Posted on 01/11/2002 7:51:13 AM PST by callisto
To: National Desk
Contact: Mary Kay Rutledge of the Citizens Flag Alliance,
317-630-1384; Web site: http://www.cfa-inc.org/
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- After years of political hardball, a determined group of Vermont legislators stepped to the plate Thursday and hit a home run for flag protection.
JRS 9, a joint resolution calling for an amendment to the United States Constitution that would allow Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag, passed both chambers of the Vermont state legislature. The measure urges Congress to explore "all avenues available, which may include a constitutional amendment" to protect the U.S. flag from physical desecration.
With this action Vermont becomes the 50th state to formally call on Congress, by resolution, to propose a flag amendment and send it to the states for ratification.
"We deeply admire the courage of Vermonters for having labored over a decade to finally win this day," said Major General Patrick H. Brady, chairman of the Board of the Citizens Flag Alliance, a coalition of more than 140 organizations that have championed flag protection since 1994. "Their success is attributable to their persistence in doing what is right, the same persistence that will move the flag amendment off Capitol Hill and back to state legislatures where, once and for all, the people will have the final say on legal protection for their flag."
Brady said that he hoped Congress hears the voice of the people in Vermont and across the Nation. "With the level of patriotism what it is today, it is inconceivable to me that the Senate will continue to thwart the will of the people. There are few issues today that enjoy the degree of support of the flag amendment. There is no other issue on Capitol Hill that has the endorsement of 80 percent of the American people, an overwhelming majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, and 100 percent of the state legislatures."
The issue has traveled the nation. It has been debated in every chamber of every state's legislature, every one of which has moved favorably in their call for the amendment, noted Brady. "Every state's legislature has taken the matter through a similar winding process of introductions, cosponsorship, hearings, debates, and votes. And everyone has come to the same conclusion: The people of the United States deserve the right to decide if they want to protect Old Glory."
With passage of the flag protection amendment (HJ Res. 36) in the House of Representatives last July, Brady offered, "it's time for the Senate to listen to the people and approve the proposed flag amendment. Then, let's hear from the people across America as the amendment is debated in ratification."
------ Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady (USA-Ret.) is the chairman of the Indianapolis-based Citizens Flag Alliance (CFA). The CFA is a broad-based national coalition of 142 organizations committed to seeking passage of a constitutional amendment which would return to the American people the right to protect their flag. Brady was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War during which time he rescued over 5,000 casualties of war.
Sounds noble doesn't it.
Why would a Constitutional amendment be required to return a right? Returning a right to the American people implies that the American people had the right and then lost it. However, there should be no need of an amendment to return the right because they never was an amendment to remove the right.
The framers of the Constitution granted the newly established government specific enumerated powers, and no others. The power to prohibit citizens from anything is not among those specific enumerated powers, hence the need for an amendment. Has Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady (USA-Ret.) ever pondered why the Constitution didn’t grant the government that power? If he had given it some thought he would have come to realize that the Constitution is not about the people, it is solely about government.
What does Brady think the 5,000 casualties he rescued were fighting for? One of the things was the freedom to have the right to take the decision to burn the nations flag or not burn the nations without interference by the government. I have no fondness for those whom feel the need to burn their flag but by ballot or force, I will protect their right to do so.
1) Burn, desecrate, remove, steal, or destroy the confederate flag = EVIL, ANTI-SOUTHERN, ANTI-AMERICAN, HATE CRIME. Only "Marxists" would allow it. In ALL cases, it MUST be stopped IMMEDIATELY!
2) Burn, desecrate, remove, steal, or destroy the American flag = Freedom of speech. Must be allowed and completely tolerated. Anyone, who tries to in any way interfere with this "right" is "ruining" the constitution.
And they still believe these beliefs make them "patriots", even after Sept. 11th.
Sad.
- Voltaire
BTW, the definition of patriotism hasn't changed since 9-11. However, many people are now confusing it with nationalism.
I was taught that burning a flag was the proper way to dispose of it. Will next week's amendment be a prohibition against dissolving a flag in acid? And following that, a prohibition against bleaching the cloth and unraveling the threads? And following that, a prohibition against ...
My allegiance is to the Constitution and to the FreeRepublic for which it is law. Not to a flag.
Where in the world did that come from? I've never heard of any libertarian or freeper who has ever argued that it is both wrong to burn the Confederate flag and okay to burn the American flag. And no one has every supported the "stealing" of any flag.
A person has the right to burn whatever flag he or she wishes, assuming the flag belongs to that person. It may be a disgusting or hateful or unpatriotic thing to do, and other people may choose to take strenuous measures short of force to discourage or prevent it, but that does not mean it should be illegal. If you can't understand that, then you don't understand the principles that our country was founded upon.
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