Should flag burning be illegal?

Nine clowns with gavels and gowns. Political appointees telling us what our rights are. Judicial Review is not self-government; it only reveals the selfishness of our self-appointed political oligarchy.

 

People still have the freedom of speech to verbally state that they hate the country that they live in. Flag burning is not all that much different than doing that, if you really think about that.

 

indeed, I know. And I don't quite know what to make of it as it kind of undermines my whole position.. I mean, I don't want to go ban speech like that do I? And I've said that the flag is the nation, and that burning it is an insult, so if just going back a step and insulting the nation directly verbally it ought to be the same case. and it is. well (*)(*)(*)(*) me, I don't like painting myself into a corner like this. I'm dropping this...

 

My feelings about the flag are irrelevant, as are yours. If you don't support freedom for people who (*)(*)(*)(*) you off, then you don't support freedom. If you are going to ask the government to protect your feelings, I have one piece of advice for you: careful what you wish for...

 

Then why did you vote "yes" in the poll?

 

Sure, YOU might stop. But there are six billion other people on this planet...

Well, sir, a person who tries to convince me that punching me in the face is the same thing as tell me to F off? Come on man, you're either being deliberately pedantic or...

 

You can use that for every argument one can make.

What im getting at is that it eventually boils down to emotions, which you people say polocy should be based on. Theres no real meaningful difference between a word and a punch other tjan the value we humans give it with our emotions. Im not saying its equally bad, just that your position aswell as mine and everyone elses is based on emotions.

 

That's pure nonsense.

 

then explain it.

 

Sticks and stones may break my bones?

 

yes they can, but I want you to understand that there's nothing logical, or empirical or anything that differentiates that from saying something mean, we judge it, based on our feelings and emotions about what is right and what is wrong, to be worse. I just want you to abandon your position that you don't base anything of emotions, you do. everything is emotions.

 

Pure means unadulterated and nonsense means it doesn't hold water logically.

You're welcome.

 

Flag-burning is just to humiliate Americans who have healthy, manly, and patriotic emotions and put them in their place. I can't wait until the first flag-burner accidentally sets himself on fire. If that happened all the time, I'd accept flag-burning as freedom of speech expressing all these traitors are really good for.

 

To respond to some other user's arguements, flag burning is NOT treason at all. In the USA, flag burning is legal. As to whether or not flag burning should be legal is a whole other debate, but since flag burning is legal, it cannot be treason at all.

Now, something being legal or not doesn't directly make it treason or not (for example, a thief is not committing treason, despite commiting a crime), but I don't see how a legal act (flag burning) can be considered treason at all.

Meaning, it cannot be treason if the government allows it to happen.

 

it's symbolic treason though, and conservatives care about symbolism in regards to certain things. but then, all people have some pet peeve.

 

Ahh, so it's SYMBOLIC (key word-symbolic treason). But if it's just symbolic then why should the legal system be involved in it?

 

it shouldn't. see post #253

 

I used to support the stance that flag burning was freedom of speech under the naive belief that those that actually chose to exercise this freedom would be universally shunned as bad people. Which has not been the case. In fact, if anything, it's been the exact opposite. Thus from a logical standpoint, it doesn't make any sense to me to have laws in place which actively encourage the destruction of the nation. And from a moral standpoint, I don't believe there is any virtue in promoting someone's right to be a (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)bag just for the sake of appearing "cool" and "hands-off." You want to call me authoritarian? Call me authoritarian. Just don't burn my flag while you're doing it.

 

Flag burning should be legal. Here's why. It doesn't hurt anybody, except for emotionally of course, if you're patriotic, and it's freedom of speech! People have every right to say that the government sucks. Every government has its flaws, and it's freedom of speech to insult the government, whether you like it or not, or agree with it or not!

 

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. I just think it's a stupid one.

 

Regardless of whether or not I convince you that I'm right (it seems like neither one of us will change our opinion), please tell me why my opinion is stupid.

Flag burning cannot be treason, because it's LEGAL and the government allows it.

 

I already explained it in the first thing you quoted. I'm not into promoting pro-(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)bag laws just for the sake of looking cool. I'm fine with whatever label you want to give me because of that.

You're also using the law to justify the law here. Which is circular reasoning.

 

No, that is assault which is and should be a crime...

 

No, it's not circular reasoning. With this arguement, I'm not arguing about whether flag burning should be legal or not. I'm just saying that it's not treason.

A person who burns a flag is allowed to do that by law in the USA, and the government allows it, so how can it be treason???

 

There are no laws in place "actively encouraging" flag burning. Also, you have no authority, legally or otherwise to decide whether or not someones actions make him a (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)bag. The best policy is to keep your hands off of other people and their property and mind your own business. If someone purchases a flag and wishes to burn it or wipe his ass with it, it is none of your damn business, it belongs to him. We are fast becoming a nation of nosey dickheads busy body ********s.