Good article.  I live on an AF base and the anthem is played at 1700 daily for retreat...the amount of kids who totally ignore the music and just continue to play is disgraceful (adults too).  I was so proud of my kids last week...the music started when they were outside, and they stopped what they were doing and stood with their hand over their hearts...and then told their friends to do that same!

I liked what you had to say about people who weren't in the military as well...every year at the open house air show we get those guys out here, trying to impress people by saying they were S.E.A.L.s or spec. ops.......

Yes, it does.  I've had the privilege of meeting former seals and spec. ops. guys...and they're not very forthcoming with their stories and qualifications.  The ones who are pretending will tell you they were a seal as they're shaking your hand to introduce themselves.  We even had a contractor who painted our bathroom who'd brag about being a a MC sniper with a SEAL unit......he was later subject to an armed take down (in which my husband participated) for possesion of narcotics on a military installation, but that's a whole other story.

My Grandpa was in WW2.  It think he'd rip your arm off and beat you with it if he saw you burning a flag.

I am not sure that focusing on flags or anthems or symbolism does anyone any good.

For those of us living in the United States: we should be good citizens.  Follow the laws, vote, clean your lawn, help out around town, don't make an ass out of yourself when traveling abroad, etc.  That's the way to make our country good.

I think that a lot of Americans get way too wrapped-up in their own national symbols. 

Every country has its own flag and national anthem.  So what?  It is just a marketing tool.  Street gangs have hand symbols and tags that they use as marketing tools too.

I like my life in America and I am a good citizen, I respect the forefathers and veterans; but I don't want to be so absorbed in symbolism.  I think that it distracts from the actual issues.

I think one of the reasons why I think that flag burning is so disrespectful is that the flag and its use has a legal set of rules with it.  If the flag needs to be decommissioned, the only proper way to discard it is in a ceremony were it is *respectfully* burned.  Yes, some may just view it as a "symbol", but try to tell a war vet who watched their buddy get blown up while trying to keep the flag raised that is "merely a symbol".

Respect is something that this country really lacks in this day and age.....but that is a totally different rant.