A Burning Debate

For any 'Red Blooded American Patriot' the thought of someone burning, urinating on, or in other manners desecrating the American flag initiates feelings of intense anger and contempt towards the perpetrator. This flag means a lot to us. It speaks of the valor and bravery of American soldiers standing strong in defense of freedom. To most citizens of foreign nations, the American flag is a reminder of a nation devoid of the oppression and evil perpetrated upon them by their own governments.



A symbol of Freedom


To most of us, the American flag is a symbol of home. As a kid my grandfather flew a flag in his yard across from mine. When I came home from school or where ever I had been, the sight of that waving red white and blue tapestry reminded me of every story my grandfather had told about America at war. I was proud to be associated with a country that fought tyranny to obtain freedom and never stopped fighting to keep it and to spread it. I remember a quote my grandfather use to recite from H.G. Wells- "We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." Every time I read that quote I think of our soldiers standing beneath Old Glory, rifle on their shoulder, watching over our great land.


The American flag is also a symbol of Capitalism. Those who hate Capitalism and Western society in general, see the flag through different eyes. Most people who desecrate the flag and burn the flag have a deep seeded hatred for that flag based on their hatred for you and I. They are symbolically burning Americans in effigy. Of course some will argue that protestors of the past three decades burned the flag simply for anti war reasons not for hatred of our society and it's citizens. I disagree, the wars they (by proxy) burned you and I for represent our personal best interest. When America and it's allies drove back European conquest, Communism, Nazism, Fascism and Terrorism we did so to protect innocent lives both American and foreign. When someone shows contempt and disrespect for America by burning our flag, we know the flag is not the object of their animus, they are symbolically attacking the American people.

Debate on Flag Day

This week the Senate will again take up the debate on a Constitutional amendment to protect our flag from such blatant disrespect. The debate was scheduled to coincide with 'Flag Day' on Wednesday.
On August 1949, President Truman designated June 14 as Flag Day. This time of observance is set aside to honor the flag and all it stands for.
While the Senate debates or possibly votes on the issue of protecting the flag, we will hear pundits and talking heads on both sides argue that the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution protects the protestor's rights to physically desecrate the American flag. They claim that such an amendment would abridge free speech. The Liberals embrace anti American sentiment and seek to defeat the bill as they have in years past to protect their future rights to show their vitriolic stance toward America. So they will argue that the bill shouldn't pass. The Conservatives will argue that although they hate the message that burning the flag sends, it is protected by the Constitution and it's a slippery slope to abridgment of our own free expression. So it should not pass.
I am here to say they both are mistaken. The Conservatives' argument is factually inaccurate and a pacification of 'prospective' constituents. The Liberal argument is predictable and indicative of their anger at our rejection of Socialism.

Sometimes we know in our heart that something is not right. We can't put it into a specific peg hole, but we know it is wrong. Yes when you first consider the meaning of the First Amendment you are likely to conclude that outlawing flag burning is an abridgement of the very speech it protects. That first impression however, is wrong.
The First Amendment reads: Congress shall make no law....... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The 1st Amendment is not meant to protect blatant displays of aggression and hostility. Those who equate flag burning with free speech also equate hurricane Katrina with racism but denounce the notion that Socialist welfare is inherently racist. They lobby for movies to warn of inappropriate language because someone mentioned Jesus or God while fighting in the courts to secure the right to use profanity on public airways and nudity on network TV during the day. They fight for the lives of convicted murderers and child rapists while battling equally as hard for rights to kill the most vulnerable among us. When right thinking people adopt a belief these vermin propagate, they become victims of their policy.
The First Amendment does not protect your right to burn the American flag. It protects your right to peacefully assemble. Last I knew setting on fire an effigy or symbol of the American people is not peaceful assembly! So if I walk down the street and set my mortgage papers on fire because I am mad at Ben Bernanke, should I expect to get a fine?

Protected threat ?


If you accept the common interpretation of this amendment regarding flag burning, are you also ready to stand up and support Clan members' rights to burn crosses in protest of non Aryan races. You say, "What?? Has he lost his mind?!?! "
No I have not. If burning a flag is protected by the Constitution, why would burning a cross not be equally protected as free speech? The flag burner is protesting government and the KKK is protesting the government's policy on immigration of non whites. The KKK is making a threat by burning a cross and so is the protester. Is it taboo to symbolically attack a race but not a nation? No, it is wrong to show outward aggression toward your neighbor and seek to incite violence, and before you say flag burning doesn't incite violence, just try it in front of me.

Will it pass this time?
Similar amendment proposals have been shot down by miniscule margins. The most recent failed by 3 votes. I believe since the Senate changes in 2004 this amendment has a very good chance of passage and if more proud Americans will write their Senators and demand passage we can put this non-sense to rest once and for all.I am optimistic that this amendment will pass.