Hatch resumes push for his amendment against flag-burning

[Kadie]

Hatch resumes push for his amendment against flag-burning

FRIDAY
June 04, 2004

By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune

WASHINGTON -- The stage is being set for an election-year battle over Sen. Orrin Hatch's latest effort to amend the Constitution to outlaw flag burning.

While passage of the amendment remains unlikely, Hatch is moving quickly to move the amendment through the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, preparing it for a fight before the full Senate. The measure was originally scheduled for committee consideration Thursday, but Hatch postponed it until next week.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said Hatch and Republican leaders are abandoning legislation that could benefit Americans to push divisive issues like the flag amendment, gay marriage ban and controversial nominations that the White House "hopes to milk for election-year political advantage."

The measure, which has 56 co-sponsors, would nullify a 1989 Supreme Court ruling in which the justices said that desecration of the flag was a form of free expression, protected under the First Amendment.

more... http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Jun/06042004/utah/172577.asp

[truthspeaker]

1. yes, because flag-burning is such a pressing problem

fascist assholes

[salin]

2. Orin, we will take you more seriously if your grave concern

for the flag extends to those flying half tattered flags (have seen some that are now down to half of a flag due to deterioration) on their cars.

[Poiuyt]

3. Love this country or we'll put you in jail!

Kind of reminds you of the old Soviet Union, doesn't it?

[kcwayne]

4. Must be another article coming out about his support for exporting jobs

to India. He has been pushing a bill to increase the quota for L1B visas to solve the "shortage" of skilled technology workers in the us. Oh, I'm sorry Orin, there is a shortage of tech workers willing to work for $4000 a year. Don't spend your payoff check all in once place!

[maddezmom]

16. or perhap something about Miranda and the Judicial computer documents...

boy how I'd love that to happen. :)

[msanthrope]

5. I feel safer now.....

much, much, safer.

[Westegg]

6. Your tax dollars at work. (n/t)

[Frances]

7. And every chicken hawk in Congress will vote for the amendment

while those who actually fought under the flag will probably vote against. After all, freedom is what they were fighting for.

Caveat: I would never personally do anything to harm the flag. And I feel pretty bad when I see ragged flags flying from SUVs.

[Randypiper]

15. I would never burn the flag

unless a politician wraps himself in it, then I would consider it a duty.

[Just Me]

20. Me, too, "Randypiper"!!!! Welcome to DU!!!

:hi:

The minute a symbol or icon becomes constitutionally more important than the human beings on this continent,...is the moment that I will retaliate!!!!!

A "flag" does not constitute the body of this country,...THE PEOPLE DO!!!

And our representatives are doing are pretty piss-poor job of empowering the body, the foundation of this nation!!! Without US, they are nothing. Without US, the flag means nothing.

LET'S TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!!!! FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE!!!

:dem:

[struggle4progress]

8. I have a better idea, Orrin! Let's make it illegal ...

to sell flags made from cheap flammable fabric. That'll put an end to this epidemic of flag-burning.

Come to think of it, I haven't actually seen anybody burn a flag since, well, since ... Hey, I've never actually seen anybody burn a flag!

Has anybody done a study on how many flags are burned annually? Now, that might be a nice piece of pork for some university in Utah!

[skip fox]

9. He's looking for a hot-button issue that will distract voters in the fall.

What do you bet?

[prolesunited]

10. It's like clockwork

Every election cycle they pull this one out to polarize the masses. Sad thing is, it is an effective ploy or they wouldn't keep using it.

[saigon68]

11. They are afraid the unemployed will heat houses with burning flags

THIS WINTER.

HATCH is the epitome of Right Wing Fascist SCUM

[bluestateguy]

12. Pass the amendment and I burn a flag

I never had any desire to do so, unless this amendment makes it into the Constitution.

The irony is that flag burning is very rare in this day and age. Pass this amendment and you will see a bonfire of burning flags around the nation. It would be like passing an amendment against lynching.

[Walt Starr]

13. I would only burn a flag under one set of circumstances

if this amendment passes, I will burn a flag because everything it represents will be dead.

[lightbulb]

18. well said

Please pass the matches over when you're done.

[yellowcanine]

14. Hatch needs to quit wearing those tight briefs - they are aggravating his

tight assedness.

[Racenut20]

17. Let him pass the damned thing

No one will pay any attention to it anyway, and the states will never ratify it.

[Soopercali]

19. Nyuk, nyuk.

What a "burning" issue.

Morons.