Flag politics

I read the other day that a middle school social studies teacher held a class in which he burned an American flag, and asked his students to write papers discussing their reaction to the act. Dozens of parents were upset, the teacher was suspended pending investigations (including one by the fire departemt), and generally everyone is upset.

My question is "Why?"

Now I understand the safety issue. That's not a problem for me. But this whole "desecration of the flag" business is a bit puzzling to me. Several years ago at Scout camp, I had one of my assistant Scoutmasters tell me that he thought that desecration of the flag should be considered treason. One wonders if burning a flag would be worthy of death in his eyes...

But I asked him: Desecration is a term that presupposes that something is sacred. That's a religious term. What makes that symbol "sacred"? This friend is a deeply religious man, but I wondered whether he might be treating the flag as a sort of idol. He had no ready answer to my question. I guess he had never thought of the issue in that depth. Still, it's a valid question, I believe.
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Its called disrespect for your country. Its unpatriotic. There are other ways to teach your students that they have the right to voice their opinions than by burning the American flag. Just because it may be legal to burn a flag doesn't make it right or appropriate to do so. If this guy has to burn a flag to show his students this then I have doubts about his teaching abilities.

Jovick, for once I agree. It is disrespectful and unpatriotic but like it or not it is free speech and it is covered by the first amendment.
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I can see what he was trying to do. But yea, that would have more appropriate for high school or college. 7th grade....that's like 13-14 year olds.
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