Burning of the Australian Flag - Your thoughts.

[Basia]

I have come across an issue, which has spread throughout my school and now debating team; Should the buring of the Australian Flag become illeagal? I myself, am against burning the flag, but unfortunetly I must think otherwise. It would help me so much to hear other opinions besides the P.M who only looks at what he recieves in return.
My debate is on Tuesday night. Wish me luck! And thank-you.

[Gareth]

Hi Basia.

Burning of the Australian Flag should not be allowed, as the War Veterans fought for their country and under that flag. The flag of a country is used to represent pride of the country.

Doing such rebellious things should not be allowed, you see the Isralies burning the Palistinian flag as a message that they don't like how they operate, these people are Australians they were born in Australia, they should be proud where they live as it isn't some 3rd world country.

My opinion...opinions can be expressed in different ways, burning the Australian flag is rebelious.

-Gareth.

[giovannimusica]

When the Flag of a Country is burned, one really burns in effigy all the citizens of that Country. You can imagine the hue and cry if someone were to make a figure representing someone elses family member and then torched it - that family has lost face - it is a grave insult. Now, at the same time the perpetrator of the heinous act has publicly burnt their bridges of contact with other people - the perp might find it very hard to be gainfully employed after such a stunt, so, what goes around, comes around and bites your posterior appendage.

Giovanni

[Basia]

Thanks Gareth and Giovanni.
But Giovanni, you've got some very strong words, which were almost as hard to decode then politicial-coverup. Thanks for your reply anyway, highly appreciated.
But, I have some rebuttle. Gareth you quoted '...they should be proud where they live as it isn't some 3rd world country.' Would you be proud of a country where racism, religious issues, laws and foreign policy are becoming serious problems? If this flag has a backgroud of values and respect, maybe they should be looked at again... more closely.

[Gareth]

If you have ever lived in a 3rd world country you would know, trust me.

Australia, is the best country in the world, if you look at Africa's problems and some other countries in the world, they have it quite a lot worse. If you look at the post that Giovanni created a while back titled "The Real Danger To The World" Some of the points that he brought up there, were quite significant of the problems that they are facing in Europe as of the same thing.

Hopefully you get what you mean. Hope this helps.

Gareth.

[Basia]

Thanks Gareth, for your points. Australia is a lucky country it is, but I'm saying Australia is starting to become spoilt.. probably why all of these 'problems' are appearing.

To pdate on my debate, it was a great success. We won 222 to 200. And I myself got best speaker with a total of 75 points. I'm very proud for my first debate. Thank-you for your opinions.

[Gareth]

Hey Basia.

Congratulations as I have said numurous times before, and best speaker as well, you must have some talent in that field.

Gareth.

[Paris]

Hi im new
and this subject of burning flags interests me.
I don't see why burning the flag should be be a punishable offence, or an offensive act. The Argument, "It's un-australian" is completely useless and riddled with contradtiction when one consideres how Americanised we've become. For example check out our commercial TV.
Also think of how Australia had nothing to do with this Iraq affair until we decided to go to war under America's influence - it's turned out a rather prolonged and pointless fiasco. Is kissing America's 'behind' (to put it appropriately) any more Australian that burning the flag?
No. Because at least burnig the Australian flag has an Australian element to it, which is that people are protesting against our crappy govornment, or in other words striving for a better Austrlaia to be proud about.
Burning the Australian is totally Australian!

[SecondBass]

OK, I'm a Pommie so I expect some ridicule from the Kangas. I couldn't give a damn if somebody wants to burn any country's flag: it's a piece of cloth. The flag is symbolic and the burning is symbolic. It is more important to allow people the option to burn the flag but ensuring that they have no compulsion to do so. Burning a flag hurts nobody, and has no more potential to than burning anything else, so it should not be a crime.

I would be a lot happier if the students of my country had the bottle to make some protests like their parents did. It's not that I agreed with them at the time, but at least they cared.

[methodistgirl]

I have watched iranians burn the American flag and other countries
until it made me sick. I know what you guys feel about it.
Do like us and get patriatic about it. Wear some picture of your flag
on a T-shirt like we did to protest.
judy tooley

[toejamfootball]

Since you don't chose where you are born, why be proud of where you are from? A flag is just a piece of Cloth.. or Polyester. I wouldn't go wasting my time burning flags but, if someone wants too I guess its fine. As long as they dont do it in an idiotic place and start something on fire besides the flag..

[Sybarite]

Since you don't chose where you are born, why be proud of where you are from? A flag is just a piece of Cloth.. or Polyester. I wouldn't go wasting my time burning flags but, if someone wants too I guess its fine. As long as they dont do it in an idiotic place and start something on fire besides the flag..

Now that is a seriously interesting question – and a provocative one.

Personally, like you, I wouldn't bother burning a flag. It's gesture politics. And it's a gesture based on burning a symbol. Which does highlight, as you rightly query, why people get so wound up about it.

[Corno Dolce]

For as many reasons as there are people, some feel it an insult and an act of violence to something they hold dear. Let's flip the question on its head: How would one feel if someone else intentionally burned their house down and caused the death of all but one of the occupants?

[Sybarite]

That's a straw man. A house it not a symbol – it is a concrete entity that would be damaged or destroyed by such a fire, together with human lives that, as per your analogy, would be lost.

Such an act would go far beyond an "insult" – it would be murder and it would be arson/criminal damage/destruction of property etc.

Burning a piece of cloth is not murder. It harms nobody. If someone has made or bought a flag to burn, then it is their property. It is no more an act of physical destruction than shredding private letters.

A number of questions occur: what is the difference between burning a flag and burning books (of which there are examples through history – up to and including the present-day US)? What makes burning a flag such an emotive gesture?

As toejamfootball asked: why should you be "proud" of where you were born? Should one be proud of having blonde hair or being short-sighted?

Finally, you mention "insult", Corno Dolce. Why does – or should – anyone have a right not to be insulted or offended? To legislate against offence would surely be the antithesis of free speech?

[Corno Dolce]

Despite our differences Sybarite, I can entertain your point of view. I don't recall legislating against any act in this thread. I merely wished to flip the question on its head. I have not stated my own feeling, nor will I, about the issue since I don't feel it germane to the thread at hand. I merely transmitted the fact that some people feel it a desecration, an insult, and an act of horrible violence.

Then there are those who burn an effigy of certain politicians. Those effigies are easy to make and are very flammable. How would one feel if someone else burned an effigy which had a resemblance to one's wife, husband, or children? One would be satanically inhuman if one did not revolt against such an act.