[Abathar]

"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."

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.

[satchmodog9]

Funny how small the corner has become that we painted ourselves into.

[Puppage]

Two teenagers stole and burned a rainbow-colored American flag

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.

[2banana]

Too bad it wasn't an American flag - the left would have given these two boys medals...

[cloud8]

"Wade said he would replace the flag."

And I say we'll burn that one.

[Gay State Conservative]

Their defense is simple....the SCOTUS has ruled that the right to burn a flag is protected under the First Amendment.

Next question!

[Al Gator]

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.....

[HEY4QDEMS]

Wade said the flag, called the "New Glory," shows that all Americans are welcome at his business.

It shows something else too. C'mon Wade, stop living in denial.

[StonyBurk]

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.

[Smokin' Joe]

What? no barf alert?

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.

[Piquaboy]

What is the big deal? It is a lot better than burning a gay or lesbian.

[Americanexpat]

It's okay in this country to burn the national flag but not this BS huh?

[pa mom]

They should be charged with theft, maybe arson if the fire could have been dangerous. Nothing more, nothing less.

[T Minus Four]

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.

[OldSmaj]

...rainbow-colored American 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!

[R.W.Ratikal]

Hey! Remember free expression?

[DogBarkTree]

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.

[camle]

now if that were the "Stars and bars", these two young men would be hailed as heroes.

[gridlock]

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.

[TalBlack]

Make no mistake about it; this store owner is drawing a line in the sand and saying if you don't come over to HIS way of thinking you are evil. His stupid, intentionally ostentatious flag is a CHARGE against us all. Moreover it is a desecration of our national banner

That "rainbow flag" IS "unpatriotic". And it was meant as an attack on all others who don't happen to agree with this store owner idiot. How many Americans are running a business at which everybody is NOT welcome? How many Americans care what this guy does in the privacy of his bedroom? How many Americans want to deny him his ability to pursue life, liberty and happiness? HE is the intolerant, hateful person in this picture.

[Unam Sanctam]

I love the complete hypocrisy -- burning a US flag=free speech, burning a rainbow flag=hate crime.