Author Topic: Free Speech .... Burn it! (Read 1563 times)

midnight Target · « **on:** June 27, 2006, 11:54:42 AM »

A vote on a new amendment to the Constitution is coming up for a vote soon. It may pass. One more right frittered away in the interests of politics.

Sad indeed.

The case for flag-burning

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It's a "solution" to a problem that doesn't exist. There has been no epidemic of flag-burning since the Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that destruction of Old Glory as a protest was symbolic speech protected by the 1st Amendment.

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The reintroduction of this amendment is part of the Republican Party's election-year attempt to rile up its social-conservative base, a "panderama" that already has produced a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which failed earlier this month.

lukster · « **Reply #1 on:** June 27, 2006, 11:58:09 AM »

When a highschool valedictorian can't give credit to God for her success then free speech is already lost. I agree, very sad. We have only ourselves to blame.

Dead Man Flying · « **Reply #2 on:** June 27, 2006, 12:00:27 PM »

Good constitutional amendments limit the reach of government, not the rights of the citizenry.

-- Todd/Leviathn

Masherbrum · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2006, 12:04:03 PM »

I love it when the Govt. holds forum on issues that have no bearing with the tailspin that we are in right now. Too damn funny. I'm against flag burning myself, but I could list off about 300 issues that are way more important.

Horn · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2006, 12:16:53 PM »

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Originally posted by lukster
When a highschool valedictorian can't give credit to God for her success then free speech is already lost. I agree, very sad. We have only ourselves to blame.

I imagine if she were to express her love and admiration of Allah and that salvation is only possible through Allah in the same setting, you would be mortified...

Though I'm not a practitioner, flag burning is only a figure of speech and should be kept that way. Surely there are more important things to be looking at...or is this mere political grandstanding to deflect away from the republicans the public's notice of the crappy shape this country is in for November elections?

Yeager · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2006, 12:22:59 PM »

I could go either way with the flag, honestly, but I have always wondered: if a person could burn a flag as a political protest protected under the first amendment then why shouldn't that person be able to shoot a politician as an expression of political protest. If its just for the sole purpose of protesting politics of course......

Mickey1992 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2006, 12:33:27 PM »

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Originally posted by Masherbrum
I love it when the Govt. holds forum on issues that have no bearing with the tailspin that we are in right now. Too damn funny. I'm against flag burning myself, but I could list off about 300 issues that are way more important.

Exactly. It's like when Congress stopped everything to debate the Terry Schiavo "issue". It's all mid-term election crap. And Congress wonders why their approval rating is below 30%.

SKOALbttrnapnch · « **Reply #7 on:** June 27, 2006, 12:52:00 PM »

Congressional ratings are always that low

lukster · « **Reply #8 on:** June 27, 2006, 01:12:04 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Horn
I imagine if she were to express her love and admiration of Allah and that salvation is only possible through Allah in the same setting, you would be mortified...

Though I'm not a practitioner, flag burning is only a figure of speech and should be kept that way. Surely there are more important things to be looking at...or is this mere political grandstanding to deflect away from the republicans the public's notice of the crappy shape this country is in for November elections?

You assume too much. I'm for free speech so long as it is done properly. Yelling fire in a theatre or selling child pornography should not be protected by the first amendment.

ChickenHawk · « **Reply #9 on:** June 27, 2006, 01:14:25 PM »

Yep, a diversionary tactic. Nothing more, nothing less.

Mickey1992 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 27, 2006, 01:18:42 PM »

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Originally posted by SKOALbttrnapnch
Congressional ratings are always that low

Really?

Ack-Ack · « **Reply #11 on:** June 27, 2006, 01:33:13 PM »

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Originally posted by lukster
Yelling fire in a theatre or selling child pornography should not be protected by the first amendment.

Neither are protected by the First Amendment.

ack-ack

Furious · « **Reply #12 on:** June 27, 2006, 01:34:27 PM »

I have had jobs in the past where there were huge looming tasks that I just didn't have the gumption to begin to tackle. So, I would pretend. I would open drawings, zoom in, zoom out, pan and click around. It looked like I was doing something, but no actual work was being done.

Alot like our congress.

Nash · « **Reply #13 on:** June 27, 2006, 01:55:17 PM »

lol - that was perfect, Furious.

But this is a serious issue.

"The Citizens Flag Alliance, a group pushing for the Senate this week to pass a flag-burning amendment to the Constitution, just reported an alarming, 33 percent increase in the number of flag-desecration incidents this year.

The number has increased to four, from three."

lazs2 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 27, 2006, 02:31:45 PM »

I don't care if people burn flags or not but...

I have never been able to understand how burning them was considered "speech" ..... not even close.

lazs