Hey, it's just a symbol!
/sarcasm
Posted on 06/20/2005 10:35:24 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
A newly released independent poll confirms that the vast majority of Americans want the U.S. Flag protected from acts of desecration.
The random poll of 1,004 adults nation-wide was conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation June 16-19. In responding to the question how important do you think it is to make flag desecration against the law, 81 percent said it was somewhat to extremely important. Another 75 percent said they wanted Congress to pass a flag protection constitutional amendment.
The poll echoes numerous others conducted since a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturned five previous courts and made flag desecration legal. Poll after poll indicated that between 75 percent and 80 percent of the public support legal protection of Old Glory from physical acts of desecration.
"I'm delighted but not surprised that this poll again confirms what we already know," said Thomas P. Cadmus, national commander of The American Legion. "When asked a straight forward question, most Americans will give you a straight answer -- protect Old Glory."
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on HJR- 10, the flag protection amendment this week.
Only 28 percent of those surveyed said they would be likely to vote for someone who is opposed to protecting the U.S. Flag.
Complete poll results are available online at http://www.legion.org.
"The people have spoken again loud and clear," Cadmus said. "I urge Members of Congress to heed the voices of the people and the call of all 50 state legislatures. Pass the flag protection amendment now."
The poll has a 3 percent margin of error.
Every cross burning I've seen has violated trespass laws AND/OR has been a threat to someone.
I have to admit, it's hard not to defend THAT inappropriate use of a Flag ...
Hey, it's just a symbol!
/sarcasm
If you wrap a Koran in a American Flag and burn it, would that be good or bad?
Personally, I would consider every person who burns Old Glory 'as a political statement' every bit as much a threat to our way of life as the most virulent Klukker...a threat to "...the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Because yelling fire in a crowded theater can cause immediate harm to those around you. Burning a piece of cloth doesn't cause harm. It may make you mad, but it doesn't cause harm. The First Amendment doesn't protect speech or action that does harm. Burning a flag does neither. Really though I don't care what's advocated, I don't fly it in my front yard and I'm sure as heck not going to say a pledge to it. Of course I expect 'conservatives' to try to pass some Amendment on that next.
Yep. Wouldn't want free speech to get in the way of liberty, huh?
Burning the flag is a pretty clear message- "I hate America."
What message does (falsely) claiming that there is a fire put forward?
I think you misunderstand just why shouting "Fire" in a crowded theatre is not protected speech. It has nothing to do with the likelihood that you'll punch someone in the nose.
Shouting "Fire" is likely to start a stampede for the exits. That means a very real chance that a person could be injured as a direct result of the speech. Unless you can demonstrate a danger of physical injury (and no, bruised feelings don't count), then there is no grounds upon which to ban flag-burning.
Which is self-evident, by the way. If that was in any way applicable to flag-burning, these people wouldn't need an amendment to molest the First Amendment - they would already have done so.
Burn all the Koran's you want. I don't care. There is nothing there that represents "...the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
In fact, it represents exactly the opposite...
But what about the flag that got burnt in the process?
Count me in the other 19 percent. If I purchase a flag, it is my personal property, and I can deface it if I like.
Liberty never did mean the freedom to do anything you please. Too many today, including you, apparently, have that misguided notion, but it was never so in the minds of the Founders of this republic.
Liberty means the freedom to do good, not freedom to do evil.
Burning the flag as a political expression is an attack on everything that banner stands for.
It's evil.
Nonsense. The law ALSO allows you to employ reasonable force to protect property, it's just circumscribed to a greater degree. For example, in most jurisdictions you cannot use deadly force to protect property (but don't try to burgle a Texan's home). I'm sorry if you don't like that, but it's the law.
Things tend to sort themselves out when both sides are allowed to express themselves freely. In your example the second veteran would not be privileged unless the first veteran were employing unreasonable force on the flag burner. The second veteran could and should be prosecuted for assault.
Abortion clinics are private property. They don't factor into the discussion.
This isn't rocket science. Scenarios such as these are being played out every day under the law in countless venues. All I'm suggesting is that we place public flag desecration on the same level. The government should butt out and let people sort it out.
Burn one in my presence, and it may.
If burning Old Glory is 'speech', than it definitely qualifies as 'fighting words'.
Never said it did mean freedom to do anything you please--a person's liberty is bound by actions that do no harm to others. Basic social contract stuff.
Burning a flag does no harm to anyone, physically or otherwise.
I think what you really mean to say is that you think there should be liberty so long as you approve of what everyone is doing.
By the way, who says what is evil? You?
Sure, your own property. If I burn your flag, you can stop me. If I burn my own flag, you have no right to interfere with my destruction of my own property.
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