A Constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration died one-vote short of overriding a filibuster. How will the nation ever survive? Oh, wait, the flag is a symbol of the country; it’s not the country itself. This bit of flag idolatry is an annoying and transparent attempt to turn the flag into a political weapon in preparation for the November elections. There have been about 7 instances of flag burning in the past 2 years, and this is how the Congress chooses to waste its time.
If anything, forbidding flag burning will make it a more attractive political statement. On the other hand, maybe if Congress is busy debating manufactured issues like this one, they’ll be too busy to cause more real problems. Nah, probably not. How long would it take to rubber stamp another war?
Let’s categorize LIKE Issues: flag burning,gay marriage,abortion,Intelligent Design…. Makes a person think.
Actually, I think those issues are designed to discourage thought in favor of emotion.
“Those issues are designed to discourage thought in favor of emotion . . .”. What did Orwell call it in “1984”, the “two minute hate”?
Who was the senator who said, “Is this the most important thing we could be doing right now? Yes it is.” I might be willing to concede the flag burning if the amendment would also ban putting the flag on bikinis, condoms, etc.
It was Orrin Natch of Utah.
Video here.
Make that “Hatch.” Sorry.
Paul,
Yup. “Two minutes of hate”.
I think there are some political factions that regard 1984 more as an instructional guide rather than cautionary tale.
“I think there are some political factions that regard 1984 more as an instructional guide rather than cautionary tale.”
Brilliant. I’m going to have to start a file of Massonisms I want to have on t-shirts.
Lemming: I guess you wouldn’t approve of me wearing my American flag thong to the beach this summer…. :)
Somewhere in my “internet pics I found to be interesting” file I have one of our President autographing someone’s flag. How stiff a penalty can we put on such behavior?