UC Irvine students ban the US flag

[Ludwig Von Mises]

The flag they are protesting gives them the right to do what they are doing.

A right can't be given.

The 1st Amendment (or the flag for that matter) doesn't grant anything. It simply enumerates what was already there.

[Ludwig Von Mises]

I never understood pledging allegiance to a flag.

Yeah, I'm pretty uneasy about it too, especially indoctrinating small children with such nationalistic fervor who are barely old enough to keep from pissing their pants.

 

Most folks probably believe that the pledge of allegiance was written by Jefferson or Washington or somebody.

Nope. It was written in 1892 by a socialist Francis Bellamy.

 

Here's the Bellamy Salute: hmmm, oddly familiar?

[Amazing Larry]

That's exactly what "pledging allegiance" reminds me of.

[Amazing Larry]

Well that and a certain former board member...

 

Word up fellow soccer peeps.

[Lou]

Yes. That reminds me of a George Carlin-ism:

"I consider them symbols, and I leave symbols to the symbol(simple)-minded."

aren't comedians supposed to be funny?

[Crampknees]

 

This is the only flag I fly anymore.  

 

 

"I pledge allegiance to Mein Obama of the United Socialists of America, and to the Autocracy for which it stands, one Nation under Allah, about as ****ed up and divided as you can get, with free food stamps, lotto tickets and cartons of Kools for all."

[Hollyw00d]

A right can't be given.

The 1st Amendment (or the flag for that matter) doesn't grant anything. It simply enumerates what was already there.

Well said

[Hollyw00d]

aren't comedians supposed to be funny?

Slap yourself, fool. Carlin is a legend

[Hollyw00d]

These colors dont run, dont tread on me, I'm lovin it, and so forth

[mtangelsfan]

For what its worth here is my honest take on this.  Yes, it is a piece of cloth.  It is not to be worshipped, it is not to be honored without question, it is not to be thought of as any better than any other flag.

 

However, I do believe what it does say and encourage is that this is the country we live in and we should try to make it the best place we can.  I don't think there is anything wrong with that kind of message, nothing at all.

[Amazing Larry]

These colors dont run, dont tread on me, I'm lovin it, and so forth

 

Haha!

[fan_since79]

Guys it's a piece of cloth

 

Yeah, these guys thought so.

 

[Amazing Larry]

Sweet staged photo.

[fan_since79]

Sweet staged photo.

They still raised it, and thousands of men died on that island in defense of the country for which that flag stands.

Edited March 9, 2015 by fan_since79

[Adam]

For what its worth here is my honest take on this.  Yes, it is a piece of cloth.  It is not to be worshipped, it is not to be honored without question, it is not to be thought of as any better than any other flag.

 

However, I do believe what it does say and encourage is that this is the country we live in and we should try to make it the best place we can.  I don't think there is anything wrong with that kind of message, nothing at all.

 

That's completely fair. I wish that was the general sentiment. 

[mtangelsfan]

I think that is how most people actually do process it though.  Sure there might be folks out there who think this country sucks and that it wouldn't be awful if it was wiped off the map just like there are folks out there who think this country can do no wrong and that we are better simply because we were born here but I think they are the minority.

 

Its just their voices that are the loudest.

[Amazing Larry]

They still raised it, and thousands of men died on that island in defense of the country for which that flag stands.

 

I'll give you that.

 

At least we were fighting a congress-approved war against a legitimate enemy that attacked us on our soil.

[Adam]

I think that is how most people actually do process it though.  Sure there might be folks out there who think this country sucks and that it wouldn't be awful if it was wiped off the map just like there are folks out there who think this country can do no wrong and that we are better simply because we were born here but I think they are the minority.

 

Its just their voices that are the loudest.

 

I hope so. That would be encouraging. 

[Adam]

the 1940s were much different than today.

 

I wonder how much those guys liked black dudes

[Amazing Larry]

UCI vetoed the ban so we can all sleep tonight.

 

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/council-653464-flag-ban.html

[Tank]

Well, of course it was. It's still...wait for it...disingenuous to call it a ban on the American flag. No other flags were allowed.

 

if it was about banning the flag of cambodia or canada, however, no one would really care. and they did single out the US flag in their interview for the article.

[Angelsjunky]

Some free speech is stupid. The flag they are protesting gives them the right to do what they are doing.

 

Which they are exercising. I have no problem with that.

 

The didn't actually ban the US flag. They banned all flags.

 

You must hate 'Merica.

 

 

The U.S. flag should never be banned, anywhere within this great nation's borders. Anyone who isn't proud of it should get the f&%$ out of this country.

 

I thought views like this only existed on Fox News to garner viewers in Appalachia.

 

And once again, it wasn't a ban on the United States flag, it was a ban on all flags.

 

You too must hate 'Merica.

 

Yeah, these guys thought so.

 

 

Uh, that was like 70 years ago. A very difference America and military context.

 

the 1940s were much different than today.

 

I wonder how much those guys liked black dudes

 

Or the Japanese Americans that were forced into internment camps.

[mtangelsfan]

all of those arguments are really irrelevant AJ.

 

The only thing that has really changed is that there is more information.  There have been back room deals, dirty killings, theft of land and other bad acts since almost the beginning of this country.

 

We live here and since we do we all have a responsibility to try to make it a better place to be.  Of course that has nothing to do with the flag per se but it the flag is a representation of the country.  Somehow trying to ban it or ignore it is meaningless.

 

It is like yelling at an imaginary friend.

[Angelsjunky]

I don't disagree with you, mt, but think in 2015 we should be focusing more on world citizenship, on the total globe itself, rather than the old nationalistic boundaries and agendas. As far as I understand the purpose of the ban, the students wanted to create a more "inclusive space" on campus that wasn't centered on American values and identity. I think there is an element of protest as well, with the statement that the American flag hasn't only symbolized freedom etc, but also colonialism and imperialism, etc.

[Blarg]

Sweet staged photo.

except it wasn't staged.