Black_Hole
Deity
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2004
- Messages
- 3,424
I am against flag burning, but there is no need to put something in our nation's greatest document to outlaw it...
Mungaf said:The constitution would be like the Bible, full of contradictions.
greekguy said:If you are burning a flag, then that means you truly hate this country, which means you shouldn't be living here.
It is irrelevant that the flag is ingrained in American culture and that various "patriotic" songs refer to it. The banning of a distasteful symbolic act, in this case the burning of the American flag, is a flagrant violation of freedom of expression, which is (at least as far as I can tell) what our country stands for.vikingruler said:I agree with the Amendment of burning the flag being illegal. Also, the American flag isn't just a piece of cloth, it is ingrained in American culture. For instance, many songs refer or the basis of them is the United States flag. A very notable one is the National Anthem, "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that the FLAG was still there". Another song that not everyone might have heard of is "Your a Grand Old Flag", the title alone conveys the importance of the flag. So burning the flag is burning part of America's culture, but not just any part, a cornerstone. The flag shouldn't be descreated and anyone who does, deserves to be reprimanded.
The burning of a flag, as VoodooAce and others have pointed out, does not necessarily mean that one hates the country and everything it stands for. It may be intended as a very strong protest against a certain governmental action. And why should the burning of what you see as "the symbol of our country's heritage, culture/history, and pride" be illegal? You may be offended, but a large part of what this country stands for, what I love about it, is that you have the right to be offensive. It is part of the freedom of expression. You mention limiting this freedom, the basic tenet upon which most of our other freedoms are based, to exclude the burning of the flag. I'm asking you: why should a country that believes in freedom ban the commission of a certain offensive act, regardless of whether or not that act expresses contempt for the country's "heritage, culture/history, and pride"?Atlas14 said:Flag burning is outragous. If you hate America that much move out. If you can't afford to move out, then don't waste your money on matches and a flag next time. Freedom of speech is one thing; burning the symbol of our country's heritage, culture/history, and pride is another. Lines can be drawn with every other situation, this is where the line should be drawn with freedom of expression.
Flag burning is outragous. If you hate America that much move out. If you can't afford to move out, then don't waste your money on matches and a flag next time. Freedom of speech is one thing; burning the symbol of our country's heritage, culture/history, and pride is another. Lines can be drawn with every other situation, this is where the line should be drawn with freedom of expression.
I agree with the Amendment of burning the flag being illegal. Also, the American flag isn't just a piece of cloth, it is ingrained in American culture. For instance, many songs refer or the basis of them is the United States flag. A very notable one is the National Anthem, "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that the FLAG was still there". Another song that not everyone might have heard of is "Your a Grand Old Flag", the title alone conveys the importance of the flag. So burning the flag is burning part of America's culture, but not just any part, a cornerstone. The flag shouldn't be descreated and anyone who does, deserves to be reprimanded.
Jack the Ripper said:Has anyone mentioned flag retirement burnings/ceremonies?
IglooDude said:Yes. The amendment is not specifically outlawing flag-burning, it is outlawing flag desecration. Thus, ceremonial burning of old flags by Boy Scouts and the like would not be affected. And actually, it is not in and of itself outlawing flag desecration, it is granting Congress the constitutional power to do so.
Gothmog said:For those of you against this amendment and what it stands for...
why do you hate freedom?
Remember, you're either for us or against us.
Seriously, does anyone know what they would do about flags that look a lot like the american one but are slightly different? For example different number of stripes, or a circle in place of one of the stars?
nonconformist said:Desecration assumes that the object is sacred. I think this is another expression of the all-too-common American "God Bless America" syndrome.
Yeah, I definitely sprained something...Did it hurt you to say that?
SeleucusNicator said:Foreigners probably don't understand this, but the Constitution in the United States is considered somewhat of a sacred document, and many of us consider it above mere policy. That's why a lot of people who oppose gay marriage (such as myself) opposed the Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage -- it's just not the level of stuff that the constitution deals with.