Jack, thanks for taking the time to compose a thoughtful/thought provoking post. There used to be a lot more of that around here.
I guess I agree with you on every idea you put forth. Even when I was a part of those "hippie protests," if I saw that happen (and it was very rare) it always made me cringe. My thought then, as now was/is, "Yeah, like that's really gonna help the cause, idiots."
(Side note: Any of you ever see Maya Rudolph spoof those interpretive renderings of our anthem? She throws in rap, jazz, scat, doo wop, spoken word. Very funny.)
The big note here is who's doin' da burnin'? When it's done by nationals, it is intended (misguidedly) to foment change. When it is done to your country's flag by foreigners, that means they want change, too, it's just that they want the kind where all of you have to die. I'm pretty good with the former, if I had a choice.
