How is this being constructive?

That is NOT art-that is just being shocking for the point of being shocking. Did you see the woman telling the VET she was defending HIS free speech? Oh please, she would not know defense in the name of speech if it slapped her. It is being done because of guys like the vets.

I can see where you are coming from, but I think this is getting far more attention than this useless college student (with more double-chins than brain cells) deserves. If it was a public figure then it would certainly deserve to be the focus of people's energies, but this should just be ignored. The outpouring of emotion and outrage over this remind me more of North Korea than America, and I believe Americans are far more mature than that and can handle the occasional idiot.

This is FAR less disappointing than, say, the placing of flags on each car in a used-dealership lot, the "A-1 American Plumbing/Heating/whatever" places that use the flag as an advertisement, etc.

I think the story should be that 95% of people didn't walk on the flag.

BTW, no one "dies for the flag." That's just silly. The concept of the constitution is far, far more important.

If you think that our constitution or way of life is somehow weakened by incidents like this then you have a very dim view of the strength of our republic.

(P.S. I'm active duty military.)

I can agree with Pat a bit. It doesn't weaken our constitution.

But I disagree - it DOES weaken our way of life. It's symptomatic of the lack of respect for our flag.

It used to be that the LEAST a person could do was respect the flag, the symbol of our nation. Now that is becoming too much to expect.

But we should expect it. Having a constitution, and the right to express yourself, does not free you from the responsibility of your speech.

The 95% of the people who didn't step on the flag are the respectful, responsible ones. The idiot that set up this sophomoric display is the disrespectful, irresponsible one.

Yes, we defend his right to set up this display. We don't have to condone it.

I never will.

PS - stating that you are active duty military is no better than using the flag to sell used cars. I'm former active duty myself, but I don't pretend that it gives me a better insight into constitutional issues. Your point was what?

GregS

Thanks for your comments.

My active duty reference was simply meant as a data point for those reading. (It isn't quite as bad as trying to sell used cars-- the fact I swore to uphold and defend the constitution at least implies that I read it at some point; placing flags on a '98 Camry... not so much.)

I make no claim to speak for the millions of Americans who are currently or have served in uniform.

Doesn't the American Flag represent everything about the United States of America, from it's founding to now? As such, it represents the United States Constitution. Therefore, disrespecting the American Flag is a message of disrespecting America and everything for which it stands, from its founding until now... including the United States Constitution.

Sure the Flag is not the Constitution, but I believe it represents the US Constitution, right? Therefore, disrespect for the flag is equivalent to disrespecting everything about America, including its Constitution. The fact that young people today - such as this "art" student - don't seem to grasp that simple concept is troubling.

Bull,

You trying to help John tweek his cuss-o-meter?? Actually, given what I saw, you were pretty tame! Seeing something like this tends to make the blood boil. When I go see my Red Wings play, I've noticed over the last few years that nearly everybody remembers to uncover during the national anthem. It wasn't that way 10 years ago. Little things like that always help my faith in most Americans to show proper respect and helps temper images of the bullshit in that link.

I think everyone except Pat is missing the point. She wasn't placing flags on the floor as an art project. The project was to determine some sort of cultural reaction to art. The flag, while a powerful symbol of American strength and ideals, is also a form of art (why are flags so colorful and eye-catching, if not to invoke feelings, like art?). I don't think this chick was consciously desecrating the flag. She may not be a winner in the Flag Day beauty pageant but I don't think she is a Code Pink sleeper either. I agree that it's great that 95% of college kids, in lefty Maine, did not step on it. Those 5% were likely pierced, black baggy jean wearing wanna-be hippies. And I must state emphatically that I agree that disrespecting the flag is the worst sort of act but then again, who cares? The people who do it are extreme and marginalized and add up to nothing. You can't stop them and they have the right to do it. Let's put more energy into teaching our families the right things.

I love how the Fire Marshal put an end to it. It just goes to show that regular people do not tolerate the idiocy that goes on in academia.
After reading the article, I just felt a little sad. This girl has been so filled up with "America bad" sentiment by her Middle school, High school and College professors, she does not appreciate what a great thing we have going here.
I would love to buy her a round trip ticket to Saudi Arabia.
THAT would be a real "overseas experience", unlike all the kids who go off to France to see a "foreign nation".

chris - The reason I take issue with stuff like this is because it seems things that art and "cultural experiments" are only tried with things that are offensive to Christians (piss christ, dung virgin mary) and patriotic Americans (this flag). Why didn't she use an Iranian Flag to see how much anger anyone has towards Iran? Why didn't she put a Koran in a bowl of urine and see the reaction? Why didn't she put the homosexual flag on the ground and see the reaction to that?

The trend seems to be that art is always about offending only certain groups. And it gets tiring.

She could have picked anything to make her point about 'i didn't agree with it, but I had to do this for the project' or whatever her exact quote was from the story. But she didn't. She chose the American flag.

And as always, this kind of stuff is explained away as art or "cultural experiments" while if the same thing was done to any of the protected classes here in America, there would be cries of racism and bigotry and everything else.

I'm simply tired of the trend and the double-standard.

Well, you know what they say about fat girls...

On the positive side, stories like this do help your cuss-o-meter rating. We are shooting for higher=better, right???

I believe that this Penn & Teller bit is relevant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETiXXf0ZqRQ

"What if you were to burn a flag, not in disgust, not in protest of anything, but in celebration of the very freedoms that flag symbolizes?"