Recently in Valdosta, Ga., there has been a lot of protests and rallies over one topic; the American flag. The whole issue started when a war veteran saw students on campus stomping on the American flag. These students were stomping on the flag to show their contempt for the United States. The war veteran took the flag from the students and refused to give it back. The police were called; the veteran, still refused to give up the flag, and was arrested for theft. This started an uproar of all different types of people with different opinions on the incident.

When I first heard this story, it was Memorial Day weekend. I didn't know if it was my sense of patriotism from the weekend, but I was very angered by this story. I didn't understand how someone could stomp on the American flag. Maybe to the people stomping on the flag, it was just a rectangular piece of material. Not to me, though; the American flag stood for so much more than some stars and stripes on a piece of fabric. To me the American flag represented the freedoms we are given here in America. Those freedoms do not come without a price. There are thousands of men and women that are fighting for these freedoms. Thousands of children sit at home without a mother or father, and thousands of spouses sit at home without their husband or wife.

You can disagree with the government, or the way America is run, but you can't disrespect those who fight for us. Because while you are giving your opinion on how you think things should go, there is someone overseas fighting for your right to express that opinion. Though things are not perfect, most people would agree we live in one of the best countries in the world. We have freedoms that people in other countries dream of. Because of those freedoms, we should respect the American flag much more. By respecting the American flag, you are respecting the freedoms you are given, and respecting the people that fight to give us those freedoms.