flag desecration

[2952-0-0]

Yes. The state shouldn't regulate whether a piece of cloth heats up or not. Uh, I mean the laws.

[John Dibble]

We've had this discussion before. Answer - yes, down with the laws on flag burning/desecration and whatnot. Even though I think it's despicable and hypocritical, freedom entails having to deal with things we dislike. Banning something merely because we dislike it opens the doors to tyranny.

[nomorelies]

Confederate flags should be banned

[John Dibble]

Confederate flags should be banned

I reiterate - freedom entails having to deal with things you dislike. Advocating a ban on Confederate flags means that you only like freedom when it benefits you, which also means you like tyranny when it benefits you.

[Akno21]

People have the right to burn the flag. Bottom line.

[badnarikin04]

I answered no because I misunderstood the question. I thought you were asking if we should support bringing down the flag desecrators.


Oh, and what Akno said.

[PBrunsel]

I've stated my ideas on this before. I will not say them again. I oppose flag burining. I feel it is an abomination and a slap in the face to our fighting men and women and America in general. But I can't stop some weirdo hippy from buring the flag (though they love the 1st Amendment they can run behind, even though if it wasn't for the nation that flag flies for their would be no freedom of speech).

I can't stop the burining of the flag, we have a 1st Amendment. No one can stop freedom of speech.

[Akno21]

I've stated my ideas on this before. I will not say them again. I oppose flag burining. I feel it is an abomination and a slap in the face to our fighting men and women and America in general. But I can't stop some weirdo hippy from buring the flag (though they love the 1st Amendment they can run behind, even though if it wasn't for the nation that flag flies for their would be no freedom of speech).

I can't stop the burining of the flag, we have a 1st Amendment. No one can stop freedom of speech.

PBrunsel- people who burn American flags are not always strange hippies. Many of them are educated people who have a true problem with an action of the government and feel the best way to express their anger is by burning the flag.

[Silent Hunter]

I think Martin Sheen put it best in The West Wing:

"Is there an epidemic of flag-burning I don't know about?"

[stry_cat]

Worshiping the state and it symbols is never a good idea.  The flag is a symbol of oppression to millions around the world.  It should be perfectly legal to burn it.

FYI:  To properly dispose of an old flag it is supposed to be burned.

[MN-Troy]

The country does not need to regulate the burning of the  U.S. flag. What is does need is a Rick Monday national holiday. In 1976, Chicaco Cub outfielder risked his well-being to rescue the American flag from some flag burners.

While I believe the 1st Amendment protects a person to burn the flag, it also protects the person who prevents a flag from being burned.

[John Dibble]

The country does not need to regulate the burning of the  U.S. flag. What is does need is a Rick Monday national holiday. In 1976, Chicaco Cub outfielder risked his well-being to rescue the American flag from some flag burners.

While I believe the 1st Amendment protects a person to burn the flag, it also protects the person who prevents a flag from being burned.

Only if they didn't legally own the particular flag they were going to burn - if they owned the flag legally then his 'rescuing' the flag was stealing and thusly violating their property rights. Stealing is not protected under the first amendment.

If however the flag was public property or private property of someone not consenting to having the flag burned then he was definitely doing something lawful, and his civic duty if it was public property.

[MN-Troy]

The country does not need to regulate the burning of the  U.S. flag. What is does need is a Rick Monday national holiday. In 1976, Chicaco Cub outfielder risked his well-being to rescue the American flag from some flag burners.

While I believe the 1st Amendment protects a person to burn the flag, it also protects the person who prevents a flag from being burned.

Only if they didn't legally own the particular flag they were going to burn - if they owned the flag legally then his 'rescuing' the flag was stealing and thusly violating their property rights. Stealing is not protected under the first amendment.

If however the flag was public property or private property of someone not consenting to having the flag burned then he was definitely doing something lawful, and his civic duty if it was public property.

Your point is well-taken.

[??????????]

Flag burning is disgusting and those who do it are sub American.

[John Dibble]

The country does not need to regulate the burning of the  U.S. flag. What is does need is a Rick Monday national holiday. In 1976, Chicaco Cub outfielder risked his well-being to rescue the American flag from some flag burners.

While I believe the 1st Amendment protects a person to burn the flag, it also protects the person who prevents a flag from being burned.

Only if they didn't legally own the particular flag they were going to burn - if they owned the flag legally then his 'rescuing' the flag was stealing and thusly violating their property rights. Stealing is not protected under the first amendment.

If however the flag was public property or private property of someone not consenting to having the flag burned then he was definitely doing something lawful, and his civic duty if it was public property.

Your point is well-taken.

Thanks. As I said, freedom comes at many prices. We must tolerate people doing things we dislike with their own property(provided they aren't harming anyone), because property rights can be construed as the basis of all other rights - you are your own property, so since you own yourself you have the right to speak as you wish, believe as you wish, ect.  Unfortunately, many people are morons and will do things that offend us. Overall though, having to live with the occassional offensive nuisance is worth it.

[Minarchist]

When I see the burning of a U.S. flag it makes me sick, but it should be legal.

[A18]

When I see the burning of a U.S. flag it makes me sick, but it should be legal.

This is my opinion, too. I'm okay with banning the burning flags in public when it gets to be harrassment. (i.e. a gang of people burning 90 flags in front of a suburb every day) But otherwise, don't get involved.

[© tweed]

When I see the burning of a U.S. flag it makes me sick, but it should be legal.

It is stupid to burn a flag because in many countries, you probably couldn't burn the flag.

That said it should be legal.

[Dr. Cynic]

Although I think it's a dispicable act, there's nothing in the law that currently prohibits it.

[Kodratos]

Yes. The state shouldn't regulate whether a piece of cloth heats up or not. Uh, I mean the laws.

That piece of cloth means somethign in the U.S. Americans tend to be proud of thier country, where as Canadians have nothing to be proud of.

[Akno21]

That was really inappropriate to say, Kodratos. Who are you to judge Canadian people's pride?

What do they have to be proud of? An inefficient socialist state? What has Canada accomplished? Jack sh*t, that's what they've accomplished.

They have accomplished a society where people feel comfortable leaving their doors unlocked when they go out, and they have a minisclue number of violent deaths compared to the USA. They have stayed out of foreign wars, which has helped them not be hated by terrorists.

[Kodratos]

Kodratos, I'm a better person than you, and won't stoop to personal attacks. What has Canada accomplished? Well, folks can get medicine when they need it. They also gave us Leslie Nielsen and John Candy.

Folks can't get healthcare there! There are 6 month long waiting lines to see doctors.

[Dr. Cynic]

I didn't say anything about health care and doctors. I said medicine

[Dr. Cynic]

Also, why are you so mad at Canada? Did some Canadian cheat you at poker or something. I went to Canada on a vacation a couple years ago. It seemed to be very little different from the U.S.

[Kodratos]

Also, why are you so mad at Canada? Did some Canadian cheat you at poker or something. I went to Canada on a vacation a couple years ago. It seemed to be very little different from the U.S.

I don't dislike Canada. I like Canada. I HATE Canadians telling us how evil America is and how to run our affairs. To exnaderite it's a piece of cloth. To Americans it is something millions of Americans have died for. No Canadians have died for the Canadian flag.