Why do some legislators want to dismantle the Bill of Rights to "protect" the flag?
Dan Brawner
April 03, 2007
Would you go to a Denny’s restaurant, look over the colorful menu, find some entre that looks appealing and then eat the picture? Or course not. Only somebody seriously delusional would mistake photos of food for the food itself. So then why is the Iowa legislature all lathered up about reintroducing two flag desecration laws that were recently found to be unconstitutional?
Anybody, even someone seriously out of touch with reality–like a legislator–should know the difference between their country and a symbol for their country. The country requires protection. The symbol does not. The country needs roads, a national guard, social security, health care, laws, schools and parks. A flag occasionally requires a good washing. If our country burned, it would be a national tragedy. But if some dope secretly burns an American flag in his bathtub, who cares?
And yet Iowa legislators are deeply concerned about “protecting” the American flag. What do they think might happen to our flags? Would their laws keep flags from getting old and frayed? Would they protect our flags from rain and bird droppings? From fading or wrinkling? If our country and our flag are the same thing, then the highest priority of our military should be to make certain that under no circumstance would anybody be allowed to own a flag or even come near one for fear of causing it harm. With this in mind, anybody even seen carrying an American flag should be, just to be on the safe side, shot dead on sight. After all, we cannot allow such risks to our national security.
Some would argue that flag protection laws are intended to promote patriotism and penalize disrespect. But shouldn’t patriotism be voluntary?
According to the United States Flag Code, the respectful, ritualized burning of the American flag is a proper way of disposing of a worn out flag. This is routinely taught to Boy Scouts and soldiers. It is practiced by members of the American Legion and Daughters of the American Revolution. But some legislators believe it should be a crime if somebody burns a flag in protest or hatred of America. Therefore, it is not actually burning the flag they object to, but the political statement it expresses. And as distasteful and emotionally charged as this action may be, this, like all political statements is protected under our Constitution–which is not merely a symbol, but a binding legal document under which our rights, regardless of their political orientation, are protected.
Ironically, it’s perfectly legal to burn the president in effigy–although he, too, is a symbol of America. These days, one would probably have to get a pollution permit–which is understandable. Some presidents do produce a lot of pollution.
Although the US Congress has repeated defeated proposed constitutional amendments to protect the American flag, in Florida, it is a crime to burn the Confederate flag. Very few countries make it illegal to desecrate their flag. One exception is Saudi Arabia. Famous for confusing symbol with reality, they also blame the hand of a thief–by cutting it off.
It may turn our stomach to see some jerk burning the American flag. But if it were not for dissenting opinions and revolution, there wouldn’t be an American flag today–or the great country it represents.
Anybody, even someone seriously out of touch with reality–like a legislator–should know the difference between their country and a symbol for their country. The country requires protection. The symbol does not. The country needs roads, a national guard, social security, health care, laws, schools and parks. A flag occasionally requires a good washing. If our country burned, it would be a national tragedy. But if some dope secretly burns an American flag in his bathtub, who cares?
And yet Iowa legislators are deeply concerned about “protecting” the American flag. What do they think might happen to our flags? Would their laws keep flags from getting old and frayed? Would they protect our flags from rain and bird droppings? From fading or wrinkling? If our country and our flag are the same thing, then the highest priority of our military should be to make certain that under no circumstance would anybody be allowed to own a flag or even come near one for fear of causing it harm. With this in mind, anybody even seen carrying an American flag should be, just to be on the safe side, shot dead on sight. After all, we cannot allow such risks to our national security.
Some would argue that flag protection laws are intended to promote patriotism and penalize disrespect. But shouldn’t patriotism be voluntary?
According to the United States Flag Code, the respectful, ritualized burning of the American flag is a proper way of disposing of a worn out flag. This is routinely taught to Boy Scouts and soldiers. It is practiced by members of the American Legion and Daughters of the American Revolution. But some legislators believe it should be a crime if somebody burns a flag in protest or hatred of America. Therefore, it is not actually burning the flag they object to, but the political statement it expresses. And as distasteful and emotionally charged as this action may be, this, like all political statements is protected under our Constitution–which is not merely a symbol, but a binding legal document under which our rights, regardless of their political orientation, are protected.
Ironically, it’s perfectly legal to burn the president in effigy–although he, too, is a symbol of America. These days, one would probably have to get a pollution permit–which is understandable. Some presidents do produce a lot of pollution.
Although the US Congress has repeated defeated proposed constitutional amendments to protect the American flag, in Florida, it is a crime to burn the Confederate flag. Very few countries make it illegal to desecrate their flag. One exception is Saudi Arabia. Famous for confusing symbol with reality, they also blame the hand of a thief–by cutting it off.
It may turn our stomach to see some jerk burning the American flag. But if it were not for dissenting opinions and revolution, there wouldn’t be an American flag today–or the great country it represents.
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