Hello Practical,
I'm a libertarian bro, you do you, and the first amendment is messy. The speech and acts I most disagree with are the ones that do need protecting and that's what it's for. Would I burn a flag? Never. Do I find it appalling that you will? I do. Will I use force to stop you from doing it? Nope. Now if you go after the flag attached to my house, yup. All I ask is that you afford me the same respect for my flag that I afford you when you are burning yours and we won't have problems. Aside from that, I don't really care how someone displays their pride or lack thereof. And don't go moral high ground on me, 24 year vet, 2 wars, multiple deployments, think I have earned the right to my unusual opinion on the matter.
I thank you for your service, sir, it is a fine country and I love living in it, my home. I thank you very much for all you have done and been through. Well done. I can certainly tell you it is well appreciated. I cherish my freedom, and with it I cherish showing respect for the flag. Now, in no way does military service grant any special privileges to prevent other views. You are certainly entitled to your view; and so are others. That's the deal. I would never burn an American flag. Just as you are entitled to your view, I am completely free to my view of what is proper respect for the flag and what is disrespectful. The US Flag Code is quite specific about how to fly the American Flag, and if I see somebody not showing the proper respect then I have every right in the world to disapprove. I don't like seeing that. No, I do not. It is an insult to the USA.
No way I'm gonna go up to a stranger and tell him that what he is doing is wrong, so I bring it here. If he doesn't see it, no big. Not like I can correct every fool who doesn't know what he's doing. But if somebody reads this and learns something, then I've taken that foolish mistake I saw and turned it into a positive by making somebody else think twice about what they're doing.
Somebody is out there in his boat and he's got all his flags flyin, he's not gonna listen to a stranger come up and tell him he's doing it wrong. Somebody reading a chat board might be in a more receptive state of mind.
People that don't know how to fly the flag, don't know the proper way, also don't know that what they are doing could be offensive. Or maybe they do and they are just being a jerk and they don't care. But if somebody didn't know; and then they find out? In a way that doesn't spoil their fun? They might think twice about it the next time.
Country would be greater if more people showed proper respect for the flag. People talking about making it great ought to know that. And if they don't care, they should. We see a lot of pretty disrespectful people cheering for Trump. I know there are good people who favor him, so it's hard for me to understand why they want to take up with what are some really deplorable people. I don't see how self-respecting people can justify joining ranks with racists, dividers and haters. A nation can't be great when it is divided. It's fine to disagree, but to disrespect the country and those who feel differently, is just wrong. There is no way the country can be so divided, and hateful, and great. Those qualities are mutually exclusive. A great country recognizes and appreciates everyone's right to be here, be a part of the USA, and have their own views.
And people of all views should properly show their respect for the symbol of our nation. That would be great.
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