Does this bother anyone else but me?

[caddyman1973]

Yep Bob, in the name of progress, Brodhead is now a backstreet, Crab Orchard too. Juicy is doing good. He's wanting to sell off his knives. He had 1,000 laid out, I tried to "cherry pick" but only found raspberries, LOL! I lean towards unused, NM knives, which most of his are not. He paid way too much for alot of his collection over the years. He has "some" pretty good knives if he can find 'em.

[knife7knut]

In the little town that I live, our local cop (80 somethin' years old), is at the Post Office every evening lowering the flag and putting it away for the night. I didnt know what he was doing for the longest time. I thought he was just sitting there watching traffic go by, until I saw him folding the flag up one night. And just like clock work he'll be raising the flag every morning. It's kinda sad to think that someday "Ol' Joe" wont be doing that anymore and I would bet a dollar to a donut, it'll not be shown the same respect when Joe's gone.

You've given me a great idea. I think I will approach the city manager and volunteer to just what,"Ol' Joe" in my town. Heck;I probably have another twenty years to do it and it would make ME feel better anyway. Maybe you may want to consider the honor as well.

[singin46]

Yeah I'm offended! I was taught never to let Old Glory drag the floor or even touch it either Dale.
Today I don't know what they're teachin kids. Makes me sick to my stomach how quickly things have changed in recent years!

[Ramrod]

Dale, Yes.
Not only on the floor, but displayed the wrong way. Coincidence?
I sent them a friendly reminder too!
Mark
ps. Tj, Im with you. Ive never heard someone refer to themselves as an ex-marine, never.

[philco]

I too am troubled by the seeming lack of respect shown our country's flag. It seems to me that more and more folks are oblivious to what is proper when it comes to showing respect for anything. I recently attended a high school basketball game and when the Star Spangled Banner was played a guy a few rows down from me (husband of one of the young teachers) left his cap on throughout the entire song. It offended me and also saddened me because I realized he most likely did not know any better. I'm convinced that our school system has totally abandoned teaching any display of respect for anything symbolic like the flag. Many of the young adults now raising children and holding positions of responsibility in our society are totally ignorant of the proper treatment of the flag or how to show any respect because they have not been taught the concept.

Phil

[johnny twoshoes]

We are quickly becoming a country that no longer celebrates, or respects, our own Nation. We as a nation have become ashamed of who we are and how we have got here. We celebrate our own nationalities before we celebrate our united country. This is not how America got here, it was the history that was respected and learned from that got us to be a super power. So why are we loosing this feeling, this idea?

I believe that the majority of country has changed it's mentality. Divided we are falling, too many people have failed themselves and now they want a government who can't get along to somehow bail them out. I can see that in the near future I will be paying for college, but it won't be for my education. We are no longer self reliant, if the big man isn't holding our hands we can't operate. Too many unemployed, not enough jobs, thats what I am hearing. I could go out and have 5 jobs before the time I get home. All because I WANT that job, I WANT to support myself and my family. They won't be careers, but they will provide. I am seeing to many people sit at and do nothing, why, because the paper says the economy is bad. Well, we will never succeed as a nation if we can't change our mentality.

Yeah, it's a shame to see that "American" flag on the ground, but until that flag is truly made in America, it doesn't bother me.

[johnny twoshoes]

I understand that this flag is symbolic of our country, but it's not an American flag as long as it's not American made.
This is a whole new discussion, but how can we be upset that this flag is on the ground and not upset that it's not American made.

[singin46]

They both upset me Caleb.

[Miller Bro's]

Dale that bothers me but not as much as I rarely see an American flag being flown in very many residential neighborhoods anymore. I have lived in my neighborhood for about 18 years, the very first thing I did was erect a flag pole and fly the flag when I bought the property. In all that time only one other neighbor has flown the flag on his property, and he was in the military for 4 years then married and got a regular job. After he moved away the flag pole got taken down and the new owners never flew an American flag again What these neighbors do fly is some stupid decorator type flags with different stuff on them like birds, flowers, etc.

People drive by looking at me funny when I raise and lower my flag, some young kids point and laugh When 9-11 went down every one and their uncle was displaying an American flag outside their home, on their car, etc. After a few years they came down and now you hardly see any. Local businesses, city hall, police stations still fly them but in the residential neighborhoods I see very few. Am I alone in this observation or is this happening everywhere?

One thing I did notice is that if my American flag is flying the Jehovah Witness group stay away from my door And that`s another thing, my church always has the American flag up how come this group does not fly the American flag in front of their buildings??

[tjmurphy]

I'm not an expert on Jehova Witnesses but it seems that they have many quirks in they're beliefs. Displaying the American Flag is one, celebrating Christmas is another. My wife almost got sucked into their teachings one time and was studying with a friend of hers. One day they were talking about my wife's grandmother and her friend told her that because she didn't attend church regularly that she was not going to Heaven. That was it, my wife told her to go pound salt. Maybe not exactly like that but it ended her relationship with the JW's. To appreciate her grandmother, you need to understand that she was in her 80's, lived in a cabin on a dirt road in the middle of a pine forest in southwest Louisiana. The road was actually a fire-break cut through the forest. She was a devout Christian and a Baptist. Every night after supper she would take her Bible, spit can and Cotton Bole tabacco twist to the front porch to read, chew and spit. A grand woman with a wonderful country spirit.

[johnny twoshoes]

I'm not an expert on Jehova Witnesses but it seems that they have many quirks in they're beliefs. Displaying the American Flag is one, celebrating Christmas is another. My wife almost got sucked into their teachings one time and was studying with a friend of hers. One day they were talking about my wife's grandmother and her friend told her that because she didn't attend church regularly that she was not going to Heaven. That was it, my wife told her to go pound salt. Maybe not exactly like that but it ended her relationship with the JW's. To appreciate her grandmother, you need to understand that she was in her 80's, lived in a cabin on a dirt road in the middle of a pine forest in southwest Louisiana. The road was actually a fire-break cut through the forest. She was a devout Christian and a Baptist. Every night after supper she would take her Bible, spit can and Cotton Bole tabacco twist to the front porch to read, chew and spit. A grand woman with a wonderful country spirit.

Those are the people that founded this country.

[cooker]

She has no respect for the very thing she is trying to make a dollar on.
When I see this type of disrespect to our flag,our nation, it makes every
one of my scars and wounds begin to ache again! I am sick and tired of
people telling me That I have to be more tolerent (thick skinned ).I have
fought for that flag in Nam, Grenada,the middle east and places that I
am not at liberty to say.I have lost a brother who was fighting for that flag!
My body has been ravaged from my wounds.
I do not have to be anything for anybody at this point.I own part of that
flag,and it pisses me off big time when it is disrespected!!
Instead of the "Oh well ,what can you do" attitude,We as a people should
throw it up to these people to stop and correct what they do.
This includes these companys and banks who fly flags that are tattered
and shred. COOKER U.S.M.C

[singin46]

Couldn't agree more Cooker and thank you for your service to our great land and all those who have served and are still! GOD BLESS AMERICA

[Paladin]

She has no respect for the very thing she is trying to make a dollar on.
When I see this type of disrespect to our flag,our nation, it makes every
one of my scars and wounds begin to ache again! I am sick and tired of
people telling me That I have to be more tolerent (thick skinned ).I have
fought for that flag in Nam, Grenada,the middle east and places that I
am not at liberty to say.I have lost a brother who was fighting for that flag!
My body has been ravaged from my wounds.
I do not have to be anything for anybody at this point.I own part of that
flag,and it pisses me off big time when it is disrespected!!
Instead of the "Oh well ,what can you do" attitude,We as a people should
throw it up to these people to stop and correct what they do.
This includes these companys and banks who fly flags that are tattered
and shred. COOKER U.S.M.C

Cooker,
May God bless you and comfort you and I thank you for your sacrifice for our country.

Ray

[chetr1200c]

cooker i appreciate your service and commitment, thank you.
three of my marine corps brothers have served in viet nam. one brother did two tours and came away from nam as one of the biggest diehard jarheads you ever want to meet. another brother, nearly had his head blown off, he wears a plastic skull now and is half the man he once was, but still has all his facilities in tact. those two brothers have chosen to become jehovah wittnesses. and have been for over 20 years. they stopped trying to campaign against my beliefs long ago, although every so often they try and convert me.i respect their beliefs just as mich as i respect anyone else's beliefs. the 1st ammendment is something that they have also fought for.
the third brother had to sleep with a 45 under his pillow, thats if he had a pillow. and every once in a while he would smoke some pot to keep some sort of sanity. well, he got caught and was busted right down to private.. theres some gratitude for ya.
he was the meekest of the three brothers, and to put him in that position and then tell him he broke the law by smoking smething that hurt no one. well his pride went down the tubes...all three were grunts, needless to say, they won't even talk about those days now. they are...... exmarines.
we all have our own views on this subject, and they all should be respected. like i said before, this person showed no intended malice here in the first place.
take what you can from these realities. but there is reasons to everything, i for one give the benefit of the doubt to all.
chet

[tjmurphy]

Hey Chet, I was trying to make a little joke of your statement. Never having been in the USMC I just don't follow the mind-set of one who has. Just basing it on the esprit de corps that I read here and from talking with friends. I'm glad that all brothers made it home.

[chetr1200c]

no offense taken murph,

[RobesonsRme.com]

Either the auction ran its course or she ended it early.Kudos to her if she did so. Previously ignorant, now informed we hope.

Our children no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools.

We no longer observe Flag Day.

We do not know Official Flag Etiquette.

We hoot and holler and can't wait to say, "Play Ball" or its equivalent at sporting events while The National Anthem is sung or played.

Team players pick their noses on camera during the singing or playing of The National Anthem.

As our Greatest Generation dies, as our Korean and Viet Nam era vets and their immediate families die, we will have proportionately less and less Americans that respect patriotism, sacrifice and Our Flag.

Our most recently forged military patriots and their immediate families will continue the traditions, but will be vastly outnumbered by the grossly uneducated and uncaring liberal and "You owe me" masses.

It starts at the top and persists to the least of our citizens. The thought that America is flawed and must now make amends for all past abuses from slavery to the atomic bombing of Japan to our chief executive bowing repeatedly to Muslim leaders across the planet.

The world our grandchildren will inherit is not the one our fathers and mothers left us. I, for one, hope I'm not around to see it.

God help us. It's the only chance we have.

Charlie Noyes