I've been thinking about stuff like this...flags are just symbolism,a way of trying to categorize.....a way to simplify something,to make it accessible to everyone,easier to understand,when the reality is so much more complex,it can't be condensed into one symbol or another. That's why I'm not really against flag burners,because it's really just their way of trying to say that one little part of something is not the sum of it. The American Flag is supposed to symbolize freedom,free speech,the "American Way", but I think we can all agree it doesn't tell the whole story, and it's not even really what America is about anymore. We cling to symbols like that because to some, they become almost like false idols....they give them more power than they really have.If you tear a flag into pieces, it can't clothe all the people it is supposed to represent.