Reno Veteran Cuts Down American Flag

This is an interesting video that was sent to me by a veterans organization that are a supporter and fan of the Radio First Termer Saigon Show. It struck me in many ways. Does the Mexican merchant have the right to put his country's flag above the American Flag? Was the veteran justified in doing what he did?

Let's HEAR You on THIS THREAD.

Dave



[edit on 11/7/2007 by Dave Rabbit]

Good day Dave,

Flags are always a subject of great honour and in some unfortunate cases debate. For as long as I have been alive The Maple Leaf has always flown above and beyond any other set of colours when it was deployed in our camps, my home town and through the provincial and national capital.

Above all else no flag shall be raised higer on the mast than the flag of that home country.

What the merchant did was wrong. If he's not a proud citizan of the U.S.A then don't fly the American flag. If he's proud of his Mexian hertiage then let him fly that flag on another mast. All be it lowered but another mast to represent their pride in their nationality and cultural history.

Were the actions taken of that veteran correct?

Some will say yes, he was. He faught for your nation under fire and duress as one of your nations soldiers. That flag represents the bond and oath he gave to his country. That flag reprsents the bonds of ever lasting friendship, fond memories, hardship and in so many unfortuante circumstancs a shrowd for a fellow soldiers coffin.

My answer to the previous question is that he was filled with pain, pride and love for his country. The symbol of removing your countries flag from the mast was important to him.
How he treated that flag is a disgrace.

If I were to see a person ball up my countries flag and stick it under their arm pit I would lose my temper and possibily lose control as well.

To close I will offer these two sentiments.

I belive the veteran was right in removing your nations flag from that mast.

I think he should be ashamed of how he treated it after the fact.

Thank you all for your time,

Arcticnull

This clown doesn't have the right to fly any other flag above the Star and Stripes . To do such a thing is disrespectful to veterans and the country itself.
If a person wants to show there heritage why not fly there country of origin beside the US flag on another pole ?
Preserving one background doesn't give anyone a license to launch a cultural assault on the country that providing them with a new home.

reply to post by xpert11


I've never understood the animation people have over the flying of a flag. Only public offices should have a protocol for flying a flag. People make a state, a state does not make a person. To suggest that each person born in or moved to a country should be forced to hold the state as its highest concern or respect is no better than those who would not offer freedom of religion or mandates military conscription.

Would we accept an ex-pat. being stripped of an American flag t-shirt in Britain or a British Union flag cap being knocked off in Boston? How do you separate a flag and a t-shirt? What fundamental difference is there between these two pieces of cloth.

How do you separate the freedom (of speech) to say that one more highly values Mexico than the USA with its benign display in the form of two flags?

It is a wonderful thing for someone to be proud of their country but it is wonderful also to be proud of the freedoms a country allows to others.

He has the right to do anything he wants with the flag, fly it in any fashion and in any order.

And we have the right to disrespect, or respect him for it. Guess what that is called expression of an Idea, and is free speech. If you think he should not do it, then you don't understand why others fought to defend what the flag stands for.

Woland a lot of good people have died for what there nations flag symbolizes and the values it represents . People should have enough respect for there country that they would do something as disrespectful as this. By respecting a country flag you show that above all other debates you respect your country and what it has done for you.

A country flag should never be disrespected in such a manner or used for political purposes : coughs : such as the American right connecting the flag of the USA to there political agenda. Well that is just my opinion anyway.


[edit on 8-11-2007 by xpert11]

Flags cause too much grief ....

Here's a youtube vid of BBC reporters taking a car bedecked in English flags around Edinburgh & Glasgow, the two main cities of Scotland. The car got trashed in Glasgow. The BBC stunt caused a bit of controversy, some seeing their report as being rather provocative (for those outside the UK there's always been some "healthy rivalry" between the Scots & the English).

As to this the Mexican/US flag ... I think that was provocative too. The shop owner was obviously trying to make a point by having the Mexican flag that much higher than the US one. I agree with others. If he felt the need to fly flags at all at least they ought to have been on separate flagpoles and flying at the same height. But whether it was right for the former Vet to take it upon himself to correct this "slight" is another thing altogether.



Edit - PROFANITY WARNING

[edit on 8/11/07 by Niall197]

Go into Mexico and try putting an american flag over the mexican flag..see what happens. Im not even sure they would tolerate an american flag at all.


If you want to fly the mexican flag..do it in mexico..

[edit on 8-11-2007 by West Coast]

No other flag ever should be placed above it. The flag of the United States is always the first flag raised and the last to be lowered.

Flag Code

I'd really like to shake that mans hand.

these are people who do not respect america. Therefore they disrespect the american flag.

What do you think the people in the below picture are trying to imply by sitting on the american flag, while they proudly wave the mexican one?



More than likely, that small girl was born in a US hospital, her parents, didnt have to pay a dime (because they were illegal), all thanks to the american taxpayer...and then we see the above? It almost seems as if theyre a bunch of spoiled, ungrateful brats.

how about images like this?


Its a form of intentional disrespect. They are trying to say somthing.

Basically, this goes alot deeper than flags....




[edit on 8-11-2007 by West Coast]

My Opinion

They are flags people just pieces of fabric with an insignia on them.

But people always think that there is a big meaning behind flags and people

fought and died for that flag.

Well I though people fought and died for countries not fabric?

But if you care so much about a piece of fabric all the power to you i

t's not like I'm gonna try and bother to change anybodies mind.

thats my personal opinion.

It's amusing to see how peoples emotions get so caught up and twisted in a piece of fabric. This mix of strong nationalism and materialism is almost frightening.

Originally posted by Roland Deschain
It's amusing to see how peoples emotions get so caught up and twisted in a piece of fabric. This mix of strong nationalism and materialism is almost frightening.

I thought we already established that it wasnt the fabric itself, but the meaning behind such acts that provokes such emotions to come out.

Originally posted by West Coast
Go into Mexico and try putting an american flag over the mexican flag..see what happens. Im not even sure they would tolerate an american flag at all.


If you want to fly the mexican flag..do it in mexico..

[edit on 8-11-2007 by West Coast]

1 thing I must say first off. West Coast, I simply quoted because of your example. According to Mexico's own laws, there are no other nation's flags to be flown in Mexico. (As an immigrantion law) I don't see why we don't adopt the same rule, myself. Yes I will get griped at for that suggestion I am sure, but think about it. You come to live in a new country, get new opportunities, new jobs, better pay, better anything. And then you still want to be treated different because you came from somewhere else?

I completely agree with you, West Coast. If you want to fly a different country's flag, go back to living there.

EDIT:

As for the video, personally I can't see it. Internet filter. From what I understand the Mexican flag was higher than the US and the guy took the flag down. He was in the right. There is no other country's flag to be higher than our own on our land. States (other than Texas) flags may not be the same height, but must be below. (Texas can be the same height because we were our own country)

[edit on 11/8/2007 by wings_of_an_eagle]

Really? C'mon now, It is a flag, as previously stated, it is just fabric, if you want to support your heritage with the Mexican flag, go ahead, if you want to be a true "patriot", fly your American flag, don't forget your pin too, If you support your country who cares what flag is flying outside? Jesus, this is getting ridiculous

Originally posted by wings_of_an_eagle

Originally posted by West Coast
Go into Mexico and try putting an american flag over the mexican flag..see what happens. Im not even sure they would tolerate an american flag at all.


If you want to fly the mexican flag..do it in mexico..

[edit on 8-11-2007 by West Coast]

1 thing I must say first off. West Coast, I simply quoted because of your example. According to Mexico's own laws, there are no other nation's flags to be flown in Mexico. (As an immigrantion law) I don't see why we don't adopt the same rule, myself. Yes I will get griped at for that suggestion I am sure, but think about it. You come to live in a new country, get new opportunities, new jobs, better pay, better anything. And then you still want to be treated different because you came from somewhere else?

I completely agree with you, West Coast. If you want to fly a different country's flag, go back to living there.

EDIT:

As for the video, personally I can't see it. Internet filter. From what I understand the Mexican flag was higher than the US and the guy took the flag down. He was in the right. There is no other country's flag to be higher than our own on our land. States (other than Texas) flags may not be the same height, but must be below. (Texas can be the same height because we were our own country)

[edit on 11/8/2007 by wings_of_an_eagle]

Well said! I myself am not from here. I am from Frankfurt Germany. But even I understand this. I live in the US for the time being, but I do not go around waving the german flag.

As for mexico, i have a south american friend from santiago chili. Mexico is not very well liked in south america from what he says. So its not just white 'racist' americans who have a problem with illegal aliens from mexico.
PS to add, that was sarcasm.

[edit on 8-11-2007 by West Coast]

To a point, I respected the man's intent to remove the flag. However, with all the disrespect he treated the flag with after, I am disappointed. He allowed the flag to fall upon the ground, then bunched it up, stuck it under his arm, and walked away. :shk:

I don't disagree with what he did, I disagree with his excuse of patriotism, followed by his lack of it.

How do you guys know that the shop owner even knew about the law, where an US flag must be held above others?

Since the vet stole the shop owner's US flag, all the shop owner has to use now is the Mexican flag. Is that what you guys prefer, him just flying a Mexican flag above his store?

If the Vet really wanted to honor his flag, he wouldn't have crumpled it up and and hold it in a wad in his hand.

[edit on 8-11-2007 by DJMessiah]

Nobody worries about the angry man with the illegal K-bar knife running around trying to fight Mexicans?
Disrespect is no reason to drag my flag on the ground, steal it, and want to stab people. He is a fool, making patriots look bad.

Originally posted by Roland Deschain
It's amusing to see how peoples emotions get so caught up and twisted in a piece of fabric. This mix of strong nationalism and materialism is almost frightening.

Its all about what what a flag represents is there some way how I can help you understand that ?
I tell you one thing if some pulled that kind of a stunt with the New Zealand flag I would not be a happy man.

Now I am a happy go lucky kind of guy but I take pride in both my roots and the country I live in. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in the place you were born and the cultural you live in or were born into . Unless a person has pride in there country they wont strive to make it a better place.
Pride in ones country and pride in one government are not one in the same thing.

Ignorance of the law is no defence at the best of the time and in this if you put the law to one side the shop owner should have had enough respect to do such thing in the country that has given him and/or his family a new home.