Hi Penguin, I'm happy to get a response on this issue. Yes, in my opinion one should be respectful of all flags of all nations. Nations are not just good or bad governments. Flags do not represent only the current state of affairs. There is history and generations of people behind the flag. In some cases many hundreds of years. Just because at a present time countries are enemies does not mean they always were and always will be. But the people of a nation deserve respect and respect of their flag (at least for the sake of the ones that respect their own flag.) All nations should also strive to deserve their flag to be respected as well. It is not only because people died for their country which the flag (to them at least) represents their country and patriotism. The flag of a nation is like a person's name or a person's picture or more accurately a person's family emblem or crest (at least to some people.) One may think that a family crest is nonsense or even pompous; okay so what? But to that family that has a crest and cherishes what it represents to them the question becomes, can we not as human persons allow for other humans to have their crest respected and not have it trampled over simply because we have the right to do that? Would showing (using your word) "tolerance" not fall into the category of expressing ones freedoms by not using a countries flag for panties? Personally I do not really care one way or the other. I am only one voice, I'm old and have seen a lot in my life and seen much worse than this. Believe me I really do not care at this stage in my life. But what I do care about is how other's feel and even if they are wrong I want to give them a pass (when there is no harm in that.) There are so many other more powerful ways to express ones rights and there is no need to trample over other's "crests" to express that right. Now wouldn't that be a nice and fuzzy way of expressing ones self. One may be correct in law. But does that justify every legal action? The truth need NOT always be spoken. Telling a loved one the truth that will only hurt their feelings and not accomplish anything is legal but is it right? Thanks for your response and what say you?