As the flag smoldered in liter fluid, “God Bless America” played. What the hell is wrong with that picture?

Obviously, the protestors at Amherst College last week had every Constitutional right in the world to burn Old Glory. We’ve been granted the freedom of speech, and Americans can utilize that freedom however they choose.

You know what, though? I’ve got the freedom of speech, too. With that freedom of speech, I’d like to say that the flag burners are pompous jackasses. I’d address them by name, but nine of the ten were too cowardly to give their name to those on hand.

Just because people have the right to abuse their freedoms in America doesn’t mean they should. Is it really that difficult to respect something? In a normal month, in a normal year, burning the flag is a stupid, lousy thing to do. Now? Is crucifixion really not legal anymore?

All right, so maybe I’m exaggerating. What the ten students who protested at Amherst College did is wrong on so many levels, though. Stupid doesn’t cut it. It’s way too weak of a word.

In a time when thousands of Americans are finding hope and courage in dealing with a tragedy by rallying together, no one has the right to try and divide the weary. Dissenting opinions are allowed in this country, yes. Criticism of our country and its leaders is a part of the way we do things here.

Burning the flag for fun and giggles crosses the line, though. It’s not a gray issue. It’s just W-R-O-N-G. If people do not feel the need to be patriotic, fine. Others are clinging to newfound patriotism as a way of coping with the shock and horror that went with the Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, though. It’s too bad it took this for them to find pride in their nation, but it’s there now. It should be respected. Attacking their newly stirred feelings with cloudy “America is Satan” messages is hypocritical – hypocritical because those messages would not even be tolerated in a lesser country.

I guess that’s what bothers me the most here. People just don’t realize how good we’ve got it in the United States. We can say what we think! We can do what we want! We can practice religion how we choose! Even in 2001, these are all novel ideas in other parts of the world. We’re lucky, damned lucky, to be a part of it. Watching American people condemn their own country as evil disgusts me. The decisions our country has made have not always been right, true. But no other country is pure either.

There is not one American citizen that has no reservations and fear about what the consequences of our strikes on Afghanistan could be. A fair share of the population, however, feels that they are necessary. A fair share of our countrymen feel that for our own safety, there is no longer an alternative.

These citizens have bonded together. Through things like Thursday’s rally, they’ve gathered in support behind their country. They’ve donated blood. They’ve donated money. They’ve watched as friends and relatives get activated for military service.

These Americans are not in favor of slaughtering innocent ethnics. They’re not in favor of plundering Afghan homes, or destroying Afghan schools and churches. They care about their country, and care about the thousands of fellow citizens that were slain on September 11. Revenge isn’t the issue – trying to prevent this from happening again is. Some would argue that the logic is flawed, and it very well may be. We do things as a country, though, and majority opinion in the United States right now is that we can’t sit back on our laurels anymore. Sorry, peaceniks.

Desecrating the flag is a protected legal right, yes. It’s the ultimate disrespect, though, a disrespect that should not be thrown around lightly. I do not believe that the flag burners really understand what they did. Hundreds of thousands of good men and women have died in the name of what that flag stands for. That flag, contrary to what the ideological morons would have you believe, does not represent oppression and genocide. It especially does not represent America’s sins since 1492, as the one identified idiot, Dan Ruffin, said. America wasn’t even around until 1776, genius.

Instead, it stands for everything that is American. It stands for the principles are country was founded on, our basic freedoms. These freedoms make us unique. They are a large part of the reason that the group behind the terrorism struck our country. Our freedoms are resented.

Our flag also represents the millions of Americans who have died fighting for these freedoms. Whenever idiots feel the need to burn a flag, it’s a direct insult to all those who gave of themselves for their country. It’s trampling on their memories.

Our country isn’t perfect. It never will be. Poor Afghans that are fed one-sided propaganda by the Taliban government have a reason to burn our flag. They hate us because they are ignorant. Rich, spoiled, tree-hugging brats that aren’t in touch with reality? There is no acceptable excuse there. Move to another country, ingrates. Our country ain’t perfect, but you won’t find a better place to live.