You might have been asked this question before, which to you is more offensive, book burning or flag burning? People argue that flag burning is disrespectful to your country that you should be "proud" of but what I personally believe is different. Flags are a symbol of everything your country stands for, so burning of your countries flag is a freedom to politically protest what you think your country has done wrong; it's words to your countries leaders without necessarily speaking, which is incredibly powerful. The reason for the flag burning is to bring protesting issues to light when people aren't listening.
Last year during the Ferguson protests there was a situation with protesters engaging in flag desecration. Eight blocks from the White House, Ferguson protesters burned the American flag and had gotten a lot of negative media and backlash for the act. One of the protesters named Robinson, who is black, had commented on it and gave us insight as to why he felt so strongly about engaging in flag burning. Robinson explained,
“People care more about that flag than they care about us, America doesn’t want me. Why would I want that flag?”
This was their way of getting attention to the issues at hand. The truth is why should they respect a flag that symbolizes a country that allows and perpetuates their racial struggle. Creating this shock of the burning of the American flag brought attention to the issues at hand for blacks in America.
I have heard many people argue that flag burning is worse than book burning. But in my own opinion book burning means so much more. Book burning is much more oppressive and insulting. It's not just about the physical act of burning a book. It's the attempt at erasing ideas and suppressing those freedom thoughts. This connects somewhat to the flag burning, but you're basically trying to stifle voices, thoughts and education which could possibly lead to change for a society that needs it. Through the process of book burning, it's an attempt to control what information people should be allowed to learn.
The most famous book burning was in Nazi Germany, in which they burned over 25,000 books. From Jewish authors to different genres that may have violated what Nazis felt was dirtying the purity of Germans. It was an attempt to control what people read in order to only allow books approved and supportive of the Nazi regime. This was a form of brainwashing and propaganda towards the people of Germany. That is a prime example of trying to control and oppress people. It's a symbol of destroying ideas and an attempt to erase the identities and ideas of the people who wrote them.
People burning flags aren't doing so in an anti-patriotic way but rather just trying to bring attention to their protests and dissatisfaction with their treatment by their own country. Book burning carries an anti-speech undertone with the suppression of knowledge which can be a very alarming act.
