Since the word 'opinion' was given in the title of this thread, I feel it is open to discussion. Here goes:
Yes, I stand for the Pledge, I stand for the Anthem. Most times my eyes get watery as well, thinking of all the people who have died during wars and other deadly conflicts. But I'm not just thinking of the soldiers, I'm thinking of the children on both sides who have had their lives changed for better or worse. I'm thinking of the hate that tends to be stirred to boiling during war. I'm thinking about people that believe you have to be a rabid patriot to be a true American. I'm thinking about all the deception behind the current war, the young men and women who have died in Iraq, the lives torn apart on both sides.
Yes, these young men and women who have died deserve our respect, and yes, these men and women at WDW participating in the flag retreat also deserve our respect. But I do not judge those who do not stop, who do not pay attention, who do not feel the need to stop in this public showing of patriotism. I pray that some day we have no nations, no flags, no need to fight each other at all.
Maybe those people walking by are the first glimmer of this, although everyone here seems to feel they are horrible people. Maybe they just don't want to have patriotism shoved down their throats, to have that constant 'we are the all powerful, we'll wipe you out if you touch us' attitude thrown in the face. Patriotism has come down to some pretty petty stuff lately, no wonder people are shying away from it.
So, please, while it is a very powerful, amazing thing to respect your country, and those that have served (and people have served in so many ways, not just in the military) and have lost their lives, take a moment to think about what this planet could be if we didn't have flags or patriotism.
I respect people's right to salute the flag, join the military, honor those who have served, and I also respect the right not to do that. It's what makes the USA rather unique, and very special. I'm very grateful to all the people who have sacrificed in so many ways so that I can make that choice.
What really amazes me are the people who show disrespect in the name of 'Patriotism' - that doesn't seem like true patriotism to me at all. There's certainly no dignity to it, and it belittles the ones who have given so much up so that we have the lives we have.