i will burn a flag, and i don't care what anybody thinks about it

[mopaul]

[jeff30997]

1. Please don't burn the Canadian flag !

It's ugly but it's our flag.;-)

[happyslug]

2. This one???

[OrlandoGator]

28. Holy shit. You gave me a great fucking protest idea.

We should burn Nazi flags. Lots of them.

[Mr_Spock]

You can start with all those disrespectful displays on highway overpasses

Someone tell these fucking MORANS that a flag is NOT a FREAKIN' DECORATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or something to use as a weapon against your enemies.

Why do REPUBLICANS HATE AMERICA so much?

Why?

[Jara sang]

31. What part of the country are you in?

They have that here to, the flags are all getting soiled with dust and exhaust thrown up by big trucks too. Fuckin' morans!

[cynatnite]

3. How would they enforce this?

In 1989 the Supreme Court said that it was protected under the freedom of speech. Won't this be challenged in court again?

This is confusing.

[Maestro]

4. I believe the case was Texas vs. Johnson

stemming from an incident where a man was arrested and convicted of defacing a national symbol or something like that at the rethuglican national convention in '84.

[CubsFan1982]

6. You can't challenge a Constitutional amendment in court.

If this passes, that is. I don't think it will, simply because it requires 38 state legislatures to agree to it. I don't think you can get 38 state legislatures to agree on ANYTHING.

[friesianrider]

19. I certainly hope so.

I know for sure it was taken to the SCOTUS once before and was protected under FoS. I suspect it will be challenged again by those evil, liberal, America-hating bastards at the ACLU.

[geek tragedy]

26. This is a constitutional amendment. You can't challenge the constitution

as being unconstitutional.

[KansDem]

5. A statement like this use to infuriate me...

However, that was 35-40 years ago. Since then, I've seen how the flag is used by right-wing, neo-con fascists in their quest for world domination and personal wealth. Bush and his ilk have no respect for the values the flag represents: they do not support the troops and couldn't care less about the average GI Joe. Fuck 'em and the elephant they rode in on!

Besides, in keeping with the GOP's penchant for personal property rights, whatever I buy I own. That includes the American Flag. If I want to burn it I will, and you can't stop me!

I used to go to church regularly too...

on edit: I assume you meant Old Glory.

[blm]

7. Don't bother. GOP already has operatives in place all over the country who

will be posing as students and leftists and burning flags wherevr they need to.

You do know that the DelGaudio brothers in 1988 had young Reps pose as students and burned flags in cities a few days before the Bush campaign would show up. The front pages of the papers were all atwitter and the outrage would be in high gear.

[wallwriter]

8. Even worse than burning the flag is

murdering people based on lies while waving said flag. I would never, even be disrespectful to the US flag. Frankly, I think desecrating the flag is odious. But I am absolutely against an anti-burning amendment. The principle is more important than the symbol. Too many right wing nuts don't understand that.

[DistressedAmerican]

9. Give Me A Minute To Roll One Up And I'll Burn It Right Now!

Get me a fat America Buzz!

[LandOLincoln]

10. Yeah? Well be my guest, genius, and don't come whining to me

when it's seized upon as further proof that Democrats "hate America."

Me, I was ready to dump Wes Clark when I found out he "would support" a flag burning amendment.

Then a friend of mine named Stevenson (as in Adlai) pointed out that her brother, a Vietnam vet and hardcore Democrat like Clark, also had an extreme emotional reaction to flag burning. Seems people who've actually bled for that flag are a mite tetchy about burning it, no matter how liberal they are otherwise.

Oh yeah...I believe St. Dennis K. also supports the amendment, or did, and he's not even a vet.

[mopaul]

11. thanks for your permission patriot

[DistressedAmerican]

12. Anyone That Bled Or Died For A Flag Is An Idiot!

It is a symbol nothing more. I do not die for symbols!

[July]

21. If they think they bled for the FLAG, they are mistaken.

They bled for the nation and the ideals the flag represents. They, more than anyone, should know for what they fight.

[Pastiche423]

25. In this most recent vote, Kucinich voted NAY

He, apparently, changed his mind and I am grateful for that.

[Lecky]

13. I feel the same way

...now more than ever.

[Generic Other]

14. Anyone know where to buy rolls of flag toilet paper?

In my bathroom I am still king!

The last place in America where you are still free to give a shit.

[happyslug]

15. Lets look at the wording of this proposed amendment.

"The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."


First what is "the flag of the United States"??? Is it the old 48 star flag? Technically no, for since 1960 only the 50 star flag has been the flag of the US. If you expand the definition to any flag with stars and stripes, that includes the flag of Liberia (Which has 13 stripes but only one star). If the US is in a dispute with Liberia and someone burns a Liberian Flag, is that also desecration of the Flag of the US (If you are using the wider definition of the term Flag of the US instead of the Narrower one restricting it to the 50 star flag).

Second, what is desecration? Using the flag in a sales ad? Making your uniform look like the flag? One person desecration may be another person way of honoring it (and that goes to the issue of INTENT of the person whose treatment of the flag is in question.

Third, can this not be read as a flag OWNED by the US? i.e. Flag of the United States refers to flags OWNED by the US but not US Citizens. The term "of" has often been used in conjunction with the concept of ownership. Thus a court may ruled that this amendment only apples to burning flags OWNED by the US.

The problem with such amendments is how do you define the terms, this should be grounds by itself to dismiss this action.

[SlipperySlope]

16. I will own a machine gun, and I don't care what anybody thinks about it.

After all, *both* are constitutionally protected.

[Cyrano]

17. A flag waving idiot

in my area, who owns a full sized pickup truck, drove around for a week after 9/11 flying a gigantic American flag side-by-side with a
gigantic confederate flag.

After the first week, the confederate flag was gone,(this is a fairly liberal area of Florida) but the fact that the imbecile thought he could fly that bigoted confederate rag with impunity is revealing. Evidently he felt that 9/11 had given him license to display his ignorance and hatreds.

Either way, this might be someone who thinks the size of his flag might make up for other shortcomings. I have no way of knowing, but I'd be willing to bet that he owns a very large gun to help overcome those same shortcomings.

In any case, he still has that giant American flag planted in the back of his pickup. I guess he thinks that makes him more patriotic than the rest of us wine-sipping, cheese-eating commies.

[Kelvin Mace]

18. I will wrap the Constitution in the flag

and burn both.

[Deja Q]

20. No need. *co had already burned the Constitution... a long time ago too.

[geek tragedy]

22. I will call people who burn the American flag stupid assholes, and I

don't care what anybody thinks about it.

[mopaul]

23. and i value your opinion

[geek tragedy]

27. Ain't free speech grand?

:toast:

[deutsey]

24. I don't care if someone burns a US flag, frankly

I would never burn one myself or cheer as someone else does because I think burning a flag is ultimately a counterproductive form of protest.

I'd rather hang the flag upside down or use the "corporate" US flag (the one with corporate logos where the stars should be).

[deadparrot]

29. If they tried to provide ample food and/or health care for every American

as hard as they try to get flag burning made illegal, our country might actually get something done.

[Taylor Mason Powell]

30. Who was it who said...

(paraphrased) "I'd rather see someone burn a flag and wrap themselves in the Constitution than someone burn the Constitution and wrap themselves in the flag."

[kentuck]

32. Mopaul is taking out his flag....

It's about 6"x 8"...looks like one of those Chinese-made American flags....Uh-oh ! He's getting his BIC lighter out of his pocket! He has that crazed look in his eyes - you know the kind that people that hate America have - and he's lighting the lighter! Oh my God ! He is putting the flame at the bottom of the flag...He is trying to burn the flag! It's on fire! It's dropped down on his keyboard! His keyboard is on fire! The flag is melting down between the keys of his keyboards and the smoke smells like plastic... Mopaul is a traitor!