MARS said:
Ideals such as "freedom". These ideals sometimes take the form of symbols - such as the National Flag.
If our flag symbolizes "freedom", does not "freedom" include using our flag as one wishes - beyond the blatantly disrespectful? Or does it only symbolize "freedoms" that some people agree with?
And where does one draw the line? Each of us, probably, parallel to, and at varying distances from, others' lines.
Would the "lower back tattoo" previously mentioned be a sign of disrespect, or of patriotism? I would take it as an expression of the latter, but, if the former, why? I've seen soldiers with flags incorporated into their tattoos. Is that disrespectful? Or is it okay on some body parts and not others, ie arms okay, lower back not so much? I have no objection to the lower back, but would find inking it over crotch or butt, so that certain not-for-prime-time-viewing anatomical features figure prominently and centrally, definitely so.
Burning it, ripping it, stomping it into mud, and urinating on it most assuredly shows great disrespect against us as a country and a people, because our flag symbolizes us.
Using a flag as curtains strikes me as exceedingly tacky, but I don't feel that way about displaying it in a window. What's the difference? I haven't quite decided myself.
We had a flag in KAF with multiple signatures of supportive members of some group (I cannot remember which) all over it. Techically, that is wrong, but nobody faulted those people - we took it as it was meant: a symbol of patriotism and support.
Is it an actual flag itself, being used for something other that being tied to a pole, that is objectionable, or is it anything that looks like a flag? If the latter, then some of you need to be talking to all of those who make, sell, and use folding lawn chairs in red-and-white with a maple leaf on them, beach towels, T-shirts, mugs, and a bazillion other items (yes, I know, invariably made in China) that proud Canadians use daily to express their patriotism. If it is wrong to hang a flag in a window (whether for display or function), then surely it must be wrong to sit in it, lie upon it, or drink tea out of it, nein? Can a flag-like item, such as a painting of one, be mounted on a wall? Why/why not? How about a flag in a frame?
Perhaps it's just wrong for Mellian to talk about it.
But that flag symbolizes her freedom as much as it symbolizes every other Canadian's.
On the subject of Mellian, some people seem to set themselves up here from the start as a convenient target of opportunity. Reasons vary. Sometimes it stems from a blatantly offensive or stupid first post (or posts; learning is slow for certain people), and sometimes it stems from an innocent misunderstanding. Perhaps the poster did not explain his/her idea perfectly, or perhaps the reader did not read it properly. Regardless, a pack mentality seems to form and responses to that person's postings begin to come more from presumption, habit, and instinct than any higher mental function.
Remember, this is one of the most imperfect forms of communication ever. Should soemthing offend you, read it carefully and make sure whether or not it was intended to offend. Chances are, it was not. Seek clarification politely if unsure. Give the poster the benefit of the doubt.
Mellian's posts seem to inspire a greater negative response in some people. She frequently discusses things which are completely foreign to some people, and this seems to generate discomfort in them. Her logic has sometimes been called into question, and that is valid. I do not recall, however, any disrespectful postings on her part.
