Defending Assault of Flag Burner (Response)

[Shiranu]

So, my facebook has been going crazy lately with conservatives defending some idiot who assaulted a guy who was burning the American flag. The reasons varied from, "BECAUSE AMERICA, DUH!" to, "HE WAS A COMMUNIST, HE DESERVES IT!"... so this was my response. I am curious as to what people here feel about flag burning. I am not a fan of it, but simply because it causes more harm than good (and that is only because people refuse to think rationally about it).

Americans, protip; The United States Supreme Court (refresher; the supreme law of the land) declared in 1989 (Texas v. Johnson) that the act of flag burning is a Constitutionally protected right.
So when you encourage... no, gleefully cheer for... assault (a criminal misdemeanour at best, felony at worst) of a peaceful protester, just realize that you are saying you have no respect for either the Supreme Court's rulings or the Constitution, which is what makes up the backbone of America's freedom and democracy. Nor do you have respect for the common laws of the land, because again... assault is a felony.
But lets take cold hard facts out of it; when someone burns a flag, they do it 99% of the time as a sign of disrespect for a country that does not live up to its ideals... a disrespect towards a government that is not for or protecting it's people, or a people who do not practice what they preach in regards to tolerance and freedom. They aren't doing it to disrespect what America stands for, they are doing it because America doesn't respect what it is suppose to stand for.
And even if you are offended... that does *not* give you an excuse to therefor commit a crime. That isn't how this whole freedom of speech and "America" thing you want to hoorah about works. All you are doing is spitting on what American soldiers fought and died for.
So... "If you don't like it, leave!". You have no respect for the Supreme Court, the Constitution, the American military who fought and died to protect the rights of free speech (regardless of if you find it offensive or not) and want to commit a crime... I have to ask, why do you hate America so much?

[Mike Cl]

So, my facebook has been going crazy lately with conservatives defending some idiot who assaulted a guy who was burning the American flag. The reasons varied from, "BECAUSE AMERICA, DUH!" to, "HE WAS A COMMUNIST, HE DESERVES IT!"... so this was my response. I am curious as to what people here feel about flag burning. I am not a fan of it, but simply because it causes more harm than good (and that is only because people refuse to think rationally about it).

I like your response--that's about what I'd say.  If we indeed, do have free speech, then flag burning is free speech. 

[kilodelta]

Yeah. I don't respond positively to someone's message when it involves flag burning. But, I'd probably just walk on by ignoring what they're doing instead of punching a hippie...

But, yeah. It's speech. It's protected. It points out that whatever message that they have doesn't stand on its own merit and requires doing something that pisses people off and gets on the news.

[Termin]

 As long as the flag was his own property, and he wasn't using the burning flag to physically  hurt someone , then he has a right to burn it, no matter how stupid an act it is.

[Draconic Aiur]

Its just warped Republicans getting their panties in a knot

[TomFoolery]

Yeah. I don't respond positively to someone's message when it involves flag burning. But, I'd probably just walk on by ignoring what they're doing instead of punching a hippie...

I think burning an American flag is obviously one of the boldest form of political statements anyone can make, one that obviously isn't going to sit well with a lot of people. Americans do love their symbols. If you're looking for a reaction, that's about the fastest way I could think one could get it, short of slow roasting a bald eagle on a rotisserie over the flag's flames. But as far as reaction-seeking, that's a tactic of toddlers and bratty kids. I don't really care about the flag itself, but burning it just inspires reactionary propaganda on both sides. It's not effective.

Their message in my opinion does stand on its own merit. They were there to demonstrate for the Charleston victims and those killed by racist violence in America. I could think of far more powerful ways of protest on such a serious subject than something that was bound to instantly turn into rage and tear-filled screaming before it ever even started.

[Savior2006]

I think burning an American flag is obviously one of the boldest form of political statements anyone can make, one that obviously isn't going to sit well with a lot of people. Americans do love their symbols. If you're looking for a reaction, that's about the fastest way I could think one could get it, short of slow roasting a bald eagle on a rotisserie over the flag's flames. But as far as reaction-seeking, that's a tactic of toddlers and bratty kids. I don't really care about the flag itself, but burning it just inspires reactionary propaganda on both sides. It's not effective.

Their message in my opinion does stand on its own merit. They were there to demonstrate for the Charleston victims and those killed by racist violence in America. I could think of far more powerful ways of protest on such a serious subject than something that was bound to instantly turn into rage and tear-filled screaming before it ever even started.

Great points.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Wait. .I thought that the conservatives in large favor secession especially in Texas and South Carolina and if so they should be thrilled by American flag burning. .

Sayyyyy...something fishy's going on. .

[Sal1981]

IDK about my own country's laws other than some (rather stupid) broad interpretation that you shall respect the nations flag and not "devalue" it (from Fareose: tú skalt virða Merkið og ikki óneyðturviliga niðurseta Merkið) or somesuch.

To me it's just a piece of cloth, nothing more, nothing less, that just so happens to represent my nationality.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

If only we still had the white winged warrior to strike terror in the hearts of evil criminals everywhere. .
https://youtu.be/KgMOOPxkYVk

[drunkenshoe]

I'll never get why people get so offended by flag burning. It's exactly the same thing with muslims being offended by mohammed drawings.

[widdershins]

Flag-burning is a message of anger, possibly hate.  It's not something a rational person who is completely emotionally stable does to get their message across.  It is not the way I, personally, would like any message I believed in to be emphasized.

That being said, you are only truly free if you are free to do things you would never consider doing.  If you would consider doing anything and everything you have a right to do then you're really just a content prisoner to the system.  Burn a flag to get your point across and I am far less likely to consider your gripe or care about it if I do, but I celebrate your right to do so.  It's not like it's a holy relic or anything.  It's just a piece of whatever the plastic equivalent of cloth is.  Nylon, I think?  And if you think you're somehow helping America by buying and burning flags made in China I can't help it, I just have to chuckle a little.  But whatever helps you vent some stress and get some sleep that night, while it does nothing for me, hopefully it's therapeutic for flag-burners.

[widdershins]

Wait. .I thought that the conservatives in large favor secession especially in Texas and South Carolina....

Do you even realize what we could get done in this country if we just dumped the South altogether?  Of course if we cut all of our carbon emissions it still wouldn't be enough to offest what they would output after they got rid of the EPA and anything else standing in the way of big business.  And there's the fact that their corporate overlords would bankrupt their new country in two decades by filling their own pockets indiscriminately and we'd have to take them back.  But still, those couple of decades where we would have to tune into international news to hear the crazy rantings of high-ranking politicians and up-and-coming political candidates would be magical.

[peacewithoutgod]

I live in America, and with very limited travel abroad it's still plain to see how weird a place this is. In school, we were taught  to treat a piece of cloth with more dignity than our classmates! Every day students are expected to rise before classes begin, and recite an obsessive, droning pledge to that piece of cloth, like some kind of a prayer (and have been forced into that often enough, legal or not). We could see what a shock it was to exchange students who witness this ritual for the first time. We all stood facing it in the corner with hand held over our little hearts, and between that and the former standard American flag-pledging gesture of standing with hands strait out and up like the Hitler Youth, I'm not really sure which is more creepy. As for me, I'll try and respect those who do what they can to make this country worth living in, but don't expect me to go anywhere out of my way for any rag, regardless of what you choose to call it. If you ask me to carry one for you, I may comply, but don't expect me to make any fuss over keeping it from ever grazing the ground, or giving it a protracted fiery funeral in the case that such a "horror" should happen. All that said, pissing on something which is important to other people and burning it in public is no less pointless and stupid a stunt as the glorious flag rituals which the dumbest Americans teach this country's children to fret over. I believe in free expression, and I believe in your right to express yourself that way if you feel that you must, but I still don't think it's a good idea. When you bait a mob into attacking you, and then you get what you asked for, I can only be hard-pressed to say you didn't have it coming.

[jonb]

My flag is the transparent flag.

But in all honesty I don't know why people get so het up about coloured cloth. I know they do, I watch American programmes with little flags appearing all over the place, but I don't understand it at all.