Burning the flag is illegal: a constitutional amendment
POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Saturday, July 2, 2005 02:01
VIEWED: 16637
PAGE 5 of 10
I think there's a difference between burning a cross on someone's front lawn (a direct threat)and burning a cross on public property. I personally think the whole category of "hate crime" is stupid.
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1. "Here's how you abuse children and get away with it."
2. "Everybody, let's kill all the Jews."
3. "Fire!" (in a crowded theatre)
4. "I'm going to kill you!"
5. Whomph! (that's the sound of a flag burning).
There is a difference between the first four and the last one. In a truly free society, nobody has the right not to be offended. That's not to say that use of free speech won't have consequences for the speakers involved (Martin Luther King springs to mind) but the very fact that they have to introduce an amendment shows that burning the flag is de facto, covered under the first amendment.
But I repeat; this is a POLITICAL move, not one of ideology. This is Republicans putting the Democrats under pressure by asking the political equivalent of "Will you stop beating your wife?" Those Democrats that go against the amendment will be labelled flag burners. Those Democrats that support the amendment will be vilified by their own party.
Trust me; this getting to the Senate is what have the GOP licking its lips, not that anti-Hilary book. Those who see this as a limitation of their freedom of speech? They weren't going to vote Republican anyway plus it gets to keep the Democrats painted as the party who are "anti-America".
P.S. Oh and technically, the KKK "light crosses", they don't burn them.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
... Those who see this as a limitation of their freedom of speech? They weren't going to vote Republican anyway plus it gets to keep the Democrats painted as the party who are "anti-America".
Is that really true though? Will all or even most Republicans will buy into this charade? Won't they risk alienating a good portion of their own supporters?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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I don't know. How many Republicans here support the amendment/support the Republican party pushing the amendment?
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Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
I don't know. How many Republicans here support the amendment/support the Republican party pushing the amendment?
I don't agree with the principle of the amendment, it's just political theater, both sides do it, if not this subject then something else.
The democrats will use it to fire up their base proclaiming yet again that the republicans are evil incarnate, somehow making yet another Bushhitler comparison.
The republicans will use it to fire up their base portraying the dems as america hating commie bastards.
Unless I'm mistaken this is the fifth or sixth time this has been proposed and it eventually will be again.
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It all comes back to the same basic message:
Free Speech is fabulous as long as you're saying what those in power want to hear.
With apologies to Will Rogers:
I'd never burn my country's flag but I'd defend the right of some other cretin to do so. Then, I'd kick him in the ass.
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/MN-Firefly/
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Quote:
Originally posted by Opus:
I don't agree with the principle of the amendment, it's just political theater, both sides do it, if not this subject then something else.
The democrats will use it to fire up their base proclaiming yet again that the republicans are evil incarnate, somehow making yet another Bushhitler comparison.
The republicans will use it to fire up their base portraying the dems as america hating commie bastards.
Unless I'm mistaken this is the fifth or sixth time this has been proposed and it eventually will be again.
You're right, of course. This kind of idiocy is why I can't understand why people support either of the major parties. Do you people just like getting conned?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:
You're right, of course. This kind of idiocy is why I can't understand why people support either of the major parties. Do you people just like getting conned?
No one's being conned, the tactic, if not the issue has been around forever.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Opus:Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:
You're right, of course. This kind of idiocy is why I can't understand why people support either of the major parties. Do you people just like getting conned?
No one's being conned, the tactic, if not the issue has been around forever.
If nothing else we're being conned out of the tax dollars these clowns are getting paid to waste their time on this kind of nonsense. I'm just saying, that with all the hypocrisy and deceit practiced my both major parties, how is it that people keep voting for republicans OR democrats? Doesn't it irk you to vote for people who play these kinds of games rather than working on real solutions to real problems?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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