Call me unpatriotic, but if this flag-burning amendment passes ...

[RagingInMiami]

I'm going to be very tempted to go around burning American flags. I never had the urge until now.

[babylonsister]

1. I hear you; the thought has crossed my mind, too. nt

[Olney Blue]

2. You won't be alone, my friend.

[stevedeshazer]

3. More flags will be burned than ever before

I find the act abhorrent.

But I value my freedom even more.

The day this becomes a constitutional amendment, I'll burn mine. Downtown. In front of the Federal Courthouse.

[dubeskin]

4. Why wait when you can start now?

Current count Burnt:3



Kidding

[Ready4Change]

5. I agree.

100%

If you've got to make something like that illegal somethings wrong. And it's something that making it illegal can never fix.

[darmok167]

22. I think you nailed this one spot on.

I couldn't have said it better if I tried. In fact, I think the fact that this may actually pass shows that something is wrong, and has been wrong for a very long time now.

Like was said earlier, I have always found the practice to be abhorrent, even though I have always supported the right to do it, but anymore, I'm not so sure what that flag stands for and I find myself less and less disturbed by the practice and this bothers me. (run-on sentence anyone?)

If that flag represents the direction I see this Country going...I say "smoke em if you got em."

And that is what disturbs me now.

[newyawker99]

34. Hi darmok167!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[tavalon]

6. Count me in

I've never once thought about burning flags but this stupid ass debate has me itching to burn the stars and stripes.

[tridim]

7. If you're worried about trouble..

Just take off one of the stars, then it's not technically an American flag.

I will burn a 49 star flag as a protest if it passes.

[Clark2008]

12. How about burning all those napkins and tablecloths and

newspaper ads that feature them?

It's against the flag code to make the flag into clothing and napkins and advertising, but that hasn't stoped the faux uber-patriots from wearing them, selling cars with them and wiping their nasty mouths and asses with them.

[babylonsister]

16. And dimson likes to sign them. Desecration, sacre bleu! nt

[cboy4]

8. Naw, for one thing, I think it would only only give the wingbutts who

support this ridiculous amendment a reason to say, 'See, we told you there's a need to outlaw this practice."

However, I totally, totally understand you point.

[sproutster]

9. I bought one to burn the day before ... I wish to film it with commentary

For those that come after me.

[skipos]

10. I try to ignore this dumb GOP wedge issue. nt

[BrotherBuzz]

15. Dianne Feinstein co-sponsored the Flag Protection Amendment

I guess that DINO tword comes into play, here :shrug:

[skipos]

20. And Kucinich and Dean have supported amendments like this before

It is still a stupid GOP wedge issue.

[fujiyama]

33. I believe Clark and Hillary have expressed support for such

"anti flag burning" legislation and or constitutional amendments as well. It's the ultimate emotion based, flag waving, wedge issue. After all middle America doesn't want to see flags burned...Then again when was the last time a protestor in the US burned a flag?

Ironically, Lieberman has consistantly opposed such an amendment (as far as I remember - maybe he turned as well).

[flpoljunkie]

36. In fairness, Hillary Clinton said she will not support this amendment.

She is, unfortunately, a cosponsor of a bill with Bob Bennet, R-Utah, to pass a law banning flag desecration.

[niyad]

11. it's rather difficult to burn nylon, people.. . . . .

[rucky]

13. Not many people had even thought of burning a flag...

until they created the strawman and then lit a match.

[Generator]

14. So is it just burning the flag

or taking a giant crap on it like Bush has done with the constitution? Is that allowed? How about writing RIP 1776-200O? Fascism calls for creative measures.

[Journeyman]

17. "If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag. . .

. . . wash it." ~Norman Thomas

[Strawman]

24. Who knows? That could be illegal too

if it's done in the context of a protest. Congress can do whatever it wants under this Amendment as long as the flag is in there somewhere.

I didn't fully understand this Amendment until I finally went and read it. I thought it was no big deal. But it's too open ended in my opinion. If it passes every election cycle Republicans will come up with some new thing that can't be done to the flag and present it to the voters as a litmus test on patriotism that the Dems will cower from.

[Journeyman]

26. Well, of course. . .

it's the doctrine of "Continual Reaffirmation," lucidly explained in the "Captain Black" chapter of Catch-22.

[Hekate]

51. That's what I want to see: public flag-washings!

Our poor flag has become so defiled by the evils done in its name...

The symbolism of washing (which doesn't harm it) would be much more likely to make people stop and think; whereas burning it just makes people foam at the mouth.

But an amendment to the Constitution? Talk about an "unseemly jester"! All this talk about veneration and desecration is hogwash, when most of the flags I see on cars and porches are faded, ragged, and dirty. Do our bloviating congresscritters plan to ticket all the owners of those rags?

Hekate

[bowens43]

18. If the amendment passes,

burning American flags will be the duty of every patriot.

[notadmblnd]

19. Doesn't it have to be ratified by all the states?

if it does.. it could take a really long time couldn't it?

[Homer Wells]

23. I read on an earlier post

That it has to be passed by both houses of Congress, and then ratified by three fourths of all the states. Usually quite a long process, (re: the ERA took years to go before the states,and it was shot down), so I imagine by the time it gets that far, it will be post-Bush, if there is ever a post-Bush time for this country! Perhaps then sanity will return to our nation!

:dem:

[B Calm]

52. Yes, the wedge issue has to be ratified by all the states. It's another

get out the one issue voter campaign for cons.

[mandomom]

21. This amendment is like

a self-absorbed, rankist mother making an ice cream sundae instead of cooking a balanced meal when her children are deteriorating from malnutrition.

[StellaBlue]

25. No shit.

Let's do it. Fuckers.

[AndyTiedye]

27. It's a Flag Retirement Ceremony

"The Flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be disposed of in a dignified manner, preferably by burning." U.S. Flag Code

If flag-burners actually intended to disrespect the flag, why would they choose a means that the U.S. Flag code explicitly recommends as the most dignified means of disposal?

If we do start burning flags in the context of a protest,
we should have someone play "Taps" and otherwise follow the proper form of the Flag Retirement Ceremony,
for it is a very solemn act, and a patriotic one.

We DO respect our flag, AND the Republic for which it stands, and we want it back!

[Olney Blue]

29. And it could be argued that this administration has made the flag

"no longer a fitting emblem for display"

[noahmijo]

28. You should be ashamed of yourself......

People in Taiwan worked really hard to make those things. ;)

[RagingInMiami]

30. Good one

[RagingInMiami]

31. Kick

[MGD]

32. Fascism is on the march...lol n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

35. I'm going to burn them on my front lawn.

I'll burn the cheap little imported flags that my Repub neighbor stuck on everyone's lawns on July 4 2002, after 9/11 changed everything.

First I'll fold them into a neat military triangle fold. Then I'll dust off the old hibachi and use it as a fire pit, filling it with wood and kindling. Next I'll find a faux parchment facsimile of the Constitution and run it throught the cross-cut paper shredder -- that will give me a nice pile of tinder to get the fire going. When the fire is hot enough, I'll throw on the flags. While they burn I'll do a slightly off-key rendition of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A."

Nah, I won't. But I am tempted.

[Nimrod2005]

39. Don't let Alberto Abu Ghraib Gonzales know....

[Red Right and BLUE]

37. Never really considered it until now. eom

[Nimrod2005]

38. If you had a flag burning party at your house, will the NSA know?

lol....

[Catchawave]

40. Can I burn this ?

[Mr_Spock]

41. Here's an idea - what if we burn color laser flag printouts?

Will that be illegal? I think not, since it's not an official flag.

This will become the new way to protest and is legal to boot.

[RagingInMiami]

42. What if we make bras out of American flags, then burn those?

[Catchawave]

43. As long as we can still burn Bush in effigy

:patriot:

[RagingInMiami]

44. That will probably get us sent to Gitmo

[Mr_Spock]

45. At least the weather is nice down there

:rofl:

[RagingInMiami]

47. I'm in Miami, the weather is just as nice down here

[Norquist Nemesis]

46. Or better, an oversized Bic lighter with a continuous flame lit

just below a properly lighted/displayed flag. Instead of gas, use one of those lit paper flames.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

48. we don't burn it, instead

We wash it in a bucket of "blood".

Then what are the neo cons going to do.

The symbolism is fantastic.

A friend of mine did the washing thing for a protest, and
the media ate it up.

[eridani]

49. No one ever even wants to burn flags--

--until someone tells them not to. This is about as stupid as an ad campaign aimed at 5-year-olds. The theme "Never, EVER, put beans up your nose!"

[upi402]

50. save the risk of jail time for useful actions

they'd love to toss us in the can for something they could not care less about -the flag and what it stands for;
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL