No Flag burning, but what does desecrating a symbol really mean?

Courtesy http://www.ace-clipart.com/
It is probably all over the blogosphere that the Senate rejected the attempt to ban the desecration as it is called of the American flag. The parties who tried to get the constitutional amendment on that were one vote short of a two-third majority that is required before it would have gone to the states for final approval. This is not really the news though. Even though, I have to agree with my blogger friend Cyberotter (Donkeyphant) that it was a ridiculous subject to tackle, aside from the free speech notion. I recommend his passionate post for reading.

The thing that I have been thinking about is, why would anyone want to burn the flag? I understand it's symbolic act; 'attacking', 'desecrating' someone else's symbol. All over the world have any of us seen angry mobs burning a flag of the object of their anger.

First off, I cannot understand the emotion that so many Americans attach to 'a flag'. It's an inanimate object and one that usually is deemed in high esteem by people who tend to be very(overly)patriotic. I have one in my (in law) family. When I lived in Holland, and someone did something to the flag, I would shrug my shoulders and say, sticks and stones buddy, get a life. Not so with many Americans. Perhaps there are other countries where people get very riled up over flag burning, do let me know if you know of any. Cyberotter pointed out in his post(june16) that the only
two countries in the world that ban burning the flag are Iran and China. Countries known for their control on public and freedom of expression.

So why this hullabaloo over burning the American flag? I'd think, that no American on American soil would want to do that for one. It does not make sense to even do so in protest by the most left wing of left wingers. It's 'everybody's' flag here. And for a foreigner to burn the American flag...who cares?? (whatcha gonna do, swoop 'm up and rendition his ass right out of his country? helloow..scuse the language)

I think burning any flag is the most useless way to protest anyway. If you want to burn your own flag that is. Because that's what this attempt was for; homegrown unpatriotic miscreants who had the nerve to desecrate our beautiful flag. Many people will attack any symbol or ridicule anything held dear by 'the opposition'. I think if you truly want to accomplish something and want to be heard and listened to, you always always need to keep your cool and make the other person want to listen to you. No matter how dumb or immature that symbol, or the attachment thereof is. So don't be stupid and burn the flag. Take a mediation course instead. It'll make you smarter.