Flag desecration

[angus]

No, its a clear violation of the First Amendment.  And our men died for those freedoms, not a piece of cloth. 

"Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world
 Than the pride that divides when a colorful rag is unfurled."
    Neil Peart

(my apologies to the good people of Canada for taking the liberty of spelling colorful as a US person would.  When you have an aggregate GDP of 10.4 trillion and the baddest army and navy then you can spell it otherwise.)

yeah, that's pretty much my feeling too.  I had to rain on Pbrunsel's parade, but it's just a rag.  A nice one, and one that I'd never piss on, sh**t on, burn, or otherwise deface, as I also find that to be disrespectful, but, in the end, it's just a rag.

[J.R. Brown]

No, its a clear violation of the First Amendment. And our men died for those freedoms, not a piece of cloth.

"Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world
 Than the pride that divides when a colorful rag is unfurled."
 Neil Peart

(my apologies to the good people of Canada for taking the liberty of spelling colorful as a US person would. When you have an aggregate GDP of 10.4 trillion and the baddest army and navy then you can spell it otherwise.)

yeah, that's pretty much my feeling too. I had to rain on Pbrunsel's parade, but it's just a rag. A nice one, and one that I'd never piss on, sh**t on, burn, or otherwise deface, as I also find that to be disrespectful, but, in the end, it's just a rag.

I don't think I'd piss, sh**t, or burn the flag but I do agree that it's the actions our country takes to ensure freedom and equality around the world and not a flag that will live on through history and not a piece of cloth.

[dazzleman]

No, its a clear violation of the First Amendment.  And our men died for those freedoms, not a piece of cloth. 

"Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world
 Than the pride that divides when a colorful rag is unfurled."
    Neil Peart

angus, in an earlier post, you said you used to believe that statement when you were stoned.  What does that say about your current mental state?

[nclib]

No.

An amendment defending freedom by outlawing flag burning is hypocritical.

[FerrisBueller86]

I wish we lived in a world where all 6 flag-burning Americans really were the biggest threat.  Seriously, just how often does an American burn Old Glory?  Now compare the numbers of flag burners to the numbers of serial killers, child molesters, murderers, thugs, terrorists, etc.  I don't recall hearing anything about Timothy McVeigh, Eric Rudolph, Dennis Rader, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, the Ohio sniper, the DC area snipers, the Midwestern mailbox bomber, etc. burning flags.

[Nym90]

I would not support it. As much as flag-burning sickens me, it should be legal, provided that you own the flag in question, obviously.

If you take down a flag from a government building and burn it, you are guilty of desecrating public property and theft.

It's freedom of speech, and no matter how much I disagree with what's being said, I strongly support the freedom itself.

[dazzleman]

I would not support it. As much as flag-burning sickens me, it should be legal, provided that you own the flag in question, obviously.

If you take down a flag from a government building and burn it, you are guilty of desecrating public property and theft.

It's freedom of speech, and no matter how much I disagree with what's being said, I strongly support the freedom itself.

I think I agree, though it's difficult emotionally to give approval to this.

[nclib]

Do you believe laws should be made by emotion?

[Nym90]

Do you believe laws should be made by emotion?

An interesting question. Personally I need there needs to be a balance between logic and emotion. Both are valid parts of the human psyche, and the importance of each needs not to be denied.

Both help to iron out the extremes of the other in a well-balanced person.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Do you believe laws should be made by emotion?

An interesting question. Personally I need there needs to be a balance between logic and emotion. Both are valid parts of the human psyche, and the importance of each needs not to be denied.

Both help to iron out the extremes of the other in a well-balanced person.

I say only logic. None of this Schiavo bill sh**t.

[A18]

I'm not really offended by flag burning. Who cares?

[skybridge]

Who cares?

[John Dibble]

I'm not really offended by flag burning. Who cares?

Idiots.

[KillerPollo]

I'm not really offended by flag burning. Who cares?

I disagree! Especially to foreigners, if you want to get respect to your flag and country, then you must respect it back!

[David S]

I would not support it. As much as flag-burning sickens me, it should be legal, provided that you own the flag in question, obviously.

^^^^^^^

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Yes, the flag is sacred and without the men who fought under that flag there would be no first amendment.

The flag itself isn't sacred, the sacrifice of those men who gave their lives for our freedom is sacred. They didn't give their lives for a flag, they died for us and our principles. I think the real things that represents this country is our character. Our devotion to free people around the world is what this counrty stands for not a symbol (flag, eagle, or whatever).

The flag stands for our freedoms and principles.

So... you'd suspend the freedoms and principles themselves in order to protect something that's simply a symbol of those freedoms and principles?

What happened to, "I disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"?

It's there, just not in the minds of enough people.