The Star Spangled Banner

by rebel8 151 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  FlyingHighNow

  
  No, Americans don't force children to salute the flag. I chose, and I had never heard of JWs, not to salute the flag in highschool. I was respected for my stand. Why? Because until there is liberty and justice for all, I can't salute Old Glory like the pledge says. Those were my thoughts.

  the them and us thoughs. We good, they = not us, bad. most americans (usa) think themselves a lot better then others. Are vey proud to be an amercian.

  This is Bull sh*t. You don't live here. You don't know how most of us feel. You only know of the vocal minority who are always screaming the loudest.

  Loving the country of your birth is not the same as agreeing with all of its policies or biggotry. Loving your country does not mean you don't love other countries, too.

  Your post gives you away as a YOU or US thinker. When you put others down, you elevate yourself and that is a form of bragging.

  I see many things wrong with America. I see many things right. Most Americans feel the same way. I am very tired of all the America bashing that goes on on this board. If you don't like the policies, say so. Stop making sweeping generalizations. We don't deserve them as you don't deserve them.

  LT: 13 stripes and 50 Stars.
• 

  sonnyboy

  If anyone is ever in the Baltimore area, make sure to stop and see Ft. McHenry.

  I was just there a couple weeks ago. I love the Inner Harbor. I would go there tonight to watch the fireworks, but I don't want to fight the crowd.
• 

  wanderlustguy

  No, Americans don't force children to salute the flag. I chose, and I had never heard of JWs, not to salute the flag in highschool. I was respected for my stand. Why? Because until there is liberty and justice for all, I can't salute Old Glory like the pledge says. Those were my thoughts

  I wish I lived wherever the hell this was...and my kids do, too.
• 

  katiekitten

  I think patriotism is silly, really, but I am immensely releived to be living in a country that is so rich and that looks after its citizens so well, whether they deserve it or not.

  My grand plan would be to take every person out of the UK and dump them penniless into the middle of afghanistan. If they could make it back into the UK (like all those desperate illegal immigrants hanging onto the underside of trucks) they would have earned the right to stay and get all the benefits. If they couldnt be bothered to get of their fat arses then they would have earned the right to stop in Afghanistan. Our country would be great again!!

  My concession to patriotism is that I am always impressed at Scotch (hahahahahah you hate that dont you!!) people are very proud of their history, and know all about their historical figures pretty well.
• 

  sonnyboy

  Do americans force children to stand and salute the flag?

  When I was in grade school we were forced to stand and salute the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance.

  For some reason that never sat right with me. Although I like being an American, I can't stand the government's forced flag worship. If I don't want to salute the flag or pledge "allegiance" to it (how stupid), I shouldn't have to. If I go out and spend my hard-earned money on an American flag, which is nothing more than a piece of cloth, I should have the right to desecrate it if I feel the need.

  It's my property, but it's illegal for me to do anything harmful to it.
• 

  FlyingHighNow

  I wish I lived wherever the hell this was...and my kids do, too.

  Tucker High School. Tucker Georgia.

  I'm sure in any country you get overly patriotic idiots who force their opinions on others. Some places you can die for it, at the hands of the government.

  You can burn the flag here, still. Hopefully people will not lose that freedom.
• 

  heathen

  As I'm finding out we aren't even free to set off fire works .... They just past a federal law against burning the flag , It's looking like we are only free to do as we are told by big brother .... I know the WTBTS view on patriotism being a snare of the devil , I can agree to an extent that many people involved with the political scene die for a lost cause anyway , not just americans but I do believe that democracy and freedom or religion and thought are very important to people .
• 

  sonnyboy

  This is Bull sh*t. You don't live here. You don't know how most of us feel.

  The reason why so many foreigners hate Americans is because they spread so many untrue rumors about us. I've never thought myself better than anyone else in any nation.

  Being on message boards for the past four years, I've heard so much bullsh;t regarding American citizens that it's unbelievable. Most people get their "information" about Americans from movies and/or media bias.
• 

  sonnyboy

  As I'm finding out we aren't even free to set off fire works ....

  What gets me about this is that consumer fireworks are legal in some states and illegal in others. Why is that?

  And if I wanted to get any aerial fireworks like bottle rockets and such, I'd have to go all the way to Pennsylvania because it's illegal to sell them in Maryland and Virginia.
• 

  lilbit

  But why you say 'I am proud to be american". In what way is your country better then for example my country?

  I do not feel my country is better than yours or most any other country. I am happy I was born in a country that is mostly free and that I have never had to worry about starving to death or losing one of my children to a curable disease. Im also happy that I have never had to live under a tyranical dictator or be treated like a peice of dirt simply because I am a woman. So when I say " I am proud to be an American" I am not putting anyone else down. I am just being thankful for all the good things I do have.

  Lilbit