Well, Teach and I were playing golf and discussing the proposed Flag Amendment. Yes, pirates need to relax, too. This isn’t a White Trash Wednesday post. This is serious. Now, reading around the ‘sphere, I have run across folks who support the Amendment, and folks who don’t. (Kinda shows that those who are Right of center aren’t sheeple, eh?) Now, Teach and I love the Flag. That is why he started the American Flag League. People burning it pisses us off royaly. But do we need an Amendment? Good question.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 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.
Burning the Flag is not Free Speech. Speech is not action, but word. Over the years, decades, and centuries, but particularly through the latter half of the 20th, people have forgotten that, and applied Free Speech to things which are not. Burning the Flag is not speech.
Furthermore, burning a Flag turns a peacable assembly to a violent one. Burning a Flag is not a proper forum to petition the Government for redress.
But is an Amendment necessary? I say no. Arson and violence are already crimes. People who burn the Flag should be arrested. While what flag burners do is certainly worse in my eyes then standard mayhem, let’s apply existing laws. It is not against the law to kill a Bald Eagle because they are a national symbol. It is against the law because they are endangered.
What we need are courts that will uphold the First Amendment, not rewrite it for their own Liberal purposes. We do not need an Amendment, but regular laws that protect it, like we used to have in 48 States before the liberal courts shot them down, over-ruling the Will of the People.
Furthermore, I would say that what we need is a law that allows people to beat the shit out of anyone burning the flag. Violence is not always the answer, but sometimes, it is. Or, maybe bring back dueling, even if it is with guns that shoot bean bags, similar to what the police use, or rubber bullets. People need to know that there are consequences for their bad behavior and conduct.
Now, I will say, my mind is not made up 100%. I will gladly listen to any arguments for or against the Amendment. Say your piece.
Woops: Apparently I cut out a sentence. I have added it in red.
Read: On the Flag Amendment »
