I personally believe that the only reason to burn a flag is to honorably retire one that is no longer fit for service- old flags don't go in the trash- they are respectfully burned or buried. This is because the flag stands for something greater than this nation itself- a set of ideals we aspire to, and have yet to reach. I wrote a nasty letter to the president of my college because Siena was flying the flag 24/7 and never had a spotlight on it at night, as is dictated by proper flag ettiquite.
But that's not the point. The flag is just a symbol, and if someone wants to disrespect that symbol, if they want to be an immature asshole, they have that right. Everybody has the right to be a jerk.
More importantly, everybody has a right to their property. Which is why this is disgusting and frightening. Eminent Domain has a purpose. An important one. A new highway needs to be put in, or government offices need to be built, or for some reason, the government needs to claim an individual's land to put it to a public use. It sucks, and should be avoided at all costs, but occasionally, it needs to be done.
But the Supreme Court decided that Eminent Domain can be used to give your house to Pfizer, so they can build a fucking parking lot. Governments are now allowed to take your property and give it to a major corporation, just because that'll probably bring in better tax revenue. Imagine where this can go- entire neighborhoods can be bulldozed for middle class tract housing developments- the house you own can be taken away, and you'll be expected to live in a house somebody else owns.
More than anything else, that makes me seriously reconsider the right of this government to continue.
