Webloggin » The Flag Amendment And Jackass Senators

Today, the US Senate disgraced itself by failing to vote for a Flag Desecration Amendment. The vote failed by one to get the two thirds required to send it on. While I expect Democrats to vote against the Flag there are three Republicans who voted against it. These three people need to be defeated the next time they are up for election. The American Legion has been very involved in this issue and I am not sure if the Legion donates to political campaign but if they ever donate money to any Senator who voted against this they will lose my support, my dues, and the dues of any other person i can persuade to quit the organization.

There are mixed feelings about this from many people. There are those who mistakenly think that Flag burning is free speech. The Supreme Court got it wrong, burning a Flag is an act. Even if we allow that it is “speech” there are many acts that would qualify as speech that are prohibited. People who burn crosses on their own property are arrested for hate crimes, and I bet if a neo Nazi group had swastikas all over their property they would have to remove them. The symbols of religion that people keep in some workplaces are removed (only Christian symbols) because they are not allowed the same “free speech” though the very same Amendment allows them to not have the practice of religion by them restricted. And if you really want to see how some items are not protected speech, go out and say that you want to kill the President.

There are Senators who voted against this because they think they will be voting to take away someone’s right under the Constitution. Many years ago the Supreme Court ruled that taxes were unconstitutional. So the Congress passed and states ratified (what were they thinking) the 16th Amendment that allowed the Congress to collect taxes. They were not worried about taking away someone’s rights that the Supreme Court said existed (the right no to be taxed). They changed the Constitution to screw all wage earners and that has morphed into only rich wage earners. The Amendment would not have made it illegal to destroy a Flag. It stated that Congress shall have the right to make laws prohibiting the desecration of the Flag.

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