When you lose the capacity for outrage, you are no longer human.

Off Topic » in reply to re: The flag is just a piece of cloth................

When you lose the capacity for outrage, you are no longer human.

ER — 7/13/2006 5:19:09 PM (archived)

The issue is not whether or not the flag deserves respect. Everyone contributing to this forum agrees that honoring the nation's symbols is perfectly acceptable and a noble act. The real abuse of the flag is when you imply that those who do not share your zeal, or who fail to exercise the same exaggerated adoration of the symbol that you pretend to have, is therefore unpatriotic and that none of their opinions or beliefs are valid. It's a bully-boy tactic which sets up every objection to their position as just another proof of your lack of patriotism, and by extension, a complete rejection of all your beliefs. It's patronizing and insulting, and that is why you see the violent reaction from those who of us who refuse to be slandered this way.

Perhaps a comparable example from "the other side" will be instructive. I resent the accusation that because I do not agree with reparations for African-Americans, or because I oppose affirmative action, I must therefore be a racist. It is exactly the same kind of blackmail.

The whole thread (91 posts)

Another liberal with flag allergies... - Tom Brosz - 7/12/2006 6:53:13 PM
- re:Flags are ok for sport events...but - Raoul - 7/13/2006 5:45:20 AM
  - There is nothing wrong with having pride in your country. - REB - 7/13/2006 1:35:33 PM
    - You teach history? (n/t) - alcaray - 7/13/2006 9:34:11 PM
    - Or - REB - 7/13/2006 1:48:53 PM
      - re: A huge difference - Raoul - 7/15/2006 10:14:08 PM
        
        No difference. - REB - 7/18/2006 3:18:50 PM
        
        re: Ridiculous!!!! - Raoul - 7/19/2006 5:34:04 AM
        
        There is no difference Raoul. - REB - 7/19/2006 12:30:28 PM
        
        re: Yes there is! - Raoul - 7/19/2006 4:41:51 PM
        
        You have not shown a differnce. - REB - 7/20/2006 12:33:49 PM
        
        re: You cannot punish a country after it has accepted no to be a threat again - Raoul - 7/20/2006 4:41:28 PM
        
        And Saddam was forced into his post Gulf War position. He didn't do it on his own free will. - REB - 7/20/2006 6:06:33 PM
        
        Saddam was still a threat. - REB - 7/20/2006 5:24:12 PM
        
        re: Saddam was no threat anymore to countries next to Iraq - Raoul - 7/20/2006 6:14:43 PM
        
        Do you really believe your rhetoric? - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/20/2006 2:59:18 AM
        
        re: Gulf war one had ended - Raoul - 7/20/2006 5:46:22 AM
        
        Had it? Saddam's army still shot at American planes. - REB - 7/20/2006 3:17:36 PM
        
        re: Above Iraq, yes - Raoul - 7/21/2006 7:18:43 AM
        
        A M E R I C A ... Heck Yeah! - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/18/2006 10:55:27 AM
- Americans are weird about their flag, in general. - alcaray - 7/12/2006 8:36:11 PM
  - For some, the flag represents America and what she stands for. - REB - 7/12/2006 8:40:27 PM
    - I think that's true of all countries and their national emblems - alcaray - 7/12/2006 10:22:03 PM
    - Precisely. That's why using it as litmus paper is so despicable. (n/t) - ER - 7/12/2006 8:44:35 PM
      - You must be a RightWinger if... - Robert - 7/12/2006 9:53:02 PM
        
        Free speech - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/12/2006 10:09:13 PM
        
        re: Free speech - Robert - 7/12/2006 10:56:30 PM
        
        killing people is (rightfully) against the law (n/t) - alcaray - 7/12/2006 10:14:01 PM
        
        Define rightfully. - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/12/2006 10:28:21 PM
        
        In this context "ightfully"meant that I was in agreement that there should be laws against killing people. - alcaray - 7/12/2006 10:50:10 PM
        
        lost my "r" and some spaces (n/t) - alcaray - 7/12/2006 10:50:53 PM
- I have no problems with the flag. - ER - 7/12/2006 8:14:39 PM
  - The flag is just a piece of cloth................ - Publius - 7/12/2006 11:50:56 PM
    - re: The flag is just a piece of cloth................ - REB - 7/13/2006 3:51:57 PM
      - Seeing the American flag flying in Bagdad................ - Lindy - 7/15/2006 10:02:43 PM
      - Er, REB---did you read the post? or just the headline? (n/t) - Publius - 7/14/2006 4:46:26 PM
        
        I got it too. - ER - 7/14/2006 5:34:14 PM
        
        I got it. - REB - 7/14/2006 4:56:56 PM
      - When you lose the capacity for outrage, you are no longer human. - ER - 7/13/2006 5:19:09 PM
    - re: The flag is just a piece of cloth................ - ER - 7/13/2006 12:50:53 AM
- commercial exploitation of the flag - Robert - 7/12/2006 7:44:37 PM
  - Nice try. - Tom Brosz - 7/12/2006 10:38:47 PM
    - Incidentally, I see that a lot of people missed the point. - Tom Brosz - 7/12/2006 10:50:46 PM
      - How about the "A man's home is his castle" point? - Mary Anne - 7/14/2006 3:53:21 PM
        
        Go back and read the original post again, and what quotes I thought were important. - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 7:45:17 AM
        
        It's all about elitism, Tom. - Mary Anne - 7/16/2006 3:24:26 PM
        
        You're right. The title was bad. - Tom Brosz - 7/17/2006 4:58:33 AM
      - Well, you know. As long as the snide condescension is saved for those who don't fly flags we should be allright. - alcaray - 7/12/2006 11:00:45 PM
        
        "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" - Robert - 7/13/2006 12:02:20 AM
        
        I just realized I'm trying to explain "wet" to fish. - Tom Brosz - 7/13/2006 5:40:49 AM
        
        What matters to me is what I believe. Not what you dredge up in some trivial opinion piece. - alcaray - 7/13/2006 3:21:40 PM
  - It really DOES matter where you live. - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/12/2006 9:48:03 PM
    - Woah! Just noticed this: - alcaray - 7/17/2006 10:15:31 PM
      - Things have likely changed since I left... - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/21/2006 2:49:59 AM
    - re: It really DOES matter where you live. - Robert - 7/12/2006 10:16:46 PM
      - re: It really DOES matter where you live. - Publius - 7/13/2006 12:01:20 AM
      - Tolerance. - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/12/2006 10:57:49 PM
      - Tolerance. - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/12/2006 10:57:47 PM
      - Proof of your "urban vs. non-urban" point - Tom Brosz - 7/12/2006 10:56:17 PM
        
        re: Proof of your "urban vs. non-urban" point - Robert - 7/12/2006 11:58:31 PM
        
        re: Proof .......cows and sheep vote red (n/t) - Publius - 7/13/2006 3:17:45 PM
        
        re: Proof of your "urban vs. non-urban" point - Tom Brosz - 7/13/2006 12:20:41 AM
        
        "How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm..." - Robert - 7/13/2006 5:33:14 PM
        
        re: "How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm..." - Tom Brosz - 7/14/2006 1:31:44 AM
        
        Do Republicans hate freedom? - Robert - 7/14/2006 4:02:01 PM
        
        P.S. "economic understandings." - Tom Brosz - 7/15/2006 6:01:48 PM
        
        Lakoff? That explains a lot. - Tom Brosz - 7/15/2006 5:35:40 PM
        
        Orwell would be proud - Robert - 7/15/2006 7:31:49 PM
        
        I haven't read the book. - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 12:52:03 AM
        
        re: I haven't read the book. - Robert - 7/16/2006 6:02:41 AM
        
        re: I haven't read the book. - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 7:38:59 AM
        
        Maybe this is what's going on here - alcaray - 7/18/2006 5:20:01 PM
        
        re: I haven't read the book. - Robert - 7/16/2006 5:46:20 PM
        
        Do the numbers. - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 10:31:09 PM
        
        Burning another straw man - Robert - 7/17/2006 4:56:56 PM
        
        Not yet. - Tom Brosz - 7/17/2006 6:32:42 PM
        
        Typo - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 10:32:27 PM
        
        P.S. - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 7:48:57 AM
        
        Now that's just plain silly - Robert - 7/16/2006 6:10:48 PM
        
        Carville & Begala - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/16/2006 9:52:48 PM
        
        Uh...do the numbers. - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 10:37:41 PM
        
        Yes. It's a well oiled machine. - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/16/2006 11:27:29 PM
        
        re: Now that's just plain silly - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2006 9:45:46 PM
        
        re: Now that's just plain silly - Robert - 7/17/2006 5:45:38 PM
        
        Impressive. - Tom Brosz - 7/17/2006 6:48:31 PM
        
        Has your dad disowned you yet? - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/15/2006 9:10:12 PM
        
        re: Has your dad disowned you yet? - Robert - 7/16/2006 5:25:20 AM
        
        Lakoff - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/16/2006 11:07:40 PM
        
        On small town values - dtb - 7/13/2006 1:39:40 AM
        
        Show me the property values. - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/13/2006 9:05:29 PM
        
        Mythical Smallville - Robert - 7/13/2006 5:15:33 PM

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