Flag burning one vote away from to passage

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=917053


The U.S. Congress is closer than ever to passing a constitutional amendment that would criminalize desecration of the U.S. flag. If successful, it will mark the first time in 214 years that the Bill of Rights has been restricted by a constitutional amendment, and will place the United States among a select group of nations that have banned flag desecration, including Cuba, China, Iran, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The amendment has already been approved by the necessary two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, and last week it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a near-party line 11-7 vote. Now, aided by a handful of Democrats, the amendment has gathered 66 votes in favor, just one shy of passage. "Whether advocates can find the 67th vote to send the flag amendment to the states for ratification remains unclear." The Senate vote is expected next week. Take a stand now by signing up with Veterans Defending the Bill of Rights.
http://www.veteransdefending.org/
much, much more here:
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=917053

it will only result in a slew of flag burnings by people making a point. A classic "conservative" failure. Republicans should just move to throw the constitution in the shit can. Niether they or their supporters give one flying dog fuck about the document.

Yep, we're right up there with Cuba, Iran, China, and Iraq under Sadaam. Amazing.

:rofl:

There are many good reasons not to ban flag burning (well, OK, there's only one good reason not to ban flag burning, to wit "freedom of speech", but it's a good one); however "because some oppressive countries do it too" is not one of them.

"we make laws but we can't enforce them. We need to give the president more power and let him send the FBI after these liberal lawbreakers"

If they can burn the Constitution, I can burn a flag.

a Confederate flag. I have relatives in Auburn, AL and I'm tempted to try it out down there, just to see what will happen. :)

On a serious note, one of my hipper relatives down there warned me I would probably be shot if I tried to vigil with my anti-war signs down there.

While we're busy restricting the first amendment, can we go ahead and make it a crime to wear a bathing suit with the flag on it? Pants? Bandannas? Thongs? Certainly wearing a flag on or in your a** is just as bad as burning it...especially when eating beans.

:eyes:

I'm soooo glad this is a pressing issue for Congress in this day and age. But hey, freedom isn't free, right? So let's mimic the laws of China and Iran!

:sarcasm:

Instead of addressing pressing problems like Iraq, health care, energy, or global warming, the "world's greatest deliberative body" last week turned its attention the critical question of whether the flag amendment would permit the prosecution of women "wearing a very skimpy bathing suit" decorated like the flag. Thankfully, a clear answer was offered: "When you get to a bikini or a bathing suit, it's not a flag, it's a bikini."

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. This is just so absurd. *sigh*

Flag-burning being about as common a practice.

These idiots actually get paid for coming with stuff like this.

Does that mean plastering your truck with flag stickers and flag magnets and wrapping your stinking head in a flag bandanna will be illegal?

Well, maybe I approve, then.

....not by burning flags, but by reporting every case of flag desecration I see.

Will the greasy mullet sporting mouth-breathers who wear US flags as head rags be prosecuted?

I'm an amendment to be, yes an amendment to be,
and I'm hopin' that they'll ratify me.
There's a lot of flag burners who have got too much freedom.
I wanna make it legal for policemen to beat 'em,
cause there's limits to our liberties.
'Least I hope and pray that there are,
cause those liberal freaks go too far.

Why don't we just make a law against flag burning?

Because that law would be unConstitutional.

But if we change the Constitution...

then we can make all sorts of crazy laws!

Now you're catching on!

But what if people say you're not good enough to be in the Constitution?

Then I'll crush all opposition to me, and I'll make Ted Kennedy pay
If he fights back, I'll say that he's gay.

It's interesting that they need that modifier. Since apparently one of the "freedoms" we've exported to Iraq is the freedom to burn the flag. So we've literally given the Iraqis a freedom that they want to take away here at home. I guess I didn't realize that when we got done exporting freedom to the Iraqis that we'd have none left for Americans.

I got it right, dind't I? It was about democracy all along! :shrug:

overseas, followed by our freedoms. Cmdr Bunnypants will have a great time when he installs his miserable self as the Pasha of Baghdad in that $500 million + "embassy" our tax dollars are building.

Actually, since Iraq's government is more like a student council than a real government, I doubt they're addressed the issue of flag desecration yet. You'd think they've have more pressing issues. Of course, you could say the same thing about our Congress as well.

Unemployment rate below 5%.
Education system in the top 5%.
Percentage of population in poverty below 5%.
Percentage of population without health insurance at 0%.

These are just a few of the things that are more important than flag burning, to say nothing of an illegal war.

I just submitted my name and service info. Do people really think this is patriotic?

Pick a number....

specifically for burning.
it would look just like an american flag- but on inspection it would prove not to be one.

good idea! What a waste of legislation seriously. Who besides foreign nations pissed at us all burn flag? Fucking stupid ass pandering to a goddamn myth created by right-wingers trying to prove their political opposition is less patriotic than them.

American citizens from exercising their constitutional rights.. When will they ever learn? It is not the symbol, but the meaning that makes our flag what it is....

of a flag? Can you burn the flag to dispose of it but only have a limited number of people around you at the time? Must you sing the Star Spangled Banner while doing it? Not look angry? Tear up a little?

Joking aside, if I remember correctly, the flag code states that to properly dispose of a flag you should burn it discreetly but if this amendment passes, will they need to create specific rules for this?

We know that maybe once or twice a year, someone in the United States burns a flag as a protest.

We also know that maybe fifteen or twenty THOUSAND flag-retirement ceremonies are conducted in the US, in which flags are burned to destroy them in a "dignified manner."

Here's one way to retire an American flag:

Step 1: your veterans' group links up with a youth group. You travel to the site where the retirement ceremony is to be conducted.
Step 2: start a hot campfire. Raise the colors over the grounds.
Step 3: count the number of youths present. This is important.
Step 4: cut the field (the blue part) away from the stripes on all the flags to be retired. Once this is done, they're not flags anymore. Keep the pieces of each flag together. If there are a lot of youths in attendance, some groups will divide the stripes so that everyone gets to participate. If you don't have many flags to retire, some groups will also cut the stars out of the field. This is so each youth will be able to present at least part of a flag to the flames. The important part is that a flag must NEVER be retired without cutting the field out of it.
Step 5: read some patriotic writings and sing some patriotic songs--but not the national anthem. (You sing that at the end of the ceremony.)
Step 6: Choose a flag for retirement. Read aloud this flag's history, then present one piece of the flag at a time to the flame in a reverent manner. The piece must be completely consumed before presenting another piece.
Step 7: Once all of the flags have been retired, sing the national anthem, douse the campfire, strike the colors and conclude the ceremony. Police the grounds before leaving.

If you burn a flag in protest, you generally just pull out the ol' Zippo and fire the flag up. It is very easy to tell the intent of the deed.

This amendment will also stop such evils as this art exhibit I heard about. It was in some museum in New York and the only way to get in was to walk on an American flag.

and apparently want to be recognised with!

...even though that thought normally wouldn't cross my mind. Assholes.

and Dems allowing it.

Not much different than the vote on continuing the failed policy in Iraq going. pure political to use in the upcoming election.

so they can campaign on how Dems don't value America and don't honor the flag

That ain't gonna happen.

Whoops, I've said that before....

If it ever does come close to passage, I'm gonna buy a flag company and some stock in fire fighting equipment with my last rubles.