Rob K. said:

quote:


... to see it burning is one thing. but to see it aimlessly and pointlessly and foolishly burning is another.

Great point, Rob. I think the rampant burning of the flag points to just how destructive rather than constructive public debate has become in our society. Rather than simply disagreeing with someone....even strongly disagreeing with them,and leaving it at that, people now feel the need to take it a step further by not only disagreeing and criticizing the view itself, but also insulting, denigrating or even destroying the source of that view. Now, I'm as guilty of this as anyone, so this isn't a case of "Thank God I'm perfect and you're not", but it's just something I've noted in our modern society. Flag burning is the perfect example of an ideological debate that has stalled or completely broken off, with a nihilistic, primitive impulse to destroy taking its place.