Tenn. teen jailed for burning U.S. flag

AP ^ | 7/15/5

[rogue yam]

"...he awaits his Aug. 2 trial on charges of desecrating a venerated object...

I'm going to swim against the tide a bit on this one. Do we FReepers really support state laws against "desecrating a venerated object"? Venerated by whom? Me, I'm still working out plans for a 24/7 webcast/website called www.korandesecration.com and I don't want any guff from the Tennesseeans over it.

[LibKill]

A little private a$$-kicking would have taught him better manners and saved the taxpayers the annoyance and expense.

I have followed that flag halfway around the world and back again. Those who trifle with it had better not do it where I can see it.

[hinckley buzzard]

Doc Staley said his son has been "floundering around" since dropping out of high school. "This is where the drinking came in. And he's not very good at it," the father said.

Hard to explain what, but there's just something I love about the South.

[Mr. Lucky]

No it doesn't.

The newspaper article is a little misleading, but the kid didn't own the flag; he stole it. These charges are no different than had he stolen, and torched someone's high school letter jacket.

[Prime Choice]

So it would seem does hate crime laws, but that hasn’t stopped them from enforcing them.

Don't even get me started on that nonsense. That someone has to be a certain color to say a certain word without being charged with a certain "hate crime" is the absolute pinnacle of hypocrisy, stupidity and outright racism.

[DTogo]

"He was brought up in church, and he knows right from wrong," Doc Staley said. Doc Staley said his son has been "floundering around" since dropping out of high school. "This is where the drinking came in. And he's not very good at it," the father said.

Dropping out of high school is usually not the right choice in life.

Taking up drinking after dropping out of high school is not what many would consider the right choice in life.

Drinking when you're "not very good at it" is not what many would consider the right choice in life.

[OldEagle]

"And that, my friends, runs directly counter to the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America."

But, but, isn't it still a hate crime?

[Prime Choice]

But, but, isn't it still a hate crime?

Only if'n you'se a whitey!

[OldEagle]

"Only if'n you'se a whitey!"

I'm an eagle. Did you ever see a white eagle?

[sjm_888]

"Andrew Elisha Staley" Having boy having a girls name as middle name would drive me to drink...

[sjm_888]

I swear I am not drunk. :> Having a girls name as a middle name would drive me to drink...

[stratman1969]

good riddance to the little punk.

[halfright]

I'd just like to beat his little ass. Screw the prosecutor. let me have him for 15 minutes....he'd wish he was never born.

Far too much American blood has been sacrificed over the ideology behind that flag. My blood boils when I see the rectums across the pond do it...It really burns my ass when I see some 2 bit punk do it and laugh.....

We are at war.

[Frank_2001]

Yessir, better not singe the tail feathers of any spotted owls with that burning flag;)

[Frank_2001]

I wonder if his behavior is in any way related to the fact that he and his mother do not share the same last name....

[Jetblack21]

Please forgive me for this, but my American blood is boiling over this one.

Here it goes....

This is what B star d really means.

18yo loser probably raised thinking welfare is a constitutional right of his.

[Nebr FAL owner]

I think the flag desecration law will be ruled unconstitutional . However ther are a series of other charges that will hold up :petty theft{he stole the flag that he burned} arson ,breach of the peace ,public intoxication ,malicious mischief,felonious stupity ,being ugly in public to the terror of women/small children & domestic livestock since the flag in question was most likely made with synthetic materials when burned it released into the atmospere various toxic substances therefore charge the cretin with violation of pollution control laws governing the discharge of those toxic substances & failing to fill out the required EPA paperwork. Use the system to literally drag this mouth breathing knuckle dragging moron thru a knothole.

[Nebr FAL owner]

You forgot the felonious supidity & ugly in public to the terror of domestic livestock charges , we want a full accounting for his actions .

[Meldrim]

Time to get him through a GED and then off to Fort Benning.