What a bothersome thing to do.

I understand that the reason we have the ability to live as freely as we do in America hinges on our bill of constitutional rights. I also understand that one of these rights is the right of free speech. No, really! I get it, I promise!

I don't personally believe that burning a flag should be illegal. It is within our rights as Americans to burn flags (including that of the American flag) as long as it doesn't endanger the lives of others directly (such as using it as a way to commit arson).

I don't actually approve of the activity of doing this, though. Hanging flags upside down, standing on top of flags, and burning flags all strike me as terribly disrespectful. Now, to some extent, I don't mind. I mean, if you are terribly opposed to another country and do these things, well that's a form of expression and more power to you, I guess.

I think it's entirely different when you live in and enjoy the privileges of that country (I'm really specifically referring to America, but Canada or other countries with privileges count too) but then you go burning and otherwise disrespecting a symbol of the country. If an American doesn't respect their country enough to treat a generally accepted symbol of the country properly, then they probably shouldn't live in America either. I'm an American, and I understand that the government doesn't always do things right, and neither do the people or the businesses. On the other hand, though, living in America does come with a really nice set of rights that aren't quite the same anywhere else in the world (to my knowledge, at this time).

On a slightly different and related note, regardless of if a person respects the country being symbolized by a flag, I cannot help but still be disappointed in people who would burn and tarnish flags in general. My reason is that I consider it a rather bothersome thing to do. Flags aren't grown, they're made. When a person is burning a flag, they're being disrespectful to anyone involved in the process that resulted in the production of that flag. Like saying "your work is so pointless, worthless, or unimportant that it doesn't matter what I do with it, because the fact that you put forth effort to ensure that this nicely made flag here doesn't matter, so I'll do whatever I want with it, including destroying it". I wouldn't feel like saying that to someone. Certainly, I wouldn't want to say that to the face of everybody involved in  the process of making an American flag. What a bothersome and rude thing to do.

It is for that very reason that I think that groups in America which participate in flag burning, and flag desecration (lesser offenses to the military funeral and parade picketing they do at the same time, but I'm not going into that either, although I disapprove of these things as well, but understand that picketing has a time and a place) should really consider whether or not they mean what the desecration of the symbolic American flag represents: an overwhelming disrespect for America, the privileges afforded by the constitution, and the work of all the people who made the flag.

On a final note, it is my firm opinion that a person who hides behind freedom of speech to cry out against America saying that the entire country should be destroyed, that the people who fight for the freedoms (including that precious freedom of speech) deserve to die, and that all the people within
are deserving of terrible things happening to them should realize something very important...

If the people within deserve terrible things, then you as an American deserve terrible things.

If the people who fight for the freedoms deserve to die, don't be upset when your freedoms that allow you to protest the country disappear.

If the country should be destroyed, don't go crying "foul" when you find yourself unable to practice the religion, the cultures, the customs, and the free speech that you get to practice now because the country where these things are offered is gone.

Of course, perhaps if you do these things, you'll be lucky, and the country will live on, the people who defend us will return home, and nothing bad will happen. Still, spouting out nonsense like this doesn't win friends, and I highly doubt it will ever influence anyone to listen and heed your words.