The truth is, the flag has lost a great deal of its importance, and reverence in this country. You can find a site on the net that lists all the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, as well as the act they performed to earn that medal. In the Civil War, most of the medals were given to persons who died carrying the flag, or who did some miraculous maneuver to retrieve the flag from a fallen flag bearer. Protecting the flag or even carrying it in battle was on the same level as falling on a grenade in WWII. Not exactly on the same plane in my mind. In fact, there were so many flag associated medals given out consideration had actually been given to revoking those medals, even though they were given nearly 150 years ago. I think that idea was abandoned. It may be a shame that we have lost the importance of the Stars and Stripes. However, I would put a heck of a lot more reverence in the Constitution than I would a piece of cloth, even if that cloth does represent America. Flag burners make me want to burn them alive. But I still acknowledge a person