This Saddens Me, My Friends..

This video was taken at University Of Maine, Farmington. I am a little ashamed to admit I am from Maine at the moment. Anyway let me first start off by saying that I am a Military wife. HOWEVER, I am a very free thinker. No, I don't always agree with everything that happens in the government (Who does?!) and I don't like war either (again, not many people do.) But I support our troops and I respect our veterens. And I HATE people who abuse their rights in order to make immature statements.(Although I can't say that that is what this was, as I totally don't get the statement involved..) I could not for the life of me from the video, figure out what the point of the "art" was. I couldn't read the sign on the goth/punk (not punk like hey you punk kid, but punk as in style) kid at the end but I found it annoying how stereotypical that was..a kid dressed in goth type clothing standing on the American Flag. Whether or not that was the student doing the project, I could not tell from the short video either. And no, I have nothing against people who enjoy the gothic style of dress, hair, and makeup. I just thought that was such a tv movie of the week type thing. Seemed a little to typical. I respect their opinion though as much as I wanted to cry for that veteran. I am very interested as to what exactly the art was supposed to mean, as I don't get it. I respect art but at the same time to me it was more of a publicity stunt. I mean they knew how controversial it was..that is why they needed a few cops there. What's next, ripping pages out of the bible and placing them all over the floor and jumping up and down on them? (I am not religious either but I feel that many people feel the same way about the flag as they do the bible.).

So anyway, while the fact remains that the student had a RIGHT to do this...does it MAKE it right? that veteran was treated so poorly. No respect whatsoever except from a few students who rallied behind him. He probably received about the same reception when he came back from Vietnam. He's seen things this student will never see, all so that we can all be a little be safer and be able to bitch and whine about stuff. We are by no means a perfect country, and I am not a gun toting, bully redneck, kill em shoot em up American. I am an American. I am allowed to express my freedom of speech as an American. But as a decent human I know the difference between expressing my opinion and being totally direspectful. I have a feeling this student got exactly the reaction they wanted out of this little project.

Imagine..being arrested for picking up a flag off the dirty floor? Didn't he earn the right to pick up that damn "peice of cloth"?. Blah. Ok I'm done LOL. I know others may disagree with me and that is cool. I just had to get all that out.