When did it stop being OK to be patriotic?

I have to blog about this, because I've been thinking about it all week and cannot get over it. It's been bothering me that much.

On Memorial Day, this picture showed up in my Facebook newsfeed with this caption:


Nothing says "I love my nation!" like dismembering its flag and sewing it into a shirt!

There are eight "likes" and quite a few comments from others saying that no one understands the flag laws, that this shirt was probably made in China, etc. Not one person (including me--guilty) commented about how this is a ridiculous caption for this photo. I would like to chime in with the following, because this picture, and the fact I didn't comment, has been eating me alive: 


Ummm... Maybe he's just patriotic! It's Memorial Day! It's a polo shirt--not a flag that he stole from the local Perkin's parking lot and then maliciously sewed into a piece of clothing. When I was in elementary school we learned that if a flag touches the ground, you burn it. We learned you respect the flag, how to fold it, etc. This is not a flag. It never was a flag. It's always been a shirt. He didn't destroy a flag, or disrespect the nation. In fact, it's the complete opposite. He's supporting the US and showing his patriotism. So can we all just stop being such asses? Not everything has to be about something. Sometimes people just wear flag shirts, OK?