Posted on 10/12/2005 5:29:05 AM PDT by Abathar
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Two teenagers stole and burned a rainbow-colored American flag representing gays and lesbians that was displayed outside a store, police said.
The 17-year-old boys took the flag from outside of David Wade's culinary supply store, called Inner Chef, according to Bloomington police. Wade said the flag, called the "New Glory," shows that all Americans are welcome at his business.
A witness saw the boys take the flag and took a picture of their license plate with a cell phone camera. Police later tracked the plate and questioned the boys, who said they burned the flag because they felt it was "unpatriotic," police reports said.
The boys were referred to juvenile court on preliminary charges of theft.
"I just wish they would've come in and talked to me about it," Wade said. "I didn't know if it was a prank, an American flag issue or a gay issue. Any of them could've just come inside and had a conversation about it."
Bloomington's Safe and Civil City Director Beverly Calender-Anderson said if there is a suspicion that the flag burning was a hate crime, the incident would get reported to the Human Rights Commission.
"We do value and honor the diversity in our city and do not condone discrimination or any kind of acts against people because of their sexual orientation, gender, race, class or anything else," she said.
Wade said he would replace the flag.
Jeez, 2 kids get offended by a rainbow colored American flag and decide to steal it and these Local Idiots want to turn it over to the UN. I can see why they say that hate crimes have exploded lately in the US if crap like this gets counted as a hate crime. First thought I would have seeing a rainbow colored flag would be to torch it also, guess I better turn myself in for hatefull thoughts as well.
Funny how small the corner has become that we painted ourselves into.
While I do not condone stealing, the American flag is red, white & blue..NOT rainbow colored. Ergo, they did not steal an American flag. They stole a fag flag.
Just MHO.
"Wade said he would replace the flag."
And I say we'll burn that one.
"fag flag" ROFL
It's theatre-of-the-absurd.
Next question!
Let's see here:
Burn a flag a veteran puts up, That's FREE SPEACH.
Burn a flag a queer puts up, That's a HATE CRIME.
Now, where the hell did common sense go, I know I put it here somewhere.....
Any bets they will NOT recieve equal treatment for their "crime" as that disafected Communist Johnson got
when he and his dogpack burned a stolen AMERICAN flag
in Texas. ( I do not recognize the Rainbow flag of a queer nation as an American flag.) I fear these teens will not be
granted the protection of a Democratic Party pet for actions taken at a Republican Convention.
Okay, they stole the guy's banner--not an American flag, which is red, white, and blue.
They burned it as an unpatriotic parody of the American flag.
Not worthy of an international incident report, imo, but they should replace the guy's stuff, (no matter how much I agree with their sentiment)--then boycott the place as they see fit.
What is the big deal? It is a lot better than burning a gay or lesbian.
It's okay in this country to burn the national flag but not this BS huh?
They should be charged with theft, maybe arson if the fire could have been dangerous. Nothing more, nothing less.
So if they had just burned it for a prank it would be OK, but since they had the audacity to hate that our flag had been mocked and trivialized and "disrespected", it becomes a "hate crime". It's all about fee-eeelings I guess.
And, perhaps, had tea.
Um. The SCOTUS ruled on free speach, not petty larceny.
A crime is still a crime. If you burn a flag, you better make sure that it is your's, not stolen property.
Criminal - Larceny
Civil - Conversion
Of course.
The national flag is a symbol of opression and fat white rich people's greed (oh, and a symbol of fascism). That's perfectly fine to burn. The rainbow flag is a symbol of tolerance and love. Not unlike the religion of peace/sarcasm off
I have to say I agree with you. They stole the flag and burned it. Stealing is wrong, they could have copied the flag and held a protest outside the establishment and burned the copied flag....in whatever type protest they desired.
The guy putting up the flag has to advertise he welcomes gay customers to his business?
International Hate Crime? Sheesh, that's a bit over the top!
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