The Columbian on Ban Bubbles Up:
Disgusting as it is, flag desecration will always tell us more about the desecrater than it will tell us about the flag. The issue isn't drawing much attention from the two presidential candidates, although each has made brief mention of it recently. Last week in Nashville, President Bush told 6,500 veterans at an American Legion convention that he supports a constitutional amendment "to protect the flag from desecration."
Bush added: "Our fighting men and women are serving America under a proud flag, and that flag should be cherished and protected." Indeed, but freedom of expression also was paid for by more than two centuries of sacrifices by military members. It, too, should be cherished and protected.
Mr. President, as one of those "fighting men and women" of a previous era, I find your lack of comprehension of the First Amendment quite disturbing. While I personally find flag desecration distasteful, unlike your fellow big government conservative apologists, I do not wish to expand the scope and size of government yet again, further into the realm of thought police. No real conservative or libertarian would. But then, you and your groupies aren't real conservatives.
As a former Marine and Gulf War veteran with six years of active duty service to my nation, I simply cannot comprehend how any supporter of the Constitution would attempt to curtail free speech, even speech as ugly as this. This Amendment is an insult to those who sacrificed their liberty and lives in support and defense of the Constitution. It is beyond shameful that any conservative, like my two senators, would dare to emulate the tactics of a communist nation, like China for instance, who recently jailed Hong Kong protestors for burning the communist nation's flag.
Mr. and Ms. Conservative legislator, if you vote for this Amendment you are violating your oath of office and joining hands with communists. Further, you are flagrantly acting in an un-American fashion and completely shirking your responsibiity to uphold and protect our Constitution.
A little strong? Maybe, but we take the gloves off around here and I simply can't stand statists.
Have you ever seen the First Amendment Center’s tv show Speaking Freely? In the opening sequence one can hear the voice of Jack Kennedy saying “If a jerk burns a flag, freedom is not threatened.” (That’s a mild paraphrase; I’m not sure of the item being threatened. It might be “America.”)
What’s good enough for JFK ought to be good enough for Tom Delay and his crowd, I’d say. Silly me, though; he was a (gasp) Democrat!
9/13/2004 1:52:00