Whats your position on flag burning?

Freedom of speech. It's OK to be radical to make a point. That's what we're supposed to be about.

 

Just thought I should mention, that some of the Muslims here (I'm in Asia) claim doing so may provoke them into retaliating, and I doubt seriously they mean they will do so by burning American flags. I guess that should be considered freedom of speech also? Guns have a loud voice. Would burning an American tourist be considered freedom of speech? That could be considered a little radical, not to mention making a point.

 

There's a differance between homicidal religious maniacs and torching a piece of cloth or some books. They don't believe in freedom of speech if their actions are any indication. And they are. Here we're supposed to.

 

As far as being radical ,I agreed with your statement about taking BACK freedom from the government if indeed they take our freedom from us. Constitution says we should.

 

Free speech
I suppose it depends on how we each define the words. Free, in my opinion essentially means "without constraint", and speech "spoken words", however I would include "written words" and in the case of the speech impaired, "sign language" as each are means of intelligent communication without capacity to directly inflict harm upon another.
The human lexicon is made up of words, or lexemes, and they allow us to communicate with one another without necessity of doing harm, although we may not like the use of some words and even classify some as incendiary or politically incorrect, they none the less allow us to communicate more clearly and concisely than do our actions alone. Words are much more effective in reaching consensual agreement peacefully than are physical acts.
Flag burning is an act, which can be exercised lacking any form of verbal communication. To equate "free speech" as being inclusive of "flag burning" introduces a physical action into our lexicon which opens a door to possible expansion.
In my opinion the U.S. Constitution neither permits nor prohibits such an act, therefore it should not be allowed or denied based upon the U.S. Constitution. If the Flag is purchased and owned by the individual who burns it, then no law is broken by doing so. However there are other concerns that need to be taken into account. Should it be allowed to burn a flag at a gas station, or an area where inflammable materials exist? If done on property that belongs to the State, or another, who should be responsible for clean up?
Should you buy a car that you are dissatisfied with, and it is paid for, should you be able to burn it in protest of the auto maker? What about CD's and DVD's, small but burning produces some quite noxious gases?
Do we need a law which defines what objects can be burned in form of protest? I don't feel the Supreme Court should rule on it's Constitutionality in any way other than it not to be found there. Another option would to introduce an amendment to the Constitution that specifically includes the right to burn the flag of ones nation, aside from speaking negatively in relation to it. Essentially, I find no prohibition within the Constitution, therefore aside from other factors as mentioned earlier it is permissible. The Constitution and Bill of Rights should be viewed as constraints upon government, not the people except in cases where a Democratic majority attempt to impose their will upon a minority, such as in the case of civil rights.

Sorry this became so lengthy.

 

I know the proper way to retire a flag is by burning.However,if I'm correct,I beleive the proper way,is to remove the blue part,& then fold it in the traditional manner(correct me if I'm wrong).I've seen a lot of posts on here saying "it's just a piece of cloth.who cares"Here's the thing tho,it may be just a piece of cloth,but it represents a living,breathing nation.So when you desecrate the flag,you're insulting the whole nation.Beleive me,I'm no fan of the gov't,but if I was asked to,I'd gladly give my life for this country.My step son is going in the army next year.I've got very good long time friends in the service,& promise you,every one of em would take it as an insult.I personally think it's disgusting when people won't stand & remove their hats during the national anthem.Hell,I signed petition after petition against the Iraq war,but still would've gladly went if it came down to a draft,even tho I know they wouldn't take me.Yes you have the right to peaceful protest,but is flag burning really necessary?IMO,that's asking for violence.I understand disdain,but hell,make signs for what you're pissed about,have rallies,make petitions..There's a lot better ways to protest than inciting violence & insulting your country.If you really think it's that bad,move.

 

^^^

...Yeah, never heard that one before.

ZW

 

Flags represent division. I would like to say burn them all.
But individuals won't get the big picture. It will hurt their "feelings"

 

Freedom and Liberty allow us as individuals to live peacefully among others who differ greatly in many ways, while the flag represents a union that brings us together in cases where the freedom or liberty of some or all of us becomes threatened.
In a free nation, as ours once was the source of power is the people, not the government. Under all other forms of government, since the beginning of time, power was in the hands of the government, and freedom existed only as the government saw fit to allow.
Government has nothing it can provide the governed, except what it has power to take from the governed.
The flag does not represent division, it represents our agreement to unite as one under the Constitution upon which the nation was founded. The division that now exists in the U.S. has been brought upon us by the politicians we've allowed to represent us, who have their own agenda, and by moving the Federal government to something more closely likened to a pure democracy have made use of the tax system to fund and promote their agenda. Fiscal responsibility of each state is eliminated by making the Federal government the source of funding and backing for all expenditures, which spreads debt of each individual state to the working inhabitants of all 50 states, and the District of Columbia. Which state in its right mind would give up pork, when all the pork the government gives out is a responsibility of each and every state to repay?

 

zombiewolf I am aprehensive towards your picture, "Love it or leave it"... Can you leave america right now if you wanted to?

You could walk to mexico, or drive to mexico. See how far you get before border patrol stops you.

Or walk north to canada and ask if you can just "leave" america, you'll be arrested by the police here to "protect" you.

I guess you could always hop on a boat and ferry yourself across the atlantic, see how that goes for ya.

Or at last you can hop a plane out of here. That would work perfectly, well, ONLY if you have a VISA and a passport. And that passport will run you around $500. Plus you have to wait 8-10 weeks for processing. And ONLY if your "record" allows you to leave the country.

Plus you have to fill out immigration papers to the new place your moving to, housing, employment, thats even if you knew the language they speak.. Sigh

I guess if you wanted to leave america you could hide in the trunk of a canadians car and hope the mountys dont find you :/

Your all trapped, get used to it

 

Emigrating is expensive, yes, this is nothing new.

 

zw was expressing irony

 

t.m.o.t.h. was expressing sadistical sarcasm

 

Thank you ^^^


P.s. I could drive my car deep into Baja Mexico virtually undetected if I wanted to...
and live out the rest of my days on some abandon pacific beach...

If only I could afford it...

ZW

 

Its a little silly to me that people get so worked up and offended by it...

 

If people didn't get so worked up over it people wouldn't burn them. It's a two way street, the people burning the flag show they themselves also have an emotional attachment to it and are purposely trying to make an inflammatory point.

 

So does the flag represent a country that allows flag burning or no, and what's the difference between a country that does and doesn't?

If you're saying that one isn't allowed to perform an act that causes no physical harm to another individual...that is definitely a gray area. And I'd say people driving Hummers causes me as much physical and mental duress as someone burning a flag would. Should we ban that, too, since I don't find it in harmony with what I think our nation should represent?

 

It's just another form of pure ignorance. If you don't like someone, let them know why and try to manage your anger by way of peace. I think it's ridiculous how people just find ways to pinch others nerves out of spite. Grow up, organize your thoughts, and then get back to me! lol, don't burn my flag... though I wouldn't care if you did... it's just a flag. Spirit is intangable, whether it's North American, Mexican, Brazilian, what have you. It doesn't exist solely in a flag; the portrayal of one's large unified group. It is of many people, by many people, or at least, that's what they make it out to be.

But don't take my word for it... Read it in a book some time! lol Reeeading Raaainbow ROFL!

Personal Note: And that goes for Pirate Flags, Gay Rights Flags, Grateful Dead Flags... heh, you know what I'm sayin? Any form of tribute through personal expression, I guess... Something along those lines.


Just like that crap I heard in the news a few months ago about an (I believe) Catholic Priest holding a Koran book burning... All it's going to do is make things harder for our troops on the other side of the earth! What are people thinking, doing things out of spite. If you REALLY want to make a point out of something, GET YOURSELF HEARD! Whether it's through the media (and not by holding a book burning just to make it on the news), through polotics or contacting your local senator or polotician, or via forums! :biggrinjester::bigear:atriot:

 

Missionary with an occasional doggy.What? Oh.

 

Who said anything about banning. The point is it's one of those moments where it's hypocritical for someone to say it's just a flag, when it's obviously not, even to them, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it, it's just the same as when the teabaggers were bringing guns to town hall meetings about health care, yes you have the right to do it, and the people doing it are doing it specifically to be inflammatory. Symbols are powerful, no one is above them, it's a deep seated part of the human psyche that transcends civilizations across the era. A flag happens to be one of those.

I mean it's like if you went to a religious area and burned a cross, star of david, Muslim crescent, statue of Buddha, ect, you can't say "Oh it's just a cross" when it's obviously not. A symbol is never just it's physical self.