Posted on 07/15/2005 12:37:23 PM PDT by SmithL
MARYVILLE, Tenn. - A teenager was jailed for nine days after being accused of burning an American flag on the Fourth of July, and he faces trial next month.
While the case could test a state statute against flag burning - an act the U.S. Supreme Court says is protected under the First Amendment - prosecutors said Andrew Elisha Staley has yet to argue that he was exercising free speech rights.
"Bottom line is, the kid got drunk," said Lisa Lee, his mother. "He's never been in trouble before."
Staley, 18, is accused of taking the flag from a residence and setting it on fire. His father said the teenager "has no reason for anger against the United States" and could easily have ignited a garbage can instead of a flag.
"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.
The teenager was released from jail Thursday on his own recognizance while he awaits his Aug. 2 trial on charges of desecrating a venerated object, underage drinking, littering, evading arrest, burning personal property and theft.
The Tennessee flag-burning statute makes the crime a misdemeanor, punishable by less than a year in jail and up to $2,500 fine.
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.
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.
Hard to explain what, but there's just something I love about the South.
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.
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.
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.
But, but, isn't it still a hate crime?
Only if'n you'se a whitey!
I'm an eagle. Did you ever see a white eagle?
good riddance to the little punk.
Yessir, better not singe the tail feathers of any spotted owls with that burning flag;)
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....
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.
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.
You forgot the felonious supidity & ugly in public to the terror of domestic livestock charges , we want a full accounting for his actions .
Time to get him through a GED and then off to Fort Benning.
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