Yeah, MofH, I guess that's part of what I meant earlier when I said that I am absolutely for flag burning remaining legal.

As a symbol it is SO bad that those associated with the burning end up looking as manic as book-burners. In the end I believe they do their cause more harm than good.

It's WAY too easy -- even for fairly literate, well-reasoned folks -- to conclude anti-Americanism with flag burning. Once that association is visually burned into the public consciousness (by flag burning) it is MIGHTY hard to try to turn back around and try to explain that you really have the country's best interests at heart -- you're really a patriot. It just won't wash.