flag burning amendment - Page 5 - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**juliagulia** · 06-27-2005, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by afterlife3@Jun 26 2005, 12:32 PM
And JuliaGulia, thank you for saying better what I was trying to say.

well if that made sense... i kind of type on and on and dont really know if it makes sense or not... it makes sense in my mind though

**mowark** · 06-27-2005, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IDDQD@Jun 27 2005, 11:56 AM
Was I the only one that laughed when zach delarocha burned the flag on Saturday Night Live?

Somethin about it, tickled me just so.
I think it was the out right balls to do it that got me.
Thats some big brass balls.

How about when they burned it on the Daily Show. Forget which reporter did it, but he had a 4th of July sparkler in one hand and the flag in another and he put them in the same hand to do something with his first hand and poof. :greenguy:

**MeTurk** · 06-28-2005, 02:47 AM

Quote:

I have a question, how many of you have the desire to burn an American flag or have burned one before?

That's like one of those questions on that form you have to fill out before visiting America. That and "are you or have you ever been part of a terrorist orginisation?" um.. No.

**IDDQD** · 06-28-2005, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mowark@Jun 27 2005, 09:58 PM
he put them in the same hand to do something with his first hand and poof. :greenguy:

ahahahaha, thats awesome. What better show could there be for that to happen.

**The Monsignor** · 06-28-2005, 09:21 AM

Ok, Several things goin on here:

Flag Burning:
I'm generally pretty patriotic, and lean a bit right of center, as far as my politics go. To me, however, the thought of amending the constitution for something as petty as flag burning is crap.
I'm in the Army, currently stationed in the middle east. I'm EOD (you know all those car bombs you hear about in the news? We're responsible for the ones you don't hear about) As I'm sitting here, recovering from incident number 225, you wouldn't believe just how insignificant - the thought that someone would exercise their constitutional right of free speech in order to piss people off and make their point - really seems to me!
Over here, me and about 100K of my fellow soldiers are fighting (and dying) to give that right to someone in another country. This has the definite benefit of also helping prevent my children from ever having to see the results of an improvised explosive device on American soil.
As I put my butt on the line, it's disturbing to find that my government, who I elected, is wasting resources trying to chip away at our rights merely because it offends someone! (don't get me started on politically correct speech/thought nazis, either)
Its your right to be an asshole in public, as long as you're not harming anyone else or preventing them from going about their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. I firmly believe that no matter how obnoxious, insane, or offensive their view is, they have the right to express it.

SV's "Distraction":

I agree, SV, but I think the distraction has more to do with the fact that it's his economic policies, rather than the war, that seem to have the most effect on his popularity. Republicans, historically, are for smaller government and less government spending. Under GW Bush, non-defense spending has increased drastically... more than any other president, except for Jimmy Carter (a democrat, who was soundly beaten by Ronald Reagan because of his disasterous economic policies!)

Last but not least. I do want to say, first hand, that the news doesn't accurately reflect what's going on out here! We are fighting the good fight, and the problem is really coming from forces that are doing everything in their power to prevent a democratic government from being established here. If the concept catches on in one country, it isn't likely to be long before it spreads like a plague in the area, with people demanding their right to elect their representatives. This would be bad for the dictators, sheiks, princes, sultans and what have you that run this area. They are the ones pouring money to support the insurgency.

**LiveFreeorDie** · 06-28-2005, 09:52 AM

Great post Monsignor. You and everyone you serve with are a credit to our country and you have my profound respect and heart-felt thanks.

As an interesting analogy to this whole thing, recently in the local news was this story (an I am paraphrasing). Yesterday, in Marblehead Mass, there was a funeral for a Green Beret recently killed in Iraq. A group of people from the Westboro Baptist Church felt the need to come to Mass and protest at the funeral as they think that both 9/11 and the Iraq war are god's punishment to Americans for not upholding certain Christian beliefs. To quote them They believe that "God's hatred is one of His holy attributes." They are virulently homophobic and are going around the country picketing University graduations, funerals for Iraq casualties, etc. Singing songs like "God Hates America......Land of the Fags....." Nice people. Anyway......the brother of the man killed in Iraq actually stood up for their right to free speech and mentioned how his brother gave his life in support of those freedoms. So, as distasteful as it is to me that those people would picket a FUNERAL...it is their right. (Though they are still a disgrace to the human race).

The brother that stood up and supported their right to free speech at his brother's funeral is a credit to humanity. I am not sure I could have done the same in his place with all the emotions he must have had.

The bottom line is that no matter how distasteful the speech/demonstration (and the reference above is very high on the distasteful scale) - it must be allowed to go on.

**omisan** · 06-28-2005, 02:34 PM

Well - here's the solution if they ban flag-burning:

Wipe your ass with it.

C'mon, people, where's the creative thinking in dissent nowadays? Like Belle said, burning the flag is soooo 1970's Iranian Revolution.

I'm not against it because I believe in its symbolism, nor its beauty, nor any of a million reasons people love the flag. I'm against it because it's old hat. And so are attempts to legislate against it.

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it. - George Bernard Shaw

**TimmyJames1976** · 06-28-2005, 07:47 PM

man.....i guess i am just gonna have to drag my uncle sam cardboard stand-ups out from the basement and burn them instead