As I indicated, I don’t want to derail the thread any further. But so as not to be rude…
Simply put, it obviously means different things to you and I. For me it’s a symbol of the ideals, not our failures to uphold them. It’s not a tribe in the sense that it’s value isn’t predicated on exclusiveness. Rather I believe humanity is stronger when its forms of government and social ideas are diverse. I respect other nations, but the US is my home country and therefore the one I can and should have the most influence on trying to keep the baser human instincts from prevailing. I neither can nor should I have the right to tell other nations how to govern themselves, save insofar as the Earth is home to us all and issues that effect the whole globe should have global representation. But I will never support One World Government. Humans are far to tempted by power for one organization to wield that much.
I’m not sad when someone burns the American Flag, save insofar as I’m sad that they’ve allowed those baser instincts to claim it in their own view of the flag’s meaning. I do find that victory of corruption to be vile, yes. The symbol itself is just that, a symbol. Like all symbols, it’s significance derives from what it means to people.
