Flag Burning ammendment

[Thaiboxerken]

What the fuck? The government wants to make an ammendment to the Constitution prohibiting the desecration of US flags now. The bill has passed congress and is likely to pass the house vote. My problem with this is that it clearly violates freedom of expression. If some asshole wants to burn the flag, let him, as long as he's not creating a fire hazard. I mean, if he paid for the flag, it should be his right to do whatever he wants to it. He should be able to use it as toilet paper, for all I care. I think laws and ammendments that promote patriotism is a dangerous path to start down.

What's next? A law that stops people from blaspheming against the words of the president? Our country is going down the toilet one lump at a time.

:qleft2:

[JohnnyCache]

Dude, seriously, something fucking has to be done. People should only count as 2/5s of a vote if they've never taken a civics class or something.

[Poop Loops]

There ought to be limits to freedom.

PL

[beka]

There really ought to be two threads about this

[Poop Loops]

There ought to be limits to the freedom of making two threads about the same thing.

PL

[Olorin]

What's next? A law that stops people from blaspheming against the words of the president?

[danno]

i think olorin is right, it sounds to me like some kind of political stunt. this is not something useful. it's so superficial it's insane. now i don't like to see people burning flags, but for chrissake...

sometimes it is appropriate when a democratic country gets together and has enough freedom to restrict certain kinds of freedom with law, but this to me is just bullshit.

[afronaut]

He's right.

My counter: The message for every Democrat from the minority leader to the first term councilman from Moose Dick, MN is this -- Republicans believe that a piece of cloth is more important than the blood of our sons and daughters.

Repeat. Over and over again. Every Democrat should have to say it in public at least once a day.

We (Dems) get caught flat-footed because we like nuance. "Well the flag is an important symbol. But that symbol stands for the very freedom to destroy that symbol. What a conundrum! Why I was reading Thoreau last night ... "

Voters: "What a fag. Bush kicks towelhead ass."

No nuance. No argument. No evenhanded debate. Here's the message: Bush and Republicans worry more about flags than your dead children.

No apologizing. No bi-partisan co-operation. No smile and handshakes with Bill Frist.

Bush and Republicans dishonor your dead children.

I'm not kidding. We repeat this on a loop until two weeks after the midterm elections. And if the crotch pheasants at Fox, the fundies and the neo-con prickwavers have a beef with that they can take it up with Senator Fuck you and Congressman Suck a Fart out of My Asshole from the great state of I Hate You.

Rinse, repeat.

[afronaut]

Speaking of protests and patriotism, surprise surprise, the gang at Phil's forum just LOVES the idea of the flag burning amendment.

Rove is right on this one. Is there any doubt that public questioning of the government, particularly by high profile people or large groups of low profile people has the potential to weaken whatever government action is being criticized?

[Wounded Ronin]

Ha, ha. Objectvist self reliance my ass. They need the federal government to protect a piece of cloth.

[Thaiboxerken]

Afronaut's idea is great. Unfortunately, the democrats seem to be too PC to go down that road.

[Tiffer]

Guess I have to spread some more rep before I can hit Afronaut again...

I think Dean would say it. Let's face it, the guy is getting PC flak from his own party; if he lasts more than another term or two, I'll be amazed. He seems just hardcore enough to throw some real crap at the Republicans (Biden to a lesser extent), and go down in a sort of mad glory.

Afronaut has the idea right: stay on message, keep it simple. The Republicans figured out that the national attention span is, on average, about ten seconds. Any argument taking longer than that must be some strange liberal rant, probably dervied from Lenin. Riiiiiiight. Playing their game is certainly not the best we could do as a nation, but unfortunately it appears that we won't have any long-term battles to win if we don't start cherry-picking stuff like this.

[afronaut]

Afronaut's idea is great. Unfortunately, the democrats seem to be too PC to go down that road.

I have this daydream that Lyndon Johnson comes back from the dead and becomes the shadow chairman of the DNC.

When Dean starts breathing fire about Republicans and every pussy Democrat trips all over themselves to disassociated themselves from it, Johnson will come to their house and explain to them, over bourbon watching the Nationals on TV, that if they don't man up with the party line they'll be gubbing quarters at the bus station in a week. Or turning their daughter out for trick money and he'll be the first one their with fistful of fivers.

Similarly, at the next Democratic event, when we invarably start quibbling about 10 different issues in 10 different ways and a simple rally because a plea for Palestine, a fundraiser for the still-born, an abortion rights rally and an anti-WalMart protest, Johnson will take all the one-issue freaks into a room and explain that no other topics except winning the House, Senate and Presidency will be discussed until Nov. of 2006 and anyone who doesn't like it, or starts trying to save owls in a Congressional district we need, will end up with a cleft asshole.

[feedback]

He's right.

My counter: The message for every Democrat from the minority leader to the first term councilman from Moose Dick, MN is this -- Republicans believe that a piece of cloth is more important than the blood of our sons and daughters.

Repeat. Over and over again. Every Democrat should have to say it in public at least once a day.

We (Dems) get caught flat-footed because we like nuance. "Well the flag is an important symbol. But that symbol stands for the very freedom to destroy that symbol. What a conundrum! Why I was reading Thoreau last night ... "

Voters: "What a fag. Bush kicks towelhead ass."

No nuance. No argument. No evenhanded debate. Here's the message: Bush and Republicans worry more about flags than your dead children.

No apologizing. No bi-partisan co-operation. No smile and handshakes with Bill Frist.

Bush and Republicans dishonor your dead children.

I'm not kidding. We repeat this on a loop until two weeks after the midterm elections. And if the crotch pheasants at Fox, the fundies and the neo-con prickwavers have a beef with that they can take it up with Senator Fuck you and Congressman Suck a Fart out of My Asshole from the great state of I Hate You.

Rinse, repeat.

fucking brilliant

[Olorin]

I have this daydream that Lyndon Johnson comes back from the dead and becomes the shadow chairman of the DNC. Johnson will come to their house and explain to them, over bourbon watching the Nationals on TV, that if they don't man up with the party line they'll be grubbing quarters at the bus station in a week.

Similarly, at the next Democratic event, when we invariably start quibbling about 10 different issues in 10 different ways and a simple rally because a plea for Palestine, a fundraiser for the still-born, an abortion rights rally and an anti-WalMart protest, Johnson will take all the one-issue freaks into a room and explain that no other topics except winning the House, Senate and Presidency will be discussed until Nov. of 2006 and anyone who doesn't like it, or starts trying to save owls in a Congressional district we need, will end up with a cleft asshole.

We (Dems) get caught flat-footed because we like nuance. "Well the flag is an important symbol. But that symbol stands for the very freedom to destroy that symbol. What a conundrum! Why I was reading Thoreau last night ... "