September 11, 2004 Letter to Senators Warner and Allen
PO Box 8208
Alexandria, VA 22306-8208
September 11, 2004
The Honorable John William Warner
United States Senate
225 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4601
The Honorable George F. Allen
United States Senate
204 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4604
Dear Senators Warner and Allen:
As your constituent, I urge you to oppose HJ Res. 4/SJ Res. 4, a constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the flag. This legislation would undermine the very principles for which the American flag stands.
As a former Marine and Gulf War veteran with six years of active duty service to my nation, I trust you will do the right thing and honor my service by protecting free speech. Anything less is an insult to those who sacrificied their liberty and lives in support and defense of the Constitution.
While I personally find flag desecration distasteful, I do not wish to expand the scope and size of government yet again into the realm of thought police. No real conservative would.
The proposed constitutional amendment would do irreparable harm to our right to free speech and undermine the very principles for which the American flag stands. Those who favor the proposed amendment say they do so in honor of the flag. But in proposing to unravel the First Amendment, they desecrate what the flag represents, and what millions of Americans have died to defend.
Jailing protesters is common under authoritarian regimes, not in America. Two young protesters in Hong Kong were arrested for burning the Chinese flag after mainland China took over control of the island nation. It is beyond shameful that any conservative would dare to emulate the tactics of a communist nation. If you vote for this Amendment you are violating your oath of office and joining hands with communists.
Cuban courts commonly jail dissidents who “dishonor” the Cuban flag. While jailing protesters might be common in totalitarian regimes, Americans expect — and indeed have put their lives on the line — to ensure that our right to free speech is not abridged.
Do not sellout your oath of office by embracing the tactics of communists. Please don’t spit in my face and tell me my years of service to country and Corps mean nothing, by opposing free speech. Oppose any effort to ban flag desecration or you have completely failed in your obligation to uphold the Constitution.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
James Landrith