RE: Flag Burning

[pepperbear]

Personally, I don't really have any deep seated need to burn the US flag. I can think of lots of other effective ways to protest peacefully, and I still think we are a great country in spite of the fact that Bush et al. are taking our international image on a dangerous ride.


http://www.newsone.ca/piercelandherald/stories/news-00194511.html



Having said that, I would gladly burn the flag of any country that didn't allow me to burn the flag.

[Kenergy]

1. I agree n/t

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. It's a paradox

inside a puzzle wrapped in a zen koan.

If you can't burn the flag in America, it isn't America anymore.

[Alexodin]

3. I feel the same way.

It interests me that the right wing is willing to spend enormous political capital to achieve something so inconsequential. Yes its a nick to our free speech rights but really in the end analysis how many will be jailed for this? How many flags will be saved? It just seems like such a useless thing to advocate yet they are willing to raze heaven and earth to put this stupid amendment forward.

[kevinbgoode]

15. It's nothing but a stupid slap at the Sixties. . .

and their outrage at demonstrations against the draft back then. . .Republicans are all about symbols - and nothing about substance. Their biggest failure is their idea that they can legislate everything from morality to patriotism - and they are insecure when society isn't regimented in such a way that they have special status.

[Redstone]

4. Who the fuck is burning flags, anyway? Another BFD over NOTHING.

Nobody's burning flags. But they want to make it a Big Fat Issue becausse, well, it lets them NOT have to talk about those niggly little inconsequential things like a useless war, a tanking economy, and a disgraceful health-care situation.

Just what we sent them to Washington to do, right?

Redstone

[never_get_over_it]

11. So when ever this comes up I always think

is there some big freaking epidemic of flag burning - how often does this happen - when did it happen - who the hell cares - but even if it happen 10 times a day I'd be opposed to banning it - I'm such an old fashioned free speech kind of girl.

I was so pissed about how ridiculous it was that I had actually thought about calling the local media and burning a big old flag in my drive way on July 4th - but my brother who is a military lifer is going to be here and I'm afraid he would have a coronary.

I called Sen Clinton's office the other day and asked to have someone call me back on this issue - didn't give any indication what side I was on - SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE nobody called me back - all I wanted to know is just who is burning the flag and how often does it happen and WHY ARE WE WASTING TIME ON SUCH NONSENSE.

[Warpy]

5. I make the proviso that it should be wrapped around some

right wing hypocrite, but that's just me.

The way to reduce a flag burning amendment supporter to witless silence is to demand to know when the last flag was burned in protest within the US.

BOY, does that shut them up!

[WinkyDink]

6. Burning cloth made in China is an issue? Who knew?

[gordianot]

7. I don't see much flag burning in the United States.

Maybe they want to eliminate American Flag burning in other countries?

[Kerrytravelers]

8. In all the protests I've been to, I've only seen one flag burning, but it

really didn't get much attention. Most people just ignored them.

Personally, it's not my thing. But the minute we start banning speech that isn't causing direct harm (fire in a crowded theater) then, as stated earlier, it's not America anymore.

[Raine]

19. Same here

I saw one flag burning, it was at UCLA when Raygun was President. I think there was more demonstrators who were trying to stop the burning than those who were attempting to burn it.

[zeemike]

9. A case could be made that burning the flag

Is a patriotic duty if the Constitution is so polluted as to forbid it.
Civil disobedience of such a law would be appropriate.

[TahitiNut]

13. Agreed.

I've never burned one in protest but would gladly burn dozens outside the offices of any politician voting for this abomination.

[bookman]

10. The solution to flag burning...

..make all flags out of children's pajamas.

[Dangerman]

12. I would gladly burn the American flag...

BUT... As a means of protest against the Iraq War. The other way I can protest the war is to put anti-war commercials in place of military recruitment ads in cable stations. But that's illegal, isn't it?

[Warren DeMontague]

14. People who confuse the map for the territory, or the menu for the meal

are apt to think that destroying free speech to protect the symbol which is supposed to represent (among other things) Free Speech ...makes sense.

[cigsandcoffee]

16. It's a ridiculous issue

And a cheap GOP wedge tactic.

[catD]

17. Oh, I don't know.

I don't support hate speech of any kind, including hate speech against our country. I mean, what did the Great Lakes ever do to you?

[Warren DeMontague]

18. There's a big difference between "supporting" hate speech

and making it against the law.

You get that, don't you?

As for the great lakes, actually, I grew up in the Chicago area. I remember quite vividly when the Nazis marched in Skokie, and not just because I come from a Jewish family. Were they obnoxious? Yes. Odious? Yes. Assholes? Absolutely. Vile fuckwads for waving swastikas at Holocaust Survivors? I don't even have the words to express my contempt.

And... did they have the right to march? You bet your bippy.

The freedom for them to have their say is the absolute antithesis of everything that they were marching for for- the antithesis of what they were saying. Freedom of speech is only as good as the right of the most noxious, unpopular, vile voice to be heard.

That's why making burning the flag illegal is a far more dangerously un-American thing to do than burning an actual flag ever could be.

Welcome to DU, by the way. :hi: