Destroying the sacred or striving to protect it
Posted on January 10, 2007 - Filed Under Uncategorized
I taught my class our group dynamics lesson today. I really like this lesson because it concerns those things I really like, psychology and social psychology. One of the other cool things about this lesson is that we introduce controversial topics and give the students the opportunity to debate them. The point is to show the importance of personal values and how they influence individual behavior, which then shapes the group’s dynamics.
So anyway, one of the topics I introduced is Americans being allowed to burn the flag as a form of expression. I was really surprised to listen to about half of the students support the right of someone to do so. We were wrapping up this topic when one of the more quiet students spoke up. At first, he had a little trouble finding his words and even said he was having difficulty. But then he proceeded to find his words and said that by allowing citizens to conduct themselves this way, we are in fact strengthening the flag. His statement hit me right between the eyes and it even took a moment to sink in. I had to stop the discussion and tell them that I thought whether they agreed with his statement or not, it was really profound. You have to think about what the flag symbolizes: America, our freedom, the liberties we hold dear. By allowing people to exercise those freedoms, even if (or perhaps, especially when) their actions really enrage us, we are making America stronger. We are, in effect, ensuring our children will live in this same relatively free land, not just by allowing the flag burning but by learning to be tolerant of others and their ideas.
Just to be clear, I don’t know that I have truly made up my mind about this issue. I appreciate the argument some make, saying that freedom of speech/expression is a great thing and should be allowed in 99.9% of cases but not when it comes to the almost sacred symbol of the American flag. In other words, there ought to be something held back, something no one steps on. On the other hand, to make something sacred almost draws people to it as something they want to knock down. Also, there are those who have such strong feelings concerning the state of things in America that they feel they can only get their point across using the strongest ‘language’ possible. So, I don’t know what I think, but I sure did enjoy what that particular student had to say.
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