I took a Vietnam class many many years ago. As part of a series of exercises the prof came in late one day, walked up to the flag, and lit a lighter under it. Now, he didn't actually catch it on fire because of the problems with having a fire in the building. In the discussion afterwards one of the first people to speak was a Vietnam vet who told the teacher that if he'd actually lit the flag on fire he would have ran up on stage and beat him to death. I responded by letting the vet know that if he'd threatened the teacher over this that I would have ran up and beat HIM to death (yeah, he very likely would have ended me in a fight, but it was the idea that mattered to the debate). That was pretty much the end of that discussion.
What really sticks with me about that encounter is how different people are in their values, and how impossible it is to ever achieve harmony. There are people who ignore it, people who'll kill or die to oppose it, and people who'll kill or die to support it - same as every other idea in world. While you may get some to agree to a compromise on occassion, the bottom line is that those opposing factions will ALWAYS remain willing to kill for their side.
This guy was willing to kill a professor for provoking discussion because of what he'd been raised to see the flag as, and what he'd joined the military for. I was willing to kill the vet because of what I'd been raised to see the flag as, and what I'd joined the military for. Neither one right or wrong in his interpretation of the flag (though both with a heavy disregard for life and law), both with the same basis for their beliefs, but existing in total opposition. This was the best learning example of subjectivity that I had up to that point.
