I think we should pass a law that makes it illegal to burn the U.S. flag.
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I think we should pass a law that makes it illegal to burn the U.S. flag.
Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that invalidated prohibitions on desecrating the American flag in force in 48 of the 50 states. Justice William Brennan wrote for a five-justice majority in holding that the defendant's act of flag burning was protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
I don't think we should pass a law making it illegal. After all, it is freedom of expression. Then again, I think beating the shit out of flag burners should be protected by the first amendment as well. "Just expressing myself your honor"
While I think flag burning is extremley hypocritical and counter-productive, I also feel that not letting them be hypocrites is even more hypocritical.
Yep, I would have to agree with Fengzi. The right to burn a flag if we want to--which I do not--is part of the wonderful and unique freedoms we enjoy as Americans. My personal belief is that flag-burning is wrong and disrespectful. But I couldn't in good 1st Amendment conscience make it illegal.
I'll agree with Fengzi on that also.....when I see one of these people displaying their rights I should also have the right to put my foot in their ass.
Have a good one!:thumbsup:
Hey. I agree with fengzi too. I made this thread only to distract you guys from the war. Haha. Ugh.
How about burning retired flags, i've burned my share of em, should that be illegal too, or are we just talking about evil liberals burning FlAG in protest of an illegal war or a corrupt administration.. :D
Glad we can agree on something minnesota. See, I'm not a total bleeding heart liberal, really, I'm not. Just someone who thinks with his own mind and not his political party's.Quote:
Originally Posted by minnesota man
Just evil liberals buring the flag. While I find flying the flag in front of the current White House nearly as much a desecration as buring it, the flag represents much more than a corrupt admistration. It represents a great country, what we stand for, and what we should be. It will be here long after ol' Dubya is gone. If you want to burn something, burn an effigy of Bush instead.Quote:
Originally Posted by eg420ne
I, on the other hand, am a total, card-carrying, bracelet-wearing, money-donating, bleeding-heart liberal.
And you still love me????
We all have our own little faults birdgirl, I won't hold it against you ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by birdgirl73
Burning Bush:thumbsup:
Burning MeXas.
Burning Weed.
Something we can ALL agree on :D
I'm having a hard time with a couple points in this thread... I'd love to wave the flag and say that we stand for great things and that we should expect great things, but all I see is polorizing rants and posts from the NPR/PBS and TalkRadio/FoxNews crowds.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fengzi
I respect--actually, I'll defend to the death--the right to free speech, but I also want to know more about "what the fuck" is eating someone that burns it... Maybe I'll want to smack them when I hear why they're burning it and maybe I won't. I've never bought this "my country right or wrong" crap.
Isn't that how we went from 9/11 to the Axis of Evil speach? Some goober (Bush speaking through Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz) takes a horrible event and decides it's us against the world and goes out and creates enemies.
I love ya, sista!Quote:
Originally Posted by birdgirl73
How is polarizing rants new here?Quote:
Originally Posted by graymatter
I'm a disabled vet, I served, knowing I could die, to defend our rights as did my father, his father, and his father's father before him and so on. While, at ths time it is considered expression there are many vets, like myself, that are greatly offended by such an action and feel that it should be banned, or, as somebody else said, I should be free to "kick his ass" for it, which I may choose to do anyway, regardless of the law, to be honest.
Funny, the left railed againt Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech too yet he was proven right by history and is considered one of our greatest Presidents. It's one reason Americans wont trust democrats with national security, for the most part, they've been on the wrong side of history for nearly a century. No matter how much the left lies about Iraq, the WOT, President Bush or anything else, history will show the truth. Which is why the left is so bitter and jealous.
I know you do, sweetie, and I feel the same about you. You, too, have a way of getting to the heart of things and cutting through the baloney in the same way Fengzi does.Quote:
Originally Posted by graymatter
If I ever run away from home, I may either have to come to the northeast where you are or go be adopted by Fengzi and his wife in California. Actually, with the way this summer is going down here in Texas, some of us down here may actually end up having to flee. We're running out of water here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area because of too much drought and heat! It's scary.
Iam, you served to defend our rights, and at a great price, but you're willing to break away from your defence because you have some notion that the LEFT is going to send flag burning, gay, bible bashing, tin foil hat wearing sorts of low-life to suck away all of your core values and make you join Greenpeace...:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by iamapatient
If we met face-to-face we'd conclude that we both have some things in common, and if that didn't work out we'd duel with pistols, or lawn darts at 20 paces... Peace!
Wow, you're going on two years of that drought? Visit me and my girlfriend, we have way too much water and more in the forecast! Peace, baby!Quote:
Originally Posted by birdgirl73
Why is it that if we're the ones who're so bitter and jealous, you're normally the one here who, in nearly all your other messages (doubters please do a search and review), are the angriest, name-callingest, most furious right-wing supporter who ever applied fingers to a keyboard?Quote:
Originally Posted by iamapatient
I was thrilled to see that your message here--this one I'm responding to right this moment--was the most calm, civil, and respectful thing I believe you've ever written. Even so, it did strike me as a bit of a contradiction to have you claim we're the ones who are bitter.
I, for one, am highly optimistic and hopeful about our political situation as I am about most other things. I find myself feeling rather optimistic about you, too, after having read your most recent post. I firmly believe, IamaPatient, that you could win a lot more converts if you could keep a lid on the venom, and I appreciate your having done it here. Just don't go calling others bitter and jealous quite yet. You haven't yet established enough of a track record of your own sweetness to make that claim.
No, I'm not the deluded one here. My distaste for the left is because modern liberalism is a disease, communism, socialism and the American democrat party are mere symptoms, as is the Anti-Americanism of europe and other places. Luckily there is a cure, it's called capitalism. As Thomas Sowell said, "democrats are the only reason to vote Republican.Quote:
Originally Posted by graymatter
Humans, on a mj web forum with something in common? You don't say? I wonder what it could be... ;)
lolQuote:
Originally Posted by graymatter
Don't laugh, I could hit him with one from that distance. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Euphoric
I know what you mean graymatter, especially about the way Bush has shamelessly used 9/11 to rally the flag waving crown to further his own agenda.Quote:
Originally Posted by graymatter
As far as what is eating flag burners is concerned, I live about 45 minutes from Berkely, the holy mecca of liberalism. I have known quite a few flag burner types including a few actual known burners. From what I've seen (although I'm not saying 100% of flag burners fall into this catagory) most do it simply to get a rise of out those who hold the flag sacred. Other's do it to jump on what I call the "cause of the week" bandwagon. You know, flag burning one week, save the rainforest the next week, anti-globalism the next, etc, etc. If someone really, really belives so strongly in something, and sees flag burning as a legitimate expression of it, than I could find it acceptable. Although still in very poor taste. If however, they're just doing it because it's the in thing to do, like wearing patchuli oil and not bathing, then they simply need a good smackin'
(Please excuse the editing for format, not content)
Most of the hateful anti-Bush/America posts here are for the same reasons you posted above, imho.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fengzi
Just WHAT, exactly, would constitute a legitimate reason for burning an American flag, in America? Liberal jealousy and bitterness over the Sore/Loserman2000 election? More delusional expectations dashed when the political platform of hate failed in 2002 and again in 2004? What are flag burners trying to "express," anti-war pacifism, socialism?
Not to speak for Fengzi, but one reason is the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Like you, I served to defend and protect the rights of "individuals" (not necessarilly retarded, either) to do and say things I object to... whether it's burning the flag or dipping a crucifix in a jar of piss and calling it art. It's all protected expression... last I knew, anyway. :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by iamapatient
Well, as I said, it is, for now, considered expression but what are they expressing with the burning of the American flag? While they may have a right to burn a flag, for now, they also have to take responsibility for the repercussions, like the Dixie Chicks have seen, for example. There is, however, legislation pending that would protect the flag. Calling something art, doesn't make it art. ;)
I'd like to have some of the Dixie Chicks FINANCIAL repurcussions... even if the gates slow in the south, I'd be happy. I've always liked their stuff, long before they pissed off the right; they're edgy and smart...Quote:
Originally Posted by iamapatient
Anyway, determining what art is or isn't is problematic... I know you know that. :cool:
Oh please, there's art and then there's instigation under the guise of art. Don't pretend such things don't exist.
You couldnā??t get the country community to piss on the Dixie Chicks if they were on fire. And this community has a VERY long memory. Sure they can say whatever they like but we can also not buy their record if we likeā?¦and we like. I can not remember the last time I heard a Dixie chickā??s song on the radio. I hope they invested their money well because itā??s the last they will be seeing for a while.
How about if they weren't on fire? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by likemclever
And that, my friends, is why it's great to live in a free society... We can rattle each others cages and live to tell about it. :thumbsup:
"The justest dispositions possible in ourselves, will not secure us against it (war). It would be necessary that all other nations were just also. Justice indeed, on our part, will save us from those wars which would have been produced by a contrary disposition. But how can we prevent those produced by the wrongs of other nations? By putting ourselves in a condition to punish them. Weakness provokes insult and injury, while a condition to punish often prevents them." -- Thomas Jefferson
Why burn flags?
Your dead grandmother has plenty of old clothes.
Why on earth would you waste your time on even trying to get a legislation like that in,seriously at the end of the day its only a piece of material and there is people out there right now that are angry with the american government and what they have done or are doing right now - why can't they express themselves after all that is what having freedom is all about is having the free will to speak or in this case express it.:thumbsup: :stoned:
§10. Modification of rules and customs by President
Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the United States of America, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation
Are there penalties for violating the Flag Code?
No. The Flag Code is intended as a guide to be followed on a purely voluntary basis to insure proper respect for the flag.
http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html
Have a good one!:thumbsup:
No it is not just a piece of material. No more than the constitution and the bill of rights is just a piece of paper.
And yes you should have the right to burn it but when you do you should also be prepared to have your face punched in by those expressing themselves on your face.
I wish just once a gust of divine wind would wrap a burning flag around one of those idiots and disfigure them for life. They can explain to their grand children how they got their scars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miss Green
Art prompts call for flag-burning law change
KERRY O'BRIEN: The right to freely express an opinion has taken something of a savaging in recent days. Reaction to a Danish newspaper cartoon that mocked the Prophet Mohammed resulted in the burning of Danish embassies in Damascus and Beirut and widespread protests from London to Auckland. The backlash may not have reached Australian shores, but here, the right of a Melbourne artist to express an opinion - in his case, burning an Australian flag and mounting it as an exhibition piece - has landed him in trouble with the law. The flag, which was to have been on display on a billboard outside a Melbourne gallery, lasted just two days before a policeman, claiming to have acted on complaints, removed it. The artist, Azlan McLennan, says he wants it back. The police say they are considering whether to press charges. Legal experts say there is no case. But in Canberra, Federal Government backbencher Bronwyn Bishop has announced her intention to introduce a private members' bill outlawing the burning of the Australian flag. Heather Ewart reports.
CROWD CHANTS: Save the Australian flag!
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1563582.htm
Have a good one!:D
HELL YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by likemclever
Have a good one!!!:thumbsup: