Waving The Flag Or Wearing A Pin Does NOT A Patriot Make. So Sick Of All This Flag Crap.

[Swede Atlanta]

51. It probably isn't fair to paint the flag enamored crowd with the same paintbrush.....

Different people view and use the flag for many different reasons.

For my father, a WWII vet, flying the flag was not so much a way of honoring this country but a way for him to remember and honor friends he lost in that terrible war and to remember and honor all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country or those who come home broken men and women.

But there is definitely a segment of the population that believes flying the flag or wearing it or whatever makes them patriotic and better than others.

I have two neighbors who share that view. After 9-11 they would have had flags flying from every corner of their home if it had been allowed by the HOA. They had more flag pins on their clothing and flags flying every which way on their car including the yellow ribbon decal We Support Our Troops.

But when you later asked them if Iraq was a mistake they said no. When confronted with the fact we went to war based on very faulty intelligence at best they just mumbled how great America was for whooping them XXXXXXXs asses!

When asked if we shouldn't have paid for our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq by increasing taxes they said no they paid enough in taxes. Mind you one of these couples is retired. He was on SSDI already at age 57. They constantly rail against "welfare" and hate the ACA even though they are on socialized Medicare.

They claim that only the GOP have the "right" to wear the flag because anyone who isn't a puke is obviously a traitor to the country.

Not to mention all of their Bible thumping.

I'm sure these are the ones the OP is describing. I am as well incensed by these individuals because of their blatant hypocrisy and narcissism. They claim to love this country but demonstrate little actions to warrant that claim.

I for one learned at an early age to be very skeptical of "the flag". It is a man-made expression of a nation, nothing more. I respect the men and women who bravely fight to protect this nation. I respect those who fly and display the flag out of genuine love for this country. I chose to do none of those things because I do not believe in idols. As a Lutheran we eschew idolatry and it was one of Luther's greatest criticisms of the Catholic Church. I think it was that upbringing that led me to conclude that for me the flag had the prospect of becoming an idol rather than just a symbol of my country.