That’s a double edged sword. On one respect, I would love to choke-slam them, because I lost friends defending it. But on the other respect, I don’t want to stoop myself to that emotional childishness that they’re acting out on. Because I see people doing that as trying to act out, and trying to get attention.

We put our lives on the line, to give them that freedom to burn or step on a flag. And as much as I disagree with it, as wrong as I think it is, as disrespectful as it is, as childish as it is- they have a right to do it. I don’t like it- but they have a right to do it. And I’m not going to put a stain on the veteran community’s name, because I went out there and stomped some kid. I’m a military officer- I’m not going to go out there and stomp some kid at some demonstration because he’s acting like a fool. And then I go to jail and I make the veteran community look bad because someone else was acting like a five-year-old.

But what does it mean? To me, I mean it really is a symbol. People really don’t understand or appreciate the history of the country, and what their freedoms really are. I mean some people really don’t get out of the country. And I know people that have never even left their state. And I’m just like “Are you kidding me? You’ve never even left your state?”

And you look at these political activists who are saying “I do this” or “I do that” and “I know this” and “I know that”.

And I’ll ask them- “Have you been to Europe?” “Have you been to a third world country?”

And then they respond- “Well… no….”

Well then how do you know?! Did you read it in a book? Good job. I went to high school in Europe and I lived there. I’d been to 20 countries by the time I was 18. I did mission work in Romania. I’ve been all over. I’ve done deployments, I’ve seen how these people live, I’ve studied the governments, I’ve walked in another culture.

In my second deployment, I worked very close with the state department, and I worked very closely with the locals. I ate with them. I visited them. And for the twelve months I was in country, I made some pretty good relationships with these people. And I understood why they acted the way that they did. I understood the way that they thought.   I didn’t agree with how they acted or thought, but I understood it.

That flag is everything. It has a star for each one of our states. That red is for the blood that we’ve shed. That is the symbol of freedom. And it is probably one of the top five symbols in the world that people either love or hate- it’s very polarizing. And for a piece of cloth to do that, I think is amazing and speaks for itself.

Mr. Matthews later sent me this quote, which he thought better answered the question:

"If you ever want to see what that flag means, go to a funeral of a veteran when that flag is presented to the relatives. That is when the flag becomes the most important thing in their lives because it is all they have left."