House Approves Flag-Burning Amendment
- Thread starter ylexot
- Start date
Use my tax dollars to buy extra jails for all the hippies who still want to burn flags. 
So with this action, the United States House of Representatives has decided to override the 1st Amendment with the "Flag Desecration Amendment." In my opinion, though I would not burn a flag myself, it counts as expressive speech and thus receives the full protection of the 1st Amendment.
It most likely won't pass the Senate (the House has passed the measure several times before this time, but has always failed in the Senate by a couple votes), but it will be very, very close.
It most likely won't pass the Senate (the House has passed the measure several times before this time, but has always failed in the Senate by a couple votes), but it will be very, very close.
The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.
The above is from United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, § 8.
Bastardization of and broadening of the meaning of the amendment, to include desecration of the flag, is something I doubt was ever the intent of the framers. Besides there are already rulings by the high court that place limits upon free speech, thus we know it is not without restriction, and the Congress is well within their right to place additional restrictions upon the right.
The above is from United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, § 8.
Bastardization of and broadening of the meaning of the amendment, to include desecration of the flag, is something I doubt was ever the intent of the framers. Besides there are already rulings by the high court that place limits upon free speech, thus we know it is not without restriction, and the Congress is well within their right to place additional restrictions upon the right.
One little flaw in your theory - it's not speech, it's an action. And actions can indeed be regulated.rraley said:
Anyway, they're not doing this right. What they should do is prosecute these fools for unlawful burning. Every state, county and city in the US has burn laws. You wouldn't be able to just bring, say, your car out on a public street and set it on fire, right? Therefore you shouldn't be able to burn flags in public, either.
If these hippies want to burn flags in the privacy of their own homes, let them.
C
czygvtwkr
Guest
Yea I knew countless students in college that got hauled off to jail for lighting their own couches on fire in the street.
I wish I still had the video of when that idiot was burning the American flag and set himself on fire. 
Danzig
Well-Known Member
K
Kain99
Guest
Holy Shiznit! I thought you were supposed to burn old ratty flags.... Maybe I should read the article.
sleuth said:For once I agree with rraley...
Although I think the act is reprehensible and damn near treasonous (sp?), I believe such an amendment would contradict the intent of the first amendment.
Imagine my chagrin when I noticed that I was in agreement with Justice Scalia and Ken Starr on this issue. I am sure that there are other conservative groups out there who seek to protect individual rights that have form letters to send your representatives.
vrai, actions often have a symbolic value that is akin to speech. For instance, give the finger...that's speech; it is expressive speech under the Supreme Court's definition of the term for centuries.
Calvert newbie
New Member
PHP:
I wish I still had the video of when that idiot was burning the American flag and set himself on fire.that picture is priceless
BuddyLee
Football addict
Exactly! Our founding fathers, the same ones who created the first amendment would kick the asses of those who would burn what they (the founders) worked so hard for. They were rioting for a freakin' tax on their tea(before the flag), what do you think they'd do if you burned their symbol?Ken King said:
Yes, Kain you can respectfully burn a flag when it is torn or dirty. In this instance the discussion is about desecration, somewhat of a different manner.Kain99 said:Holy Shiznit! I thought you were supposed to burn old ratty flags.... Maybe I should read the article.
Pushrod
Patriot
Ken King said:
While I don't agree with burning our flag, there should be other laws in place to handle unlawful burnings, I have to disagree with you Ken about Congress having the right to place restrictions on a 'right'. It is then no longer a 'right' but a government endorsed privilege. Our Constitutionally protected 'rights' are bestowed onto us by a power higher then any government, and are something each and every one of us have upon birth. These 'rights' are not to be infringed by any government, which means alter, restrict, tax, ban or eliminate.
The difference being that if I flip someone the bird, I don't run the risk of setting them or any surrounding property on fire.rraley said:
I don't care what anyone - you or the Supreme Court or some Senator - says. I am not an idiot and I know that setting something on fire is not speech, it's an action. If lawmakers want to call it a dog, they can - but that does not, in fact, make it a dog.
Disagree all you want but laws already exist and have been upheld that limit absolute free speech. Can you go into a crowded theater and shout fire, No. You cannot make comments that will incite panic or riot, you cannot liable or defame, try shouting hijack on board an aircraft and I am sure there are other instances where limits have been imposed. The right is not an absolute one. Try saying a prayer at a high school graduation nowadays and see what that gets you.Pushrod said:
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
This is an interesting issue. For patriots and traitors alike, the issue is an emotional one.
My emotions tell me to not only back the amendment but also impose a torturous penalty for violating it. I'm sure that the love of the flag has played a large role in getting this measure as far along as it's come.
My brain tells me that we as a nation seem to be moving away from the originally crafted constitution and the original amendments, diluting and denegrating the strong pillars upon which our Government was built. I suppose that makes me a reformist or a revivalist or something.
But I am concerned that another thing has happened that makes us a different society than we were when this country was formed. People are not the same as they were back then, and the changes do not appear to be for the better, when compared to the standard for which these documents were written. If flag-burning or flag desecration had been a conceivable problem back then, no doubt there would have been something written to address it.
Ah, I don't know. Time to shut up and let y'all discuss it - I have work to do.
But:
My emotions tell me to not only back the amendment but also impose a torturous penalty for violating it. I'm sure that the love of the flag has played a large role in getting this measure as far along as it's come.
My brain tells me that we as a nation seem to be moving away from the originally crafted constitution and the original amendments, diluting and denegrating the strong pillars upon which our Government was built. I suppose that makes me a reformist or a revivalist or something.
But I am concerned that another thing has happened that makes us a different society than we were when this country was formed. People are not the same as they were back then, and the changes do not appear to be for the better, when compared to the standard for which these documents were written. If flag-burning or flag desecration had been a conceivable problem back then, no doubt there would have been something written to address it.
Ah, I don't know. Time to shut up and let y'all discuss it - I have work to do.
But: