I think it is a surprisingly American thing to burn the flag. I personally don't encourage it, but it represents what our country is all about. No matter what you believe, everyone has the right to demonstrate what they believe in, even if it infuriates almost everyone else. People need to understand that there is a huge difference between hating your country and hating some of the things that it does. On the whole, i would say that i love America. It has so many freedoms and rights that we truly are blessed to have. At the same time, this country does many things that at times make me truly ashamed. I'm proud of what the USA ideally represents, but i am not at all proud of the fact that we treat much of the world so poorly, that on the average we are extremely wasteful and hurtful to the environment, that so many consider killing to be acceptable based solely on the ends we want to achieve, and that so many Americans are ridiculously arogant. I think it shows a love for your country to have the courage and devotion to publicly speak out against what you see as being wrong with it. If you are trying to make this country better and turn it into the best America that can proudly be an example to the rest of the world, then i would argue it is an extremely American thing to do.
