Call Feinstein...tell her you oppose her resolution on flag burning

[realFedUp]

Take action here or call her California offices.

http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeechlist.cfm?c=50

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&e=3&u=/usatoday/20050615/ts_usatoday/voteonflagdesecrationmaybecliffhanger

Vote on flag desecration may be 'cliffhanger'

By Andrea Stone, USA TODAYWed Jun 15, 7:00 AM ET

The Senate may be within one or two votes of passing a constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the U.S. flag, clearing the way for ratification by the states, a key opponent of the measure said Tuesday.

"It's scary close," said Terri Schroeder of the American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes the amendment. "People think it's something that's never going to happen. ... The reality is we're very close to losing this battle."

Congress regularly has debated the issue since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a Texas flag desecration law in 1989 and its own Flag Protection Act the next year. But until now, it has failed to muster the two-thirds vote needed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate before states try to ratify the measure.

Next week, the House will vote on the amendment for a seventh time. If history is a guide, it will pass for a seventh time. That's when the spotlight switches to the Senate, where the amendment has always died.

But this time may be different. Amendment supporters say last year's election expanding the Senate Republican majority to 55 has buoyed their hopes for passage. Five freshmen senators - Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana - voted for the amendment as House members and plan to do so again.

They will be joined by at least five Democrats who have co-sponsored the resolution, including Dianne Feinstein of California and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Both are up for re-election next year.

continued

[Boo Boo]

1. No. Don't take the bait.

The Repubs are taking on water, they're desperate for something, anything. Shiavo, DeLay, Cunningham, they can't get Bolton done, the war's going like shit, Bush done grabbed the third rail and won't let go, the DSM, and on and on and on...

So here we go with the old flag burning trick again. That'll make a nice distraction. A week-long, 24hr-a-day festival of Democrat bashing. George Bush can weigh-in with "I guess some folks here in Washington just don't think our flag is worth protecting. Well that's not the way I feel. I love my country."

Leave it alone. You want to fight the flag burning issue? OK, wait until it goes to the states for ratification, if it ever does. I guarantee the Repubs are not thinking that far down the road.

The 'pubes are drowning. Let 'em go down. They want a flag-burning amendment? Give it to 'em. Unanimous vote. No debate. There ya go little fella! Glad we got that out of the way. Now, let's see, what were we talking about...

Oh yeah! The Downing Street Memo.

[realFedUp]

3. well, we'll see who makes the boo boo when this is voted on

and voted in.

[ProudDad]

8. Nope, you're wrong this time

This is the camel's nose under the tent flap. To LIMIT rights by amendment would be a SERIOUS backslide into the racist, miscogenist, bigoted history of this country.

If Dianne voted against it; the tempest would blow over in a week and she's NOT going to be re-elected by the assholes that are behind this shit.

[Boo Boo]

2. I'll just add to my previous post

that I'd personally prefer that my Senator didn't co-sponsor something like this. It's frigging pointless. Who burns the flag? Lot of that going around lately? Maybe Feinstein thinks she'll actually be in a real battle for reelection next time? Beats me.

Maybe the Dems got together and said "OK, who's gonna co-sponsor this thing so we don't get hung out to dry?"

Whatever. Fighting this only helps Bush.

[realFedUp]

4. So, the "Dukester" Cunningham is on the floor of the House...

waving his little flag, saying the people don't
want to see our flag burned or destroyed, while
the man himself faces allegations of taking
mega gifts from a lobbyist, like the boat he
resides on in DC.

this amendment is a political ploy for anyone
touting it. Shame on DiFi, Duke and all the rest
of the Republican house members who will use
this as a wedge issue.

I wonder what happened to all those little
plastic flags waving from SUVs....roadkill.

And all those teeshirts made in China will have
to display the Chinese flag on them from the time
that all the states amend the Bill of Rights.

[cascadiance]

5. Just saw this reported on MSNBC.com...

From

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8318974/

...
“Ask the men and women who stood on top of the (World) Trade Center,” said Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham, R-Calif. “Ask them and they will tell you: pass this amendment.”
...

My congress critter make me PUKE! Will calling his office do any good at all to complain about this? I think he already knows he's history for next election. He's probably the "designated hitter" in speaking on all of the controversial issues, much like Zell Miller was "designated hitter" speaking against the Dems right before he retired!

Maybe those calling Feinstein should be reminded that she shouldn't be seen as being "in bed" passing legislation with this jerk that's just about to be outed!

Makes me sick!

[ProudDad]

9. CALL, Call, call

Remember while you're talking to the assholes their constituency can't.

[genius]

6. kick

[ProudDad]

7. Here's what I email her

As a left-leaning Democrat, ostensibly your "base", I promise you that I will work as hard as I can to prevent your re-election if you vote for the "flag burning amendment". For me, as a 1st Amendment absolutist, this is a major issue.

Uh, how many times has anyone in this country burned (or desecrated, whatever the HELL that means) a flag.

If you're going to eliminate rights, how about an amendment making it clear that Corporations DO NOT have the rights of a human citizen of this country? That would be a constructive and democratic use of your time rather than wasting it on this silly amendment.

[ProudDad]

10. Feinstein is a waste of time

Reply I got from her automatic email responder:
------------------------------------------------

Dear XXXXXX:

Thank you for writing to express your opposition to a
constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the
American flag. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts
with me.

Unfortunately, we will have to disagree about this issue. I
strongly believe that the American flag holds a unique position in our
society as the most important and universally recognized symbol that
unites us as a nation. The flag -- as a symbol of our nationhood -- can
and should be respected and protected from attack. Beyond my personal
convictions, many Californians have told me of their desire for such
protection for our flag. Indeed, California had a flag protection statute
from 1929 until 1989, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the
flag protection statutes of 47 states and the Federal government.

The authority for a nation to protect its central symbol of unity
was considered constitutional for two centuries. It was only a decade
ago that a narrow majority of the U.S. Supreme Court said otherwise. At
this point, it seems clear that the only way to protect the American flag is
to amend the Constitution to authorize Congress to prohibit the physical
desecration of the flag. In the 108th Congress I was an original cosponsor
of Senate Joint Resolution 4 (S. J. Res. 4) which would have done just
that. I will continue to pursue the topic in the 109th Congress.

Please know that I value your opinion, but on this issue I am
afraid we will remain in disagreement. However, I greatly appreciate
your input and hope that you will continue to share your views with me.
If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to call my
Washington, DC staff at [phone].

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

----------------------------------------------

DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO, DINO

[cascadiance]

11. Hmm... I'm reminded again why I voted for Medea Benjamin...

in 2000 against Feinstein as my gesture to the Green Party instead of voting for Nader. I'd like to have a better choice in the primaries this time!

[jfern]

12. Well damn

She just lost a vote there. She'll feel really fucking stupid if she loses after Boxer wins by 20 points. Fuck her.

[realFedUp]

14. yeah, those flag paper cups, cupcake cups, t-shirts etc.

really unite this country...the flag
has been punched, folded and corrupted into shapes
and forms that are discarded daily, used by corporations to sell fizzy sugar chemical water, and flown in the name of bombing innocent people.

Maybe our "leaders" will have to lose their little
metal flag pins if this gets ratified.

Someone please run against her...I'll vote for the
first honest person who respects our rights and
wants to change the wrongs.

[davidinalameda]

13. I'll make the call

I'm writing my cat in if no Democrat runs against her

I emailed her instead:

I am very unhappy with your stance on the amendment regarding flag-burning.

Just because the Supreme Court only ruled ten years ago that flag-buring was protected speech is no reason to rush to amend the Constitution. We must remember that many laws that have been on the books for decades, including the sodomy laws, have been ruled unconstitution recently.

The flag is a symbol of this country and its freedoms. I think that Rep. Jerry Nadler said it best, "If the flag needs protection at all, it needs protection from members of Congress who value the symbol more than the freedoms that the flag represents.''

I hope that you are not one of those who value symbols of freedom of true freedoms.

[realFedUp]

15. Helen Thomas: Why is the Congress Wasting its Time on Flag Burning?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/230261_thomas28.html

Congress wastes time on flag burning

By HELEN THOMAS
HEARST NEWSPAPERS

(maybe because Dems can't get hearings or legislation
passed these days unless it's stuff like this)

WASHINGTON -- No one has been burning the American flag lately -- so why is Congress wasting its time on a constitutional amendment banning desecration of the flag when the lawmakers face so many real problems to deal with?

Flag burning is a-non issue. Why now?

During the Vietnam War, the protesters demonstrated their opposition to U.S. policies by destroying the flag. That was more than 30 years ago.

Nevertheless, the House Wednesday passed a resolution proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would enable Congress to prohibit destruction or debasement of the flag without violating free speech rights under the First Amendment.

The flag amendment was approved 286-130, more than the two-thirds required to pass a constitutional amendment.

continued