The flag desecration amendment

[Minionman]

Someone suggested a new thread for this, so here goes. The first few posts on it from the "supreme court case" thread.

The flag burning talks are another amazing thing I heard of yesterday. Another winner from congress, first the steroids (which does effect younger sports players, but was still a popularity move), than Schiavo (I think a lot of people agree with this one), not they're arguing about flag burning. Yes, they have done some real work this year but there seems to be more of these "highly emotional" talks than before, unless I haven't been paying much attention.

About some reasons people give against allowing flag burning, here's what think about them.

It must be bad because people do it who want to attack the U.S: The problem with those people is that they want to kill/attack the country. falg burning may be their way of showing it, but just because one group of violent people does it doesn't mean anyone who does it is bad. Flag burning can symbolize a number of things, from wanting to nuke the U.S. to not liking a war to the flag having some dangerous chemical on it that needs to be burned off.

It symbolizes the U.S., so burning it counts as an attack on the U.S.: see above. the U.S. is made up of land with farms, buildings, cities, people computers with money stored on them, etc. Attacking one of these does attack the U.s. Burning a flag does not do that. While on symbols, it seems ot cheapen the costitution to write in an amendment for a single activity that is rarely done that also goes against another very important amendment, so for peopel who care abotu symbols, that's somethign else to absorb.

It's offensive: Tough noogies, I find some things offenive, I just have to get a thick skin and not let it bug me as much. I sure as heck don't run around asking for laws or amendments, so I don't like people tossing around other types of laws involving this kind of reason.

Burning is the proper way to dispose of a flag. The proposed amendment, I believe, concerns desecrating a flag -- burning is used in some protests that could be considered desecration.

I actually support the idea of an amendment that criminalizes desecrating a flag. Sure, go ahead. Make the penalties as stiff as you like! One caveat: I only support this on the grounds that *I* get to define "desecration".

Waving a flag, dressing in it, even burning it to express sincerely-held beliefs in the Constitution and this nation's higher purpose would, of course, not be desecrating a flag at all -- more like supporting what it stands for.

Dressing in flag bikini for the cover of a fashion mag -- desecration.

Wearing flag underwear to moon John Sunnunu at a cabinet meeting -- aggravated desecration. (That actually occurred during Bush Senior's administration. No word on whether Dubya will haul his father in under the proposed new amendment.)

Using the flag to sell used cars -- second-degree desecration. Maybe also fraud.

Wrapping oneself piously in the flag to distract the public from real issues one is afraid to tackle -- first degree desecration.

Wrapping oneself piously in the flag to attack political opponents or to hide one's own crimes: CAPITAL desecration.

Bring it on, politicians! There's room in Gitmo for a while bunch of you.

Sailboat

I am told by my minions and lackeys out in the world that today around where I live, a lot of people are flying their flags upside down or at half mast.

Fitting. Death of the American dream.

I have always stated I thought about moving out of this country, but I always, always meant it as a joke. I was never truly serious.

Canada is out, I don't think they would agree with my policy on firepower.

Anybody know any small islands for sale? I mean, far far away from America where they could just jerk it back out from under me after I paid hard currency for it.

Not sure where to, but this place no longer feels like home.