Marblehead gym members say giant American flag is offensive

[LSX]

But the gym owner has the right not to care as well. What if it were a warehouse style gym? Tall roof with rafters, hanging a small flag would be pointless. Would you be upset if the same gym also had a large Brazilian and Japanese flag hanging as well?

 

[Joey D]

But the gym owner has the right not to care as well. What if it were a warehouse style gym? Tall roof with rafters, hanging a small flag would be pointless. Would you be upset if the same gym also had a large Brazilian and Japanese flag hanging as well?

Yes, I believe I said the gym owner has the right not to care either, it's all free speech as far as I'm concerned.

And hang whatever you like in your property, you own it therefore you can decide what is being done in it as long as it's within the law.

 

[LSX]

Well forgive me man, I just think our country deserves more respect than what people who live here give it. I love my country, I get chills when I hear our national anthem, I'm very patriotic. I can't wrap my head around people complaining about our nations flag, or you saying you don't care.

People gave their lives for you and me, to fly our flag today, there is nothing redneck about loving our country. If you don't love America what country do you hold allegiance to? Not trying to attack you, but if you could explain why you don't care to me, because I can't understand. I would like to at least try to understand your point of view, I just can't right now. PM me if you have to, I just want to know, why that does not bother you as an American? It's insignificant I guess, they can express what they want, but if you have any national pride that would kind of rub you the wrong way I'd think.

Don't mistake me for an America effya person, I think our country is flawed, just I have a strong sense of national pride and what we can be. Please explain to me, though you don't really have to, why you aren't bothered by that in any way?

 

[Joey D]

Our Constitution allows for free speech and that means you are allowed to say what you like as long as it's within the law. People have every right to complain about the flag, burn the flag, spit on the flag, fly the flag, get a tattoo of the flag, hang massive ones on their property, whatever. That is a right I think that should be protected. If you censor what people can do or say about the flag then you are taking away one of the rights in America that means something.

No, America isn't a bad country and like I said I even have a small flag on my desk here at home. I'm just not into exuberant patriotism, which I believe hanging a 12ft flag in the middle of your gym is. However I respect your right to do it. It's like those nut jobs that hold up signs saying that a dead solider is God's way of punishing us for allowing homosexuals in the military. I don't agree with them but they have every right to do it as long as they don't trespass or attempt any physical harm to anyone.

I don't really have any particular reason why I'm not overly patriotic, I'm just not and I don't think I should pretend to be either. But like I said, if others are I fully respect their right to express it.

 

[LSX]

Your right man, free speech protects everyone, a good thing. I was just trying to understand another point of view.

 

[Exorcet]

I believe hanging a 12ft flag in the middle of your gym is.

I, for one, cannot find a way to equate flag size with how [overly] patriotic one is. I watched the video in the link and didn't think anything of the flag, it just looks like something I'd expect to see in the US. To me, it just says "This is the USA" not "SEE THIS FLAG?! IT'S BETTER THAN YOURS!"

It's like walking into restaurants owned by foreigners/immigrants. Sometimes I see pretty big flags in them; it just means the people like their home country, good for them.

I agree with you when you say being over patriotic is bad (that pretty much leads to Nazi Germany), but I think you're shortchanging the gym owner by judging him on his flag size.

 

[homeforsummer]

If you look at it from a different perspective, it's like a British person hanging the union jack in a gym in Britain. If I went there, I'd honestly have no problem.

Neither would I. There were complaints in my hometown when a pub hung a massive St. George's Cross on the front in the centre during the last international football tournament we were actually in...

...but it didn't bother me in the slightest. The people complaining said that it was "racist", apparently. Not quite sure how, perhaps they needed to check their definitions. The only ones I objected to were the little flags people had hanging out of their windows, but then they were also useful markers to make out the guaranteed pillocks on the roads...

 

[Jay]

We've been here and done that.



You guys really need to get with the times.

Funny thing is I hardly see the Australian flag around much but when I am in the US and Canada I see it (their own flags) all over the place, huge parliament building sized ones too, it's interesting to see the small differences like this between nations. Now I think of it when I was in Japan I don't remember seeing their flag at all.

None of it bothers me at all.

Although the current fad here with 20 year olds is getting southern cross tattoos and stickers all over their cars, that gets a rolleyes from me when I see it (often).

 

[Keef]

There's a crane/heavy equipment company near here called Orbit, and because they're place is right next to the highway they use one of their massive cranes to hang a giant American flag a couple hundred feet above the highway. It looks awesome when there's a nice breeze.

 

[Pupik]

Although the current fad here with 20 year olds is getting southern cross tattoos and stickers all over their cars, that gets a rolleyes from me when I see it (often).

That's because they're using it as a confusing navigational aid, forcing everyone to comply with GPS.

Most people would complain if anything (naked people, money, food, naked people with money and food, et cetera) was blocking their television set.

 

[Moglet]

You think this is bad? Around here we're not allowed to display the English flag as it's seen as offensive to people, something to do with history and blah blah blah.

It's the equivalent of black people avoiding white people because of historic events. It's ridiculous.

Steve Hughes sums up my thoughts on this after about 2 minutes in;

 

[Biggles]

Looks to me that the flag is just obtrusively inappropriate there, which is probably why patrons of the gym complained, but FOX "News" makes a story out of it, stirring the pot to create further division in the U.S.

It's really impossible for someone not familiar with Fox, to understand the constant barrage of misinformation, biased reporting, & out-right lies that passes for "news".

 

[Joel]

I just watched a modern warfare 2 video, and one of the death quotes was "If you are ashamed to stand by your colours, you had better seek another flag" exactly my thoughts on this. Sorry for slightly necroing this.