Flag Burning

[The Murry]

After the now globaly infamous "shoe" rescue of the Australian Prime Minister from and angry mob of Aboriginals, on Australia Day (Thurs) The Aboriginals burn an Australian Flag in front of Parliment.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8409852/200-activists-march-on-parliament-house
So my question is, Is it wrong to burn a/your national flag.

[Death Metal]

No.

To do so is an expression of your disgust at what your country has turned into (or rather, how you perceive it to be turned into).

There's more productive ways to go about airing your grievances IMO, though, but if you want to be noticed, guess that's the easiest way to do it.

Also, side note, not sure about other countries, but all American flags are supposed to be disposed of by burning. So there's two reasons why burning it isn't wrong, but that's semantics.

[Gravonia]

It's just a piece of cloth. A way to tell whose ship is whose and so avoid friendly fire.

Unless you're american.

[Death Metal]

It's just a piece of cloth. A way to tell whose ship is whose and so avoid friendly fire.

Unless you're american.

Australia is America now?

[Gravonia]

It's just a piece of cloth. A way to tell whose ship is whose and so avoid friendly fire.

Unless you're american.

Australia is America now?

No. Which is why I'd be surprised if many people are that offended. Although I admit though that I haven't read any Aussie press on the subject.

I think the point the Aboriginals are making is that Australia is an invasion of Aboriginal land and has no right to exist. Usually when people burn american flags it's just to troll americans

[Distruzio]

I encourage it.

[Dazchan]

If they bought the flag, it's theirs to do with as they wish.

[Death Metal]

Australia is America now?

No. Which is why I'd be surprised if many people are that offended. Although I admit though that I haven't read any Aussie press on the subject.

I think the point the Aboriginals are making is that Australia is an invasion of Aboriginal land and has no right to exist. Usually when people burn american flags it's just to troll americans

Shouldn't the Aboriginals be more pissed at England then?

[Radiatia]

I have no problem with flag-burning as a symbolic act. Sure it shouldn't be used every time there's a minor protest, but I have no problem with it.

[Gravonia]

Maybe, although England/Britain is no longer occupying them.

[Greater Mackonia]

A flag is a representation of the State .Burning flags is a act of protest against the state and therefor should be legal

[Yootwopia]

I have no problem with flag-burning as a symbolic act. Sure it shouldn't be used every time there's a minor protest, but I have no problem with it.

Why not? It always enrages the kind of people I have nothing but contempt for.

[Distruzio]

A flag is a representation of the State .Burning flags is a act of protest against the state and therefor should be legal

The State is the creature that maintains the legal order. Seeking permission from it to burn symbols of it is rather counter-intuitive, no?

[The Murry]

The resposes I have recieved do not show a depth of knowlege or intrest in Australian history, politics and culture on behalf of the people who have responded

[Good Old Money]

I think that it should be legal, but I believe that there are more respectful ways of protest, that do not involve such a disrespect towards authority.

[Keronians]

Flag burning is just plain wrong. It's a symbol of the nation, and everything good about it.

A symbol of national pride.

Though if a person wishes to burn the flag, then they should be free to do so.

[Hippostania]

It depends on the flag. If it's the flag of the US or any other NATO country, then it's wrong. If it's the flag of a socialist dictatorship or some other rogue pariah state like Iran, then it's completely acceptable.

[Call to power]

Yes you are kind of a dick if you go around setting fire to flags. I would actually go as far to say that I have never heard of a protest in which setting fire to national symbols has been done by anyone but idiots.

Its like that flag symbolises the people of the nation in question and by setting fire to it you are symbolically destroying the nation or something, a bit like desecrating a Church. Who would do a thing like that?

It's just a piece of cloth. A way to tell whose ship is whose and so avoid friendly fire.

And the Mona Lisa is just a piece of paper with some paint on.

[1000 Cats]

Yes. Flags do not burn cleanly at all. Even when disgruntled we must consider our greenhouse gas emissions؟

[Good Old Money]

Yes you are kind of a dick if you go around setting fire to flags. I would actually go as far to say that I have never heard of a protest in which setting fire to national symbols has been done by anyone but idiots.

Its like that flag symbolises the people of the nation in question and by setting fire to it you are symbolically destroying the nation or something, a bit like desecrating a Church. Who would do a thing like that?

It's just a piece of cloth. A way to tell whose ship is whose and so avoid friendly fire.

And the Mona Lisa is just a piece of paper with some paint on.

I agree. Flags are a piece of the national pride and patriotism.

[Ardchoille]

The resposes I have recieved do not show a depth of knowlege or intrest in Australian history, politics and culture on behalf of the people who have responded

I think they're being remarkably restrained. It's both dignified and justified. In 1983 Roberta Sykes -- former activist "Bobbi" Sykes, arrested at the Tent Embassy in 1972 -- became the first Aboriginal Australian to gain her PhD from Harvard, and they asked her what she hoped her son would grow up to be.

"Alive," she said.

People who identify as Aborigines are 2.5% of the population and 25% of the prison population. They're more likely to be arrested today than black South Africans were in apartheid South Africa, and 13 times more likely to be arrested than other Australians. They are more likely to be homeless, to suffer relative and abject poverty, more likely to contract preventable diseases, more likely to suffer depression, more likely to struggle with a substance abuse problem, more likely to suffer all forms of abuse (child molestation especially, and young Aboriginal males are the most likely people in Australia to be physically assaulted); they're less likely to finish secondary and far less likely to complete tertiary education, and more likely to take their own lives. (Sources: mostly Australian Bureau of Statistics.)

OK, things are changing; but in the face of that, the rest of us are damn lucky -- and should be damn grateful -- it's only bits of cloth they're burning.

[Good Old Money]

The resposes I have recieved do not show a depth of knowlege or intrest in Australian history, politics and culture on behalf of the people who have responded

I think they're being remarkably restrained. It's both dignified and justified. In 1983 Roberta Sykes -- former activist "Bobbi" Sykes, arrested at the Tent Embassy in 1972 -- became the first Aboriginal Australian to gain her PhD from Harvard, and they asked her what she hoped her son would grow up to be.

"Alive," she said.

People who identify as Aborigines are 2.5% of the population and 25% of the prison population. They're more likely to be arrested today than black South Africans were in apartheid South Africa, and 13 times more likely to be arrested than other Australians. They are more likely to be homeless, to suffer relative and abject poverty, more likely to contract preventable diseases, more likely to suffer depression, more likely to struggle with a substance abuse problem, more likely to suffer all forms of abuse (child molestation especially, and young Aboriginal males are the most likely people in Australia to be physically assaulted); they're less likely to finish secondary and far less likely to complete tertiary education, and more likely to take their own lives. (Sources: mostly Australian Bureau of Statistics.)

OK,things are
changing; but in the face of that, the rest of us are damn lucky -- and should be damn
grateful -- it's only bits of cloth they're burning.

I agree that they have room for protest, but to me, there is no place for showing such blatant disrespect to their nation.

It does not advance their cause, makes them look radical and isolated, and what does this tell aboriginine children? It's okay to be disrespectful and rude.

The causes for protest are right, their actions aren't.

[Tekania]

I have absolutely no issue with people using flag-burning as an act of protest.

[UncleDolan]

Disgusting behaviour and a fast way to lose sympathy for your cause.

[Divair]

If people want to burn a flag, let them.
It's just a flag.