Recently when talking with one of my Irish friends

he described the British Flag as a "butcher's apron". I was struck by how vivid and expressive a description that was from his perspective.

I now feel the same way about our flag. What a difference a few short weeks can make.

My husband is Irish and I understand your friend's remark, but I don't know what to make of yours. Because some unsavory politicians have kidnapped our symbol doesn't mean that the flag stands for what they do. Could you explain?

hijacked it feel they have a right to commit premptive mayhem under it's standard. Also, they wrap themselves in it and use it's protection to cover their naked lies while beating others over the head with the pole if they don't agree.

For me (and I was raised in the military and taught deep respect for the flag) it has no meaning anymore. I don't feel it represents me or the rights that three generations of my family fought for. I am not moved to see it wave because I see it as a symbol of repression and bloody confrontation.

we are willing to kill anything that moves for this oil we have in iraq , people dont mean a thng , and hen i hear them talking about the bucher sadam , i keep rembering how we treated the indians back when

Perhaps Antarctica will let you set up camp there on a piece of land undrenched in blood. Of course, when the ice thaws we might find out...

You wanna know something? Before we were even here, the Indians were murdering each other. Skulls with arrows in them are acceptable evidence, I take it? How about what we found in the mounds? Human sacrifice.

Human beings are capable of horrendous acts. EVERY FLAG ON THIS EARTH DRIPS BLOOD.

This lamentation for a lost innocence that no one ever had is just sickening.

Because it's so utterly asshole defeatist.

Nobody ever gives anybody anything. You take it with blood. You earn it with blood. Every labor law is drenched in human blood. Every union. There isn't a regulation in OSHA that doesn't have a maimed hand or a dead worker behind it. Same for Food and Drug. Hell, same for SEC. FAA.

You want to see a history of blood? Look down at your ballot. The vote didn't come free.

Those stains are also on your flag. Want to wash them off?