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< flame suit> I support the sentiment, but having just seen the flag on MSNBC, I disagree with people writing anything on our flag, defacing our flag or burning our flag. </flame suit>

I understand your sentiment, but completely disagree. The writing on the flag was not intended as a sign of disrespect to the nation, but rather as a show of patriotic solidarity. It seems to me that the current state of affairs-- where the vast majority of Americans still are bursting with patriotic fervor-- is far better than the apathy of a few months ago. Any faux pas committed, whether or not it is in ignorance, isnt that big of a deal.

I was discussing this with my sis, an AF ROTC cadet, and I maintained that all these raggedy flags still waving from peoples cars do not dishonor this country, but instead are a compliment. Did they take down the Star-spangled banner when it was shot up right away? No, the symbolism was greater to have this hole-studded flag waving in the breeze. Ditto for the scrawled messages on the WTC flag.

>The writing on the flag was not intended as a sign of disrespect to the nation, but rather as a show of patriotic solidarity. It seems to me that the current state of affairs-- where the vast majority of Americans still are bursting with patriotic fervor-- is far better than the apathy of a few months ago. Any faux pas committed, whether or not it is in ignorance, isnt that big of a deal.

I know it was well-intentioned. And no, it's not a huge deal. (Much smaller than I expressed earlier and a fellow FReeper pointed out.) I'm just disappointed that the "patriotic fervor" could be expressed in a way that didn't include writing on our flag, that's all.

>I was discussing this with my sis, an AF ROTC cadet, and I maintained that all these raggedy flags still waving from peoples cars do not dishonor this country, but instead are a compliment. Did they take down the Star-spangled banner when it was shot up right away? No, the symbolism was greater to have this hole-studded flag waving in the breeze. Ditto for the scrawled messages on the WTC flag.

I'm sure they didn't intentionally put the holes in the flag. < sarcasm > Even if they did, I'm sure they were patriotic when the did it < /sarcasm>. Seriously though, I'm the first one in line supporting patriotism. And I forgive their ignorance of flag etiquitte. But personally, I prefer they respectfully burned the damaged flag at a time that was convenient, given the circumstances.