As a first step: I am ending any show of respect for the U.S. flag, effective immediately.

[Paladin]

Those NFL players have had it right all along: trump has so soiled and degraded this country---without any penalty--- that its symbol is unworthy of further public evidence of esteem. I'll resume the hand-over-heart thing, once trump is removed from office.

Like I say, it's a first step. I'll direct my allegiance toward worthy things, instead---like groups of high school students taking on the NRA.

[democratisphere]

1. Gave that up long ago.

Flags are meaningless when there is nothing behind it!

[Glamrock]

2. Hang it upside down...

Means dire distress.

[Chipper Chat]

4. I agree

[lunatica]

38. Agreed. We are in distress

[Duppers]

45. If orange shitgibbon has Mueller fired...

My big flag will be nailed upside down immediately on our front porch. Then we're heading to DC.

[sharedvalues]

3. Bad idea. Unify around American VALUES

The gop and billionaires and this corrrupt president are destroying the country.
We will take the country back by unifying around American values—hard work, a fair shake for all, equal rights under law regardless of how much money you inherited. And those values are represented by the flag. Kneeling during the anthem is a sign of respect for the flag

[HipChick]

9. BS..while black men are being murdered everyday...Black people do not have equal rights..

non-whites do not have equal rights under the law, lets no go along with RW agenda of white washing everything..

Hard work does not apply in this country, as long as you have $$$, and more corrupt the better..

[sharedvalues]

11. Fight to fix it. Condemn the GOP who wants to hold down black people

The GOP wants to incite hate to get votes for billionaires. Jeff Sessions is their tool.
Democrats want unity and tolerance.

Therefore we support America and the flag.
And we condemn the GOP and NRA and their racist policies and media.

[HipChick]

14. Flag is tainted, as long as Traitor continues in the WH

I'll not support it..

[SunSeeker]

23. It's not Trump's flag. It's OUR flag.

That traitorous lying scumbag does not deserve to be associated with our flag. Why let him do it? That is just playing into his hands.

[2left4u]

39. YES

The flag represents the citizenry of America not who's in office.

Completely ridiculous to associate the two together people.

[SCantiGOP]

65. You make perfect sense

I wonder how many people from outside DU have already copied this and are passing it around to mock the values and attitudes of people here.
There was an American flag on my father’s casket due to his service in WW Two. The OP here needs to rethink his position and delete this entire thread.

[sharedvalues]

24. The flag is mine and ours. Im not letting the GOP take it from me

The flag is mine. If the GOP wants to try to destroy the country, fine- I will condemn them. I am done with the president’s hotel, his name, and his logo. That we can all step on.


But they will not take the American flag away from me. The flag stands for American values.

[Demsrule86]

52. That is what I say...fuck them...that flag has flown during good times too...it flew

when Pres.Obama was president.

[thbobby]

49. The best thing about US flag

I can burn it if I want to. That is why I respect it. NFL players did not disrespect US flag. trump and gop mafia cabal disrespect what the flag stands for.

But it is only a symbol. Love the constitution. It is what represents America. Not a flag. I will pledge allegiance to the constitution, but not the flag. I am not a Nazi or a pagan. The RW worship of the flag is akin to ostriches with their head in the sand. Know and love the constitution. That is what the foundation of America is.

[Proud liberal 80]

5. Yep

Trump is being more disrespectful to the flag and the troops by undermining everything that the flag is supposed to stand for.

[sharedvalues]

8. Yes. We condemn the president and GOP

We support America and the flag. We condemn the unpatriotic and corrupt GOP, NRA, right wing propaganda media, and their president and congressmen.

[sharedvalues]

6. And this is a GOP anti-democratic talkig point

The GOP and the billionaires that control them would like nothing less than to paint Dems as unpatriotic.

We respect American values. We respect the flag. We condemn oligarchs, billionaires who would destroy the government to cut their own taxes and the politicians they have legally bribed. We condemn those who would torture and those who would use the legal system and FBI to protect their corruption. We condemn those who would appoint their children to high office and demand loyalty to the president over loyalty to America and the constitution.


Don’t get played by the GOP who want us to denigrate America and the flag. We stand behind America. We condemn the GOP and their corrupt billionaire ownership.

[Wounded Bear]

7. I can't go that far...but I understand your anger.

For me, the flag has never been something to worship anyway. Hey I stand for the anthem,but I understand why the players kneeled, and I support them for the issue they are trying to get visibility for.

My oath was to the Constitution, not the flag, anyway. Incidentally, it is a very similar oath that every Pol in Washington, DC took when they were installed in office. IMNSHO, many of them are in violation of that oath.

The problem I have is this: Rejecting or ignoring the flag just surrenders it to those who exploit it for evil. JMO, I could be wrong.

[sharedvalues]

10. Exactly! Defend America from enemies both foreign and domestic.

Support America and the flag.
Condemn the unpatriotic GOP.

[Cha]

20. Exactly.. we agree.

[Cha]

19. No, you're not wrong. I feel the same

It's our flag.. the traitors gave it up when they colluded with Russia to steal the election.. and went about hell bent on destroying America

They don't get to wrap themselves in the American flag anymore.

It's ours.. we're the patriots for Democracy.

[sharedvalues]

26. +1

[pandr32]

43. We should call ourselves "Patriots for Democracy" loudly

...and publicly because it is the truth.
Well said, Cha!

[Demsrule86]

53. I say the GOP was willing to destroy the economy in 08 for political advantage...they don't have a

patriotic bone in their scum sucking bodies. The flag belongs to us...

[pandr32]

55. Agreed

[Cha]

60. Exactly, pandr! I've been thinking

about this for a long time.. and now we have the perfect opportunity to claim the American Flag for patriots of the USA.

Patriots for Democracy! Well said, yourself, pandr!!

Aloha!

[pandr32]

63. We should send out a memo to all Dems in Congress

Aloha Cha!

[Cha]

66. Yeah.. they know

up close and personal what traitors they are.. it must be so horribly frustrating not to be able to do anything about it, yet!

[nolabear]

67. It IS a really good idea, you know.

Patriotic displays in the name of liberal democracy.

[Cha]

69. Yes!

We got it.. it's ours! We're the ones who are for America and her people, and against Russia and the oligarchs taking over.



nolabear

[peggysue2]

54. x1000!!

Because the enemies of the United States have pissed on our values, Institutions and our flag is no reason to cede the flag or anything else to the Trumpster's psychotic purposes. The NFL players were not disrespecting the flag or the National Anthem with their public protest. They were deliberately and with passion pricking the national conscience, reminding us all of our better angels, our allegiance to equality under the law, our right to demand Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness regardless of who we are, what we look like, where we come from.

The American flag is Our Flag not the the flag of traitors and mobsters. We cede nothing. We will bury these assholes and the Trumpster will rue the day he thought he'd become the Emperor of the World when he stole an American election and became a surrogate of Putin's Russia.

We cede Nada!

[Cha]

61. Well Exactly said, peggysue.. damn!!

You said it so well.. Thank you! I see we're on the same page!

"We cede Nada!"!

[NCTraveler]

32. I appreciate these words. nt.

[SunSeeker]

12. That is ceding the American flag to the evil, traitorous GOP.

They do not deserve our nation's flag as their symbol and we should not let them use it that way. Yet that is what we would be doing by associating our flag with them and disrespecting our flag to protest them.

[Cha]

16. Exactly, SunSeeker.. I just posted that

I feel the same way about it.

[FreepFryer]

57. +1. And that flag has a long history of opposition to fascism. Its our flag, not theirs. N/t

[AnotherMother4Peace]

13. NFL players ARE NOT disrespecting the flag by kneeling - please don't perpetuate that nonsense.

just like our brave Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos who raised the fists during the 1968 Olympics were not "disrespecting" the flag. This is the greatest form of respect to better our great country.

[Cha]

18. I agree, AM4Peace.. and rambled on

about it in a post below.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

21. Thank you, Cha - much respect to you. nt

[SunSeeker]

22. Exactly. nt

[AnotherMother4Peace]

28. Mahalo, SunSeeker - nice avatar. Surfing was one of my greatest joys when I was younger. nt

[Squinch]

29. I agree. I don't see how their actions could be MORE respectful.

[Cha]

15. Imv, the American Flag is ours.. trump and the traitors

are pledged to cover up the collusion, and protect the Russian flag.. they gave up the American Flag when they ignored Russian sanctions.

trump doesn't represent our Flag.. he is the traitor. They are the most anti-American hypocritical assholes on the Planet.. while draped in the flag, and tearing down America from within. The enemy of the state.

It's our Flag not theirs.. they don't get to say shite about the American flag while destroying America.

[derby378]

25. That's the way I see it

No snowflaking. The flag represents our shared values and ideals, not some mercurial buffoon who lucked his way into the Oval Office.

[Orange Free State]

17. Why not get a Trump sign

and mount it upside down. Are you trying to divide us?

[sharedvalues]

27. +1

Exactly. Step on the president’s traitorous and corrupt brand.

[Orange Free State]

36. Line the street with them where he can see them

Like right next to the golf course at Log-O-Merdo

[NCTraveler]

30. Minor correction.

"Those NFL players have had it right all along: trump has so soiled and degraded this country---without any penalty--- that its symbol is unworthy of further public evidence of esteem."

That is not why some players took a knee.

Respect your overall premise.

[FarCenter]

31. Putin would approve of that

[KPN]

33. THIS!

[FreepFryer]

58. [phone] n/t

[ck4829]

62. We need a list of what else Putin would approve of

As I suspect he would want us using the Dow as an "oracle" to measure the economy with.

[ck4829]

34. K&R. We need a government that doesn't say "Good national security" is...

"Well at least the mass shooter is white, so win!"

I'm tired of having a government that sees the "liberal" or the "Muslim American" as more of an enemy than you know, the Nazi.

I'm tired of legislators having more of a problem with students responding to school shooters than school shooters.

To the people who have a problem with the OP, I ask you this, at what point is our country no longer our own? Where is the line? Where are you planning on getting sick of this? What will it take for you to stand up and say no more? What hypothetical event will it take for you to realize the Republican Joke Government is not YOUR government?

You've got my support, Paladin.

[renegade000]

35. Nah, the Stars and Stripes get even more respect from me...

The Star and Bars can go to hell. That's the flag of the deplorables, not our flag.

[zentrum]

37. K&R

[aeromanKC]

40. Fly the Upside down Flag

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.426868.1314534403!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/alg-flag-jpg.jpg

[TNNurse]

41. I have thought for awhile that we should leave the flags at half staff,

until we fix some things, we should be in mourning for our democracy.

[Duppers]

46. Good idea...

if you have a pole to put it on.

[malthaussen]

42. Whatever gets you through the night.

I'd suggest, as food for thought, that you consider what that flag stands for, which is not Donald Trump or any part of the government. The piece of cloth is emblematic of the American people (including all of us on DU), and not Donald Trump and his gang of idiots/criminals.

You're also off in your assessment of the position of the NFL players, which they have stated repeatedly.

-- Mal

[poboy2]

48. Agree with all this, and also good you point out the OPs fundamental error

in

"You're also off in your assessment of the position of the NFL players, which they have stated repeatedly. "


They in fact have tried to repeatedly clarify OTHERWISE.

This OP is a train wreck.

[shockey80]

44. As an old school American I will stand for the national anthem unless,

Someone tells me I must stand. Then as an old school American I will sit down and flip them bird.

[kimbutgar]

47. Im embarrassed to be an American under this a President.

I substitute teach and at some schools the children say the pledge of allegiance in the morning before we start class. For the first time I feel uncomfortable saying it. Twitler has degraded our country at home and internationally. I spoke to a guy today from Kurdistan today and he asked me if we supported Twitler. My husband and I said loudly “ no”. Being in Europe now we gave spoken to many Middle East refugees. It us heart breaking to hear their stories of struggle. Bush and the republicans destabilized the Middle East and now Twitler is finishing us off as the land of the free and brave.

[Demsrule86]

50. It is still the flag and I won't allow Trump to destroy it.

[Skittles]

51. AMERICA IS STRONGER THAN AMERICA FUCKING TRUMP

[FreepFryer]

56. Idiotic. The NFL players are NOT disrespecting it - but you are, & thats unhelpful to Democrats. Nt

[nolabear]

59. Not me. Its a symbol of a dream worth working for.

Obviously I’m flying it upside down these days on DU. But its existence supports an evolving dream of democracy and equality, and I won’t let THEM have it and distort it to mean authoritarianism and division.

[nolabels]

68. I am proud to live in a country that was born out of cause

What we once detested that brought the United States into being has become what we seem now to represent. These symbols we see in life should indicate or mean something otherwise they are just history. I thank you for that flying it that way because that coward that thinks he can hide behind it has been soiling it badly

[TheFrenchRazor]

64. frankly, it's going to take more than getting rid of trump to redeem this nazi police state. nt