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.
No such thing.
And the "Human Rights Commission" has no jurisdiction in anything that occurs on US sovereign territory.
Get the UN out of our country, NOW!
I hope the sarcasm tag was missing from that post...
But they did not have the right to steal it. If they want to buy their own rainbow flag and burn it, more power to them.
Burn a flag a queer puts up, That's a HATE CRIME.
How true. A rainbow colored flag is NOT the same as the red, white and blue. I think I'm gonna be sick. The kids did something wrong. They should be charged with vandalism or malicious destruction of property, but NOT a hate crime. Gimme a break! Where was the barf alert?
Yup, they could have made their own... taken a dump on it, and then burnt it...
And call it art.
The ACLU would have broken down their door to defend them..
Well, perhaps not.
Hey! Remember free expression?
Burning a rainbow American flag should be considered protected under the freedom of speech and expression but these boys are in trouble for stealing and destroying private property. I respect their motive but cant condone their action.
now if that were the "Stars and bars", these two young men would be hailed as heroes.
Great....
Well the guy has the right to fly whatever flag he likes! I support that.
But I also have the right NOT to purchase from his store based on his love of homosexuals!
That is my right and I will exercise it.
That sucks, doesn't it?
Burn a flag a queer puts up, That's a HATE CRIME.
It's not a hate crime, but it's stealing somebody else's private property and vandalizing it. So that's gonna be at least a couple of chargeable offenses, regardless of the perps or the victims.
All you folks who want flag burning outlawed should look and see where censoring speech for political content is leading us. For every one of your protections for the flag, there will be ten "anti hate-speech" codes that outlaw expressing doubleplusungood groupthink about the latest and most fashionable oppressed group.
I love the complete hypocrisy -- burning a US flag=free speech, burning a rainbow flag=hate crime.
Kenton,
Re read the original. They are looking at hate crime charges.
Yes, yes, yes. Theft and vandalism are wrong. My car got vandalized, the cops told me to "get over it, these things happen."
Someone stole a bicycle from my backyard. Cops said, "get over it, these things happen."
So why didn't the cops tell this store owner to get over it?
Think about it.
There is no such thing
I'm pretty sure you have to burn your own flag, not steal someone elses.
susie
There's a pot of Aids at the end of that rainbow.
Did they really rule that it's free speech to take down someone else's flag and burn it?
susie
All you folks who want flag burning okayed should just add the requirement that you have to be wrapped in the flag before igniting it.
Wow, you are the voice of common sense this morning mom!! :)
susie
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