Teen wants to bring reverence back to flag

Galveston County Daily News ^ | 5-19-02 | Alicia Gooden

[serinde]

One young person with the right ideas.

[ChadGore]

Bump. This kid rocks.

[parsifal]

How anal. What costume must one wear while perfoming this ceremony? parsy.

[adakotab]

How anal. What costume must one wear while perfoming this ceremony?

You are an ass for posting such a statement.

[parsifal]

Probably. But I still think this kid's got mental problems. He's 17 years old and he's getting all OCD about disposing of dead flags? Somebody needs to buy the kid a beer. Introduce him to a teenage girl, maybe. parsy the compassionate a**.

[IronJack]

Is it your assumption that a teenage boy must be consumed by lust and debauchery, and that he has no room in his life for a sense of honor and decency?

[parsifal]

No. But I don't think this dude would be hung up on kissing dead flags if he had kissed a girl or two. Could you honestly say you would be proud if this was your son? I mean you're down at the bar with your buddies and Ralph tells you how his kid just rebuilt the engine in his 1970 Duster. Bob tells you how his son is dating a cheerleader. Harlan's kid just got a football scholarship from the Raxorbacks. And what do you have to offer----"We'll my son's pretty big into flag etiquette. . ." I mean c'mon, this kids probably been left alone whittling too much. parsy the red-blooded American.

[jigsaw]

Well, parsifal, your encounter at the bar could also go like this:

I mean you're down at the bar with your buddies and Ralph tells you how his kid just been arrested for drug possession. Bob tells you how his son is dating a hooker. Harlan's kid just got a ten-year sentence for robbery. And what do you have to offer----"We'll my son's pretty big into flag etiquette. . ."

[D-fendr]

It's his project to qualify for Eagle Scout.

I realize that ain't cool either.

May I ask how old you are?

[parsifal]

Cute! LOL! But seriously, read the article. This kid sees a flag disposal when he's like 9 years old AND HE CAN'T GET IT OUT OF HIS MIND. The actual quote, "It’s just stayed in my head, and now I’m trying to live it out,” he said."

This has become an obsession for the kid. What if he had seen his mommy dressing when he was 9 and it "stayed in his head" and he tried "to live it out."? This dude would be like a transvestite or shoe-fetishist now.

I think this young man is crying out for help. Today its dead flags. Tomorrow he will be into women's underwear. parsy the concerned.

[parsifal]

ARGHHH, I'm 48. And now that you mention it, it does seem that some Eagle Scouts have a tendency to be a little bonkers. I think there is a thin line between dedication and obsession. parsy.

[Budge]

WTG, young man!

[D-fendr]

" This dude would be like a transvestite or shoe-fetishist now. "

Then there's some folks whose cry for help is posting outrageous replies on internet forums…

[IronJack]

Apparenly you were more overwhelmed by little girls' underpants at 9 than by a sense of patriotism. You're certaily not alone; this society has a surfeit of indulgent teenagers (of ALL ages). But it's refreshing to see that there's at least ONE who isn't obsessed with getting drunk, laid, or stoned.

I know which one I'd rather have leading my country or my business.

[parsifal]

Are you honestly telling me that you don't see the abnormal pathology in this? I mean this kid is getting freaky about cutting dead flags into pieces, ritually separating the pieces, kissing them, and then burning them in some ceremonial order. And then going around to teach others about this and gaining new disciples for the cult. Can you spell "Hitler Youth"? Can you spell "Youth in Torment."? This is some wierd stuff here, Dude. I feel sorry for this poor kid and here you are encouraging him. Am I the only one who sees this? parsy the socially concerned.

[jigsaw]

Actually, I agree with you that perhaps the young man is concentrating too much on proper flag disposal.

Hopefully, maturity will broaden his horizon, but at least he's headed in a good direction.

[parsifal]

Its a problem a lot of good kids have. You see it a lot in these little sheltered Christian kids. Their mommies, daddies, and preachers fill their heads with fear stuff. Like, college professors are all commies. If you drink beer you will die in a car wreck. If you smoke a joint, you will have frog-children. Then when they get out in the real world and they see people doing all this stuff and not dying left and right, the jig is up. Faith gets shot to heck. Satan has his friends over to Sunday brunch to celebrate. Somehow I suspect this teen will take some heavy psychic hits in the next few years. parsy.

[jigsaw]

If you smoke a joint, you will have frog-children.

So, my dear parsifal, just how do you explain the origin of James Carville?   hmmmm?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

You make some good points.

(P.S. ....don't worry about trying to explain Carville's genesis....some mysteries are better left unknown.)

[IronJack]

Are you honestly telling me that you don't see the abnormal pathology in this?

There is less "abnormal pathology" (as opposed to "normal pathology?") in this than there is in getting wasted or dyeing your hair blue or getting your scrotum pierced.

I mean this kid is getting freaky about cutting dead flags into pieces, ritually separating the pieces, kissing them, and then burning them in some ceremonial order.

Uh, the kid didn't invent the rituals; they are a part of traditional flag etiquette. The fact that you -- and millions of others like you -- don't know that is the kid's point.

And then going around to teach others about this and gaining new disciples for the cult.

Yeah, some cult. The worst thing they do is retire our nation's flag with the utmost ceremony and respect. You can almost see them spray-painting "Up with America" on railroad overpasses, can't you?

Can you spell "Hitler Youth"? Can you spell "Youth in Torment."? This is some wierd stuff here, Dude.

Can you spell "honor?" Can you spell "tradition?" Can you spell a proper sense of awe for our national symbol, and the lives and liberties it represents? Ooooooo. Scary stuff indeed!

I feel sorry for this poor kid and here you are encouraging him.

It's okay. I feel sorry for you, but I'm not encouraging you. Save your pity for the TRUE youth in torment. You know, the ones who think Kurt Cobain was cool. The ones who have no sense of connection with their past or with something larger than themselves, so they go out in a blaze of glory. Like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

And save a little pity for yourself, for the fact that you're so cynical and self-obsessed that you would actually FEAR someone bent on paying his respect to an ideal.

[serinde]

Its a problem a lot of good kids have. You see it a lot in these little sheltered Christian kids. Their mommies, daddies, and preachers fill their heads with fear stuff.

I disagree completely with your ideas that showing respect to the flag is somehow kooky or abnormal.

I do agree that lots of good Christian kids are sheltered from the real world, sometimes too much so. My son-in-law just graduated from a Christian university, and he has many stories of college students going way overboard the first time they are away from home. After too much sheltering, the freedom just carries them away. While being sheltered, they did not learn how to hold to their values when under attack.

That said, many kids - like the young man in this article and several more I know - can and do face the world without "losing it," or joining some cult, or have some other negative response to the "real" world. These youth are the ones that find some positive interest, know and decide to uphold ideas of morals and values, and try to live their lives according to these beliefs.

As long as there are kids like this, there is hope for the world.