Flag Burning Amendment
Oh Boy, here we go again!
Seems that once again they are trying to amend the constitution to punish people who burn the flag. This is such a non-issue, why waste everyone's time enforcing something that is already on the books in every state, especially considering most of the flag burning is done on foreign soil. I think it will lessen the impact of the current bill of rights by adding a cheeseball law to ones of immense stature in our country.
Let us look at what we have: 27 amendments, with 2 negating each other, in the space of approximately 216 years. That is approximately one amendment every 8 years. However, if you take into account that the first 10 were ratified within the early creation of the constitution, that leaves us with only 15 laws amended in 216 years for a ratio of one amendment every 15 or so years. That means our forefathers and government leaders did not look lightly at messing around with the constitution.
Let's see where this amendment would stand up against some of the other amendments.
(1) Freedom of speech
(2) Right to bear arms
(4) no illegal search and seizure, probable cause, search warrants.
(5) right not to incriminate yourself
(6) speedy trial of your peers
(13) Abolition of slavery
(15) Race not an issue in voting
(19) Gender not an issue in voting
(26) 18+ year olds are allowed to vote
(28) You can't burn a flag (?)
Would this be followed by ...?
(29) You must wait 30 minutes after eating before going swimming.
(30) Do not remove the tag from the mattress.
(31) Do not urinate in the subway tunnel.
I don't understand how people could possibly vote for this, yet the proposed women's right amendment saying that women are equal to men and should be afforded such rights as a man hasn't been ratified. Will they seek to ratify this one again? I don't see anyone clamoring for it anymore.
What it comes down to is that the flag is a symbol. It is people's emotions and pride and honor that are tied into it. Literally it is only a cloth, and as far as I know, I am allowed to set fire to my shirt. People burning flags are making a statement of rejection for the ideas that the flag is representing. No one fought for our flag, they fought for the country that it is representing it. When Sinead O'Connor ripped up a picture of the pope, did she hurt the pope physically in any way? Should she have been prosecuted for ripping up a piece of paper? It's the intent that is damnable, not the actual destruction in this case and in the case of flag burning.
No matter what some people say, you cannot kill an idea and it's hard to change a belief. Have you ever seen a flag burn and say "oh well, the dream is over." What the flag is representing will always be around; the flag is a tangible thing, representing something that you cannot touch, and takes no physical space. Truth and justice are represented by scales, peace is represented by doves, New York is an apple. Should we have amendments protecting these things as well?
Anyone that reads this can copy and paste it into their Live Journal or link to it, I don't mind. I'd like to start discussions amongst people on why every time someone dislikes something anymore, there is a rush to amend the constitution. It should never be a knee-jerk reaction to the times, and should affect society as a whole, unlike this law which would affect whom ...? People in demonstrations with political puppet shows? Ooooo yeah, that is worth amending the constitution to stop those losers. Let the states handle the protestors, and Congress can get back to what it does best ... whatever THAT is LOL
Krunchy
Seems that once again they are trying to amend the constitution to punish people who burn the flag. This is such a non-issue, why waste everyone's time enforcing something that is already on the books in every state, especially considering most of the flag burning is done on foreign soil. I think it will lessen the impact of the current bill of rights by adding a cheeseball law to ones of immense stature in our country.
Let us look at what we have: 27 amendments, with 2 negating each other, in the space of approximately 216 years. That is approximately one amendment every 8 years. However, if you take into account that the first 10 were ratified within the early creation of the constitution, that leaves us with only 15 laws amended in 216 years for a ratio of one amendment every 15 or so years. That means our forefathers and government leaders did not look lightly at messing around with the constitution.
Let's see where this amendment would stand up against some of the other amendments.
(1) Freedom of speech
(2) Right to bear arms
(4) no illegal search and seizure, probable cause, search warrants.
(5) right not to incriminate yourself
(6) speedy trial of your peers
(13) Abolition of slavery
(15) Race not an issue in voting
(19) Gender not an issue in voting
(26) 18+ year olds are allowed to vote
(28) You can't burn a flag (?)
Would this be followed by ...?
(29) You must wait 30 minutes after eating before going swimming.
(30) Do not remove the tag from the mattress.
(31) Do not urinate in the subway tunnel.
I don't understand how people could possibly vote for this, yet the proposed women's right amendment saying that women are equal to men and should be afforded such rights as a man hasn't been ratified. Will they seek to ratify this one again? I don't see anyone clamoring for it anymore.
What it comes down to is that the flag is a symbol. It is people's emotions and pride and honor that are tied into it. Literally it is only a cloth, and as far as I know, I am allowed to set fire to my shirt. People burning flags are making a statement of rejection for the ideas that the flag is representing. No one fought for our flag, they fought for the country that it is representing it. When Sinead O'Connor ripped up a picture of the pope, did she hurt the pope physically in any way? Should she have been prosecuted for ripping up a piece of paper? It's the intent that is damnable, not the actual destruction in this case and in the case of flag burning.
No matter what some people say, you cannot kill an idea and it's hard to change a belief. Have you ever seen a flag burn and say "oh well, the dream is over." What the flag is representing will always be around; the flag is a tangible thing, representing something that you cannot touch, and takes no physical space. Truth and justice are represented by scales, peace is represented by doves, New York is an apple. Should we have amendments protecting these things as well?
Anyone that reads this can copy and paste it into their Live Journal or link to it, I don't mind. I'd like to start discussions amongst people on why every time someone dislikes something anymore, there is a rush to amend the constitution. It should never be a knee-jerk reaction to the times, and should affect society as a whole, unlike this law which would affect whom ...? People in demonstrations with political puppet shows? Ooooo yeah, that is worth amending the constitution to stop those losers. Let the states handle the protestors, and Congress can get back to what it does best ... whatever THAT is LOL
Krunchy