they died and still managed to make something of myself.

Desecration of the flag is not going to bring attention to a perceived injustice, it makes you look like an asshole.

This country is far from perfect. It's history is filled with atrocities. But from that history it has become a far greater land the the majority of countries around the world. The fact that we are having this discussion is proof.

That flag is a symbol of not only the past in which it flew over, but a symbol of the future we can build together. I've lost friends, family and brothers/sisters in arms defending that flag and I'll be damned if I'd sit idly by and watch some lowlife pile of crap that has never done anything productive with their life dishonor their sacrifice.


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+1

[trodecke]

Originally Posted by 2010SSRSM6

I'll be damned if I'd sit idly by and watch some lowlife pile of crap that has never done anything productive with their life dishonor their sacrifice.

Thank you for your service to our country!

I too sewed on that flag to defend this great nation of ours (USAF 1987-1991). I was in for the first Gulf War. Part of what I signed up to do was to defend the people's right to protest, even if I thought they were a sack of <bleeped by me> and deserved to have one of the AWACS I worked on shoved up their <bleeped by me>. On more than one occasion I was confronted with people that were protesting the military in general and me in specific. They would use words that would make a sailor blush and accuse us of doing it for the oil, being a baby killer, etc. My normal response was to smile at them and wave as though they were good friends. I doubt if any of them understood my reaction but hopefully at least some finally figured out that I was happy they had the right to protest, even if what they were protesting were the very people that protected their right to protest in the first place.

Do I believe those that desecrate our flag are low life scum and have a special ring reserved for them in Dante's hell? You better believe it. Would I fight again to make sure they keep that right to be low life scum? You better believe it.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

[Mydivorcegift]

Originally Posted by KCdaMan

So because people are "very" patriotic that give them the right to do as they please because they don't agree with it? REALLY?!?!?!?! This attitude is dangerous and brazenly stupid.

Seems to give black people the right to riot when they don't agree with a verdict handed down in the judicial system this country uses.

How do you feel about that? Do you think that's dangerous and brazenly stupid?

So yeah..same...I see it, I would "intervene".

[1KillerSS]

If you want to burn or stomp on the flag, by all means do it. God bless you. Just don't come anywhere near me.

Its by the blood of our brothers and sisters, that the freedom exists, for people to have the right, or freedom, to do such things. I am not an emotional person, I am one of those people that others refer to as emotionally constipated. The one thing that will get me choked up, and I, to this day, everytime I hear the national anthem, get emotional. Every time. Now when I see images of people burning flags, or disrespecting them in any way. I get angry to the point of rage.

@ KCdaMan

Another thing that gets me all wound up is people that throw their military service in the face of others, like it makes them better than them. Get a life, in this country, we have the right to serve or not. The choice is theirs. See CHOICE wow what a concept. FREEDOM, a great privilege. When you repeatedly mention in all of your frikin 19 posts that you served, and tell others to do so, you just look more like an ass, a wannabe that has an inferiority complex, or little man syndrome. Then make it about race. Talk about how your family has been discriminated against and yadda yadda yadda. Has absolutely nothing to do with someone disrespecting the flag.

[6bangerBOOM]

It's a flag. It's a symbol that is not tied to an exclusive meaning. The American flag means many different things to many different people. I'm sure it's no surprise that some of those meanings are not good. The American flag doesn't stand for freedom... Americans do. The American flag is a bit of died cloth. The discourses and ideologies of American freedom do not solely exist because there is a flag to convey them, but becuase there are Americans that believe in them. Post a video of yourself stomping on the flag... Couldn't care less, and your probably just hurting yourself in the long run (ie. when you begin your job search). Make whatever point you think your making and feel better about yourself. It's everybody else that empowers the act by making a fuss over these videos.

[PQ]

Nobody is saying that the cloth it's self is sacred. The meaning of what you are doing is why I'll kick your ass or do my best to if you abuse it.

[6bangerBOOM]

Originally Posted by PQ

Nobody is saying that the cloth it's self is sacred. The meaning of what you are doing is why I'll kick your ass or do my best to if you abuse it.

There's a contradiction there considering we're talking about the desecration of the flag. It's nothing to get worked up over. Like I said, you empower the act when you get upset over it because that's exactly the response that such an act intends to evoke. But if that's not enough for you then go over there and beat them all up.

[PoorMansCamaro]

Originally Posted by 6bangerBOOM

There's a contradiction there considering we're talking about the desecration of the flag. It's nothing to get worked up over. Like I said, you empower the act when you get upset over it because that's exactly the response that such an act intends to evoke. But if that's not enough for you then go over there and beat them all up.

That might be easy for you to dismiss, but for many people, they have strong feelings about the American flag, for whatever reason.

Telling people not to make a big deal about it is like telling someone not to get upset if someone vandalized their car. Why make a big deal about that? It's just an object. An object that has far less meaning than the flag.

[6bangerBOOM]

Originally Posted by PoorMansCamaro

That might be easy for you to dismiss, but for many people, they have strong feelings about the American flag, for whatever reason.

Telling people not to make a big deal about it is like telling someone not to get upset if someone vandalized their car. Why make a big deal about that? It's just an object. An object that has far less meaning than the flag.

You make good points, but dismissal is still the only option that does not empower the stomper. The car metaphor brings out a good argument between object and symbol. But still you posess the car, you do not posess the flags shown in the videos. When you add personal or group possession to the mix I can understand the emotions that stomping a flag would evoke. And if somebody yanked the flag down from PQ's house and started stomping it I'd be right there next to him stomping the person who did it. But these are just videos posted on an ailing social media behemoth intended to get a rise out of people with controversial imagery. If they really had something worthwhile to say they'd do it with words.

[1KillerSS]

Originally Posted by 6bangerBOOM

It's a flag. It's a symbol that is not tied to an exclusive meaning. The American flag means many different things to many different people. I'm sure it's no surprise that some of those meanings are not good. The American flag doesn't stand for freedom... Americans do. The American flag is a bit of died cloth. The discourses and ideologies of American freedom do not solely exist because there is a flag to convey them, but becuase there are Americans that believe in them. Post a video of yourself stomping on the flag... Couldn't care less, and your probably just hurting yourself in the long run (ie. when you begin your job search). Make whatever point you think your making and feel better about yourself. It's everybody else that empowers the act by making a fuss over these videos.

See here is where part of the conflict lies, the flag does stand for freedom, in my eyes anyway, that's part of the reason I feel so strongly about it. Yes its a bit of died cloth, and that cloth represents our country. When people desecrate it, I honestly dont give a shit about the cloth, its what the flag represents that they are desecrating. Getting upset empowers the act? That maybe true, but try and get a bunch of vets who have lost their beloved to "relax" about it because their just feeding into it, good luck with that. The non vets too.....Dismissal is also a way of pacifism and sorry im no pacifist, I am passionate about this country and the people that never came home.

[PQ]

This is nothing new. They've been doing this shit since the 60s.

I"m not going looking for flag stompers. If I just happen to see it then there will be trouble.

The passive attitude is a reason why we get weaker by the year.

[MostWanted]

I've been in the military 22+ years and plan on doing at least 6 more. I have deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq and have been activated for numerous natural disasters. I can tell you without a doubt that I would much rather be a part of a nation and it's military that defends its freedom of speech than of those that do not even educate their women. When someone enters the military, they take an oath that involves defending the constitution...all of it...not parts. Soldiers do not get to choose which Americans they get to fight for. I fight for all Americans and her allies. That means I fight for moms, dads, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, grandparents, the rich, the poor, the righteous, criminals, gays, straight, black, white, yellow, brown, red, and yes...flag burners. You, and the flag burners, should just feel proud that you live in a country that allows us to be so free. Our country is great because we are all not the same and this was known a LONG time ago...E Pluribus Unum.

[dianeokie]

Originally Posted by MostWanted

I've been in the military 22+ years and plan on doing at least 6 more. I have deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq and have been activated for numerous natural disasters. I can tell you without a doubt that I would much rather be a part of a nation and it's military that defends its freedom of speech than of those that do not even educate their women. When someone enters the military, they take an oath that involves defending the constitution...all of it...not parts. Soldiers do not get to choose which Americans they get to fight for. I fight for all Americans and her allies. That means I fight for moms, dads, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, grandparents, the rich, the poor, the righteous, criminals, gays, straight, black, white, yellow, brown, red, and yes...flag burners. You, and the flag burners, should just feel proud that you live in a country that allows us to be so free. Our country is great because we are all not the same and this was known a LONG time ago...E Pluribus Unum.

And, Hot Rod Power Tour is coming to your town in a couple of weeks, or I think close by. Gonzales LA on Friday the 12th and 13th.

[1KillerSS]

Originally Posted by MostWanted

I've been in the military 22+ years and plan on doing at least 6 more. I have deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq and have been activated for numerous natural disasters. I can tell you without a doubt that I would much rather be a part of a nation and it's military that defends its freedom of speech than of those that do not even educate their women. When someone enters the military, they take an oath that involves defending the constitution...all of it...not parts. Soldiers do not get to choose which Americans they get to fight for. I fight for all Americans and her allies. That means I fight for moms, dads, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, grandparents, the rich, the poor, the righteous, criminals, gays, straight, black, white, yellow, brown, red, and yes...flag burners. You, and the flag burners, should just feel proud that you live in a country that allows us to be so free. Our country is great because we are all not the same and this was known a LONG time ago...E Pluribus Unum.

Spent 4 years in Shreveport, at Barksdale AFB. Lived in Baton Rouge for 3. My buddy was a mail man in Denim Springs after he got out. Both of us moved to BR after that. He used to tell me some hilarious stories about that city!