keep burning those flags

darkcrow

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5123730.stm

"The US Senate has failed to approve a constitutional amendment which would ban the burning of the American flag.
The proposal, backed by President George W Bush who said it was an important issue, failed by one vote.

The measure has been seen as an attempt by the Republican majority to attract support of conservative voters ahead of November's mid-term elections.

But many Republicans say the flag is a cherished symbol of freedom and value which needs to be protected.

This is not the first time that the Senate has attempted to rally around the flag in this way since the US Supreme Court ruled that burning the Stars and Stripes is an example of free speech and protected by the US constitution.

On this occasion though, the vote could not have been closer.

Just one more senator on board and a ban on the desecration of the American flag would have been sent to individual states for ratification - a very rare occurrence indeed.

'Unpatriotic'

There have been only four recorded acts of flag burning in the United States this year but this did not stop the Senate from spending two days debating the issue.

A majority of Republicans argued that the Stars and Stripes is a cherished symbol of US freedom and values which needs protection.

But Democratic opponents dismissed the amendment as the latest attempt by Republicans to appeal to their conservative base ahead of November's mid-term elections by painting those who voted against the bill as unpatriotic.

Fourteen Democrats backed the measure in the end, earning the praise of President Bush who said he continued to believe that the American people deserved the opportunity to express their views on this important issue."


well i am going to crack open my boxes of flags and start a good old fashioned BURNIN

hippiemom

Aw shucks ... we didn't join China, Cuba and Iran on the list of countries that ban flag burning.

BrinkofForever

It's really a sad commentary when almost a year later, the Gulf Coast is still a shambled wreck, New Orleans is a lawless modern-day ghost town, Iraq is on the verge of civil war, and Congress is wasting time arguing about outlawing the burning of a piece of colored cloth. It's good to know that the Republican led Congress have their priorities in order.

audome25

Brink wrote:

New Orleans is a lawless modern-day ghost town

but they got vacations and sex changes out of it.

Pacomc79

nice to see a bunch of senators are wholeheartedly against the Bill of Rights.

I'm sure they'll be lauding "freedom" and "independance" next week.

Wankers.

farfromglorified

I'm down with flag burning. Maybe I'll celebrate by torching a flag tonight. I've got a nice little recipe here:

1 part US flag
1 part IRS tax code book
1 part printout of whitehouse.gov
1 part constitution
1 part us army recuitment materials
1 part senator hillary clinton fund raising materials, which i get every fucking week in the mail
1 part amtrak ticket stub
3 parts lighter fluid

keeponrockin

You can excersice your right by burning thr flag. I fail to see a problem.

MrBrian

you know what they say right?

"Each time you burn a flag, a soldier in iraq dies dies" :(

Keep those flags on your cars bumpers so birds can shit on them and the sun can burn it.

EdVedHed

Brink wrote:

It's really a sad commentary when almost a year later, the Gulf Coast is still a shambled wreck, New Orleans is a lawless modern-day ghost town, Iraq is on the verge of civil war, and Congress is wasting time arguing about outlawing the burning of a piece of colored cloth. It's good to know that the Republican led Congress have their priorities in order.

Amen to that - it's truly absurb that time is even being spent on the topic.

hailhailkc

Nothing screams idiocy like burning one of the very symbols which stands for giving a person the freedom to perform that act without retribution. It's funny how people who want to burn the flag always say that they do it in a fashion that represents their distaste for the government and it's leaders, not the country itself, but then they can't seem to reconcile that with the fact that the other good things they feel that America stands for are also represented by that flag, and that when they burn it, they show disrespect for THOSE things too.

I understand why Iranians burn the American flag...but I'll never understand why an American, who truly loves their country, would ever burn the flag. Burn a picture of Bush if you have that much to express to the world. Leave the flag alone.

Of course though, there are some of you on here who just pretty much dislike everything about America anyway...so I'll exclude you from my latter points...because you would burn it regardless.

farfromglorified

hailhailkc wrote:

Nothing screams idiocy like burning one of the very symbols which stands for giving a person the freedom to perform that act without retribution.

My body and my mind are the symbols that give me freedom.

The flag is the symbol of that takes which away.

Uncle Leo

hailhailkc wrote:

Nothing screams idiocy like burning one of the very symbols which stands for giving a person the freedom to perform that act without retribution. It's funny how people who want to burn the flag always say that they do it in a fashion that represents their distaste for the government and it's leaders, not the country itself, but then they can't seem to reconcile that with the fact that the other good things they feel that America stands for are also represented by that flag, and that when they burn it, they show disrespect for THOSE things too.

I generally agree. However, you did not really give say whether you feel it should be legal.

I think it should. A lot of things can be deemed offensive to somebody. The KKK has the right to get its message out, as much as it may offend me.

Gary Carter

goes to burn my american flag.and those stupid letters from the army and marines.

Abuskedti

hailhailkc wrote:

Nothing screams idiocy like burning one of the very symbols which stands for giving a person the freedom to perform that act without retribution. It's funny how people who want to burn the flag always say that they do it in a fashion that represents their distaste for the government and it's leaders, not the country itself, but then they can't seem to reconcile that with the fact that the other good things they feel that America stands for are also represented by that flag, and that when they burn it, they show disrespect for THOSE things too.

I understand why Iranians burn the American flag...but I'll never understand why an American, who truly loves their country, would ever burn the flag. Burn a picture of Bush if you have that much to express to the world. Leave the flag alone.

Of course though, there are some of you on here who just pretty much dislike everything about America anyway...so I'll exclude you from my latter points...because you would burn it regardless.

Banning flag burning would be disrespectful to those things. Particularly but the fucking feeble weakknee worms in congress and satan and his executive brance.

hailhailkc

Uncle Leo wrote:

I generally agree. However, you did not really give say whether you feel it should be legal.

I think it should. A lot of things can be deemed offensive to somebody. The KKK has the right to get its message out, as much as it may offend me.

That's fine if it's legal. I don't really have a problem with it being legal. I'll just never participate in it. However, like abortion, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if it WAS made illegal.

I do think lines have to be drawn somewhere though. For instance, I don't think "freedom" entails that a man should be allowed to have cosensual (sp?) sex with a 12 year old boy. And I'm not equating flag burning to that example, I'm just saying...freedom is subjective up until the point of what I would describe as "common sense".

callen

hailhailkc wrote:

That's fine if it's legal. I don't really have a problem with it being legal. I'll just never participate in it. However, like abortion, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if it WAS made illegal.

you should loose sleep over both.....

being able to burn the American Flag is what the American Flag is all about. Once you make it illegal you take the most important aspect of the flag away. Would I ever burn the flag...hell no...but I do and should have the right to do so....oh oh ...kind of like abortion.

As to Republicans bringing up gay rights, flag burning and abortion...really smart....it works. Sad but that's the current America.

keeponrockin

callen wrote:

you should loose sleep over both.....

being able to burn the American Flag is what the American Flag is all about. Once you make it illegal you take the most important aspect of the flag away. Would I ever burn the flag...hell no...but I do and should have the right to do so....oh oh ...kind of like abortion.

As to Republicans bringing up gay rights, flag burning and abortion...really smart....it works. Sad but that's the current America.

Bravo! Awesome post. And nobody is seeing through these tactics?

rightondude

fuck america...

rebornFixer

hailhailkc wrote:

Nothing screams idiocy like burning one of the very symbols which stands for giving a person the freedom to perform that act without retribution. It's funny how people who want to burn the flag always say that they do it in a fashion that represents their distaste for the government and it's leaders, not the country itself, but then they can't seem to reconcile that with the fact that the other good things they feel that America stands for are also represented by that flag, and that when they burn it, they show disrespect for THOSE things too.

I understand why Iranians burn the American flag...but I'll never understand why an American, who truly loves their country, would ever burn the flag. Burn a picture of Bush if you have that much to express to the world. Leave the flag alone.

Of course though, there are some of you on here who just pretty much dislike everything about America anyway...so I'll exclude you from my latter points...because you would burn it regardless.

I actually agree with this post ... Someone who burns their own country's flag is unpatriotic at best, and a fucking asshole at worst. If someone truly wants their country to be a better place, why would they burn a flag? They should save the money spent on Zippos and put it towards protest or some other form of activity that might actually do something helpful.

Uncle Leo

hailhailkc wrote:

That's fine if it's legal. I don't really have a problem with it being legal. I'll just never participate in it. However, like abortion, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if it WAS made illegal.

I do think lines have to be drawn somewhere though. For instance, I don't think "freedom" entails that a man should be allowed to have cosensual (sp?) sex with a 12 year old boy. And I'm not equating flag burning to that example, I'm just saying...freedom is subjective up until the point of what I would describe as "common sense".

(I know you are not comparing the two in terms of what is worse...)

Flag burning is a freedom of speech issue. If you can desecrate an Iranian flag to make a point, then not allowing it for an American flag is taking away freedom of speech.

The sex issue is not a freedom of speech issue. Sex with a 12 year old, regardless of his/her "consent" is harmful to that child (which is why consent does not exist in such a case). Flag desecration is no more harmful to anyone than steamrolling Dixie Chicks CDs.

hailhailkc

reborncareerist wrote:

I actually agree with this post ... Someone who burns their own country's flag is unpatriotic at best, and a fucking asshole at worst. If someone truly wants their country to be a better place, why would they burn a flag? They should save the money spent on Zippos and put it towards protest or some other form of activity that might actually do something helpful.

Well said, I agree.