Anyone who has read anything about the ordeal that our prisoners of war had to end – especially those held by the Japanese during World War II – would appreciate what the flag really means.
Viet Nam and Korean War POWs had it very bad and I do not mean to disparage their hardship; But I have not read where they were subjected to such conditions of slavery and utter inhumane treatment as the POWs from the USS Houston and the other POWs in Japanese prison camps.
I have just finished reading the "Ship of Ghosts" by James D. Hornfischer about the USS Houston which was sunk on March 1, 1942 and the ordinal of the survivors who were taken prisoner. Most of them were sent to work on the Burma-Thailand rail; More commonly called "the railroad of death" because of all the POWs and local people from Burma and Thailand that died from the horrible treatment of the Japanese guards – and their Korean helpers – well over 200,000 people. Some estimates say that there were over 100 deaths for every mile of the railroad built.
The movie, The Bridge on The River Kwae (Noi), was about a bridge built by the POWs and the other slave labor on this railroad. This movie did not begin to show the actual suffering of these slaves (POWs).
Any kind of "misconduct" rendered in severe beats – many times till the POW died. Most matches were delivered with large bamboo clubs and / or gun butts and all were very severe. If – or when – the victim fell to the ground, the clubs were used and the feet for the beating and was much more severe. "Misconduct" could be as small as not bowing to the guards fast enough to suit them, being late for the daily counts, singing a patriotic song or not working fast enough or meeting their required daily quota of stone moved or other chores. Some misconduct was immediately punished by death; Such as having a radio or an American flag. Still, there was a radio in some of the camps and several POWs had flags which they kept even though, being caught with it was a death sentence.
These POWs knew the value of an American flag! They knew that it was the symbol of the country that they were fighting for and that they loved.
Trashing and burning this flag is a crime – regardless of what the Supreme Court says – and should be punished in some way. I agree with both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on this issue. They both agree that there should be a law against flag burning and trashing the flag.
These sewer sludge, who pose as humans and who do this should be exported to whatever country that they feel is better than the USA. I doubted that many citizens would miss them. Surely our veterans would not.