Amen to your posts in this thread, Adrasteia. As I have said many times, patriots are not only the flagwavers, nor are flag wavers always patriots.

Excellent point. And some of the posters here who can't stand to see an American flag walked on (The term descrate implies sanctity) don't care that American citizens get walked on. Nor do they feel patriotic enough to pay their fair share of the money that keeps this country going.

If you have a whole bunch of people mending a giant flag all at the same time, some people will have to step on the flag (trample?) in order to get to the parts they are mending. Some of these menders had small children with them who joined them in lovingly restoring this giant flag. Why is this disrespectful? Why are so many dense people so easily riled up by this stupid kind of thing?

Why mend the flag if you are going to allow people to trample it simultaneously? Isn't that kind of a waste of time and energy? You have this grand flag mending party but you have little regard for this traditional symbol and all its asssociated baggage. I guess the whole idea is to hijack the symbol from the Conservatives who have corned the market on flag waving. Thats all well and good, but then you have to actually respect the symbol if you are going to use it effectively. My Grandfather was buried with Military honors and had a flag draped over his coffin at his funeral. Afterwards the flag was carefully folded in a traditional and solemn ceremony. I think after you participate in those kinds of events this flag mending event seems like a trendy stunt.

lubbesuh:

Why mend the flag if you are going to allow people to trample it simultaneously? ...

You didn't read the post above yours- How do you propose to work on a giant flag without walking on it? Not to mention- the flag is already spred out on the ground. That's already a violation of flag etiquette right there if you are likely to be hung-up about that sort of thing. What's the big deal about kids walking on it while their moms are mending it?

Thats why the whole thing comes across as a stupid stunt. You are supposedly "mending" a flag, for what reason, what is it supposed to represent? And in the process of "mending" the flag it gets desecrated. Again, if you really cared about the falg you would take spteps to prevent it from being desecrated. If you don't care about it then why have a big hoopla event. Just stupid.

Oh, won't somebody think of the CHILDREN??? Running around, soiling the flag, being, oh, oh, oh, CHILDREN!

Get a grip, Lubbesuh. Baggage is the only true word you uttered. When I hear you complaining about people wearing flags for shorts then I'll take you more seriously. <link>

Deep cleansing breaths, Lubbesuh, deep cleansing breaths.

Mending is a SYMBOL, Lubbesuh. It represents the mending of America, if you divisive types will allow it to happen.

Frankly your obsession with a flag over people is just stupid.

LOL, oh my. now I'm obsessed with the flag. Sorry, I never have been a flagwaver. But I do think it is ridiculous and frankly phoney to "mend" the flag when you don't have any respect for its symbolic quality, which includes not desecrating it. Kids have to be taught to respect the flag or they will never know. I suspect that the parents who allowed this to happen either had no idea about the rules of how to treat the flag or found it funny. Either way it makes a farce of the event.

Children should be taught to respect PEOPLE and to defend the CONSTITUTION. After that, respect for the symbolic properties of the flag are automatic.

What you suspect is irrelevant. Your suspicion is not based in fact and your politics make your patriotism suspect. If McCain had staged this event you'd be slobbering all over it.

I served our country for 24 years. Perhaps you learned your priorities elsewhere. The flag is the symbol of those children. It is their birthright. They own it. I have friends who died to secure their right to play in this country and not be lectured by tight-asses like you. I never knew one single person who served to protect the flag. They served to protect you.

i didnt serve to protect ANYBODY at home, i did it because i was forced to and to protect the guy next to me....

BortimusPrime:

I think the irony here is that the same people who can't stand to see an American flag desecrated probably don't understand why Muslims could get pissed off at a drawing of Mohammed with a bomb for a turban.

Another irony is that you don't notice the difference between people calmly objecting to something and someone blowing up a building or murdering someone to show their displeasure.

Sorry about that, SH. I was a volunteer. I served to uphold the Constitution of the US. Flags make me feel all gooey and patriotic but I wouldn't die for one.

Adrasteia:

Children should be taught to respect PEOPLE and to defend the CONSTITUTION. After that, respect for the symbolic properties of the flag are automatic.

.... I never knew one single person who served to protect the flag. They served to protect you.

Let's not get carried away here. I was in the US Army too. Some served for the GI Bill benefits. Some did it for vocational training. Some do it because their dads told them to. Some served because they were a bunch of losers with nothing else to do. One guy was in the army to get his green card (no joke- he couldn't even speak english- another soldier had to translate for him half the time) I didn't know one single person who served out of 'patriotic' reasons. And I knew a few who were there because they were basically psychopaths with guns and explosives and rambo obsessions.

Now where did I say people don't serve to get benefits? I think most have that a least in the backs of their mind.

I said I never met one who joined to protect a flag.

If you deployed, were you ever thinking you would throw yourself in front of a flag to protect it? Would have protected your fellow soldiers? Then you know what I mean.

I don't know how long you served but I served an entire career. At some point you figure out the bigger picture. That you may serve for the pay but your charter is to uphold the Constitution. The officer or enlistment oaths don't mention a flag anywhere.

Yes, I worked with a guy who joined to gain citizenship too. He also was difficult to understand. But when it comes down to having to protect something, it's either a person or your own ass, probably not a flag getting dirty.

I suggest Lubbesuh should drive around her own town and see how many dirty and tattered flags are flying and then engage those people before she criticises some kids playing on a flag as desecration.