Burning flags
Alright. Let's get this done. There's flag burning in the air and it's bull plop.
If there is (given that the correct number of states ratify) an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that prohibits the burning of the American flag, well three things will be true:
1) The Constitution would, for the second time, prohibit the individual free action of Americans consistent with their free exercise of liberty. The only other time that's been done was Prohibition. And we know that turned out real well.
2) What the fuck? The Constitution was established to constrain the power of government to regulate the free conduct of citizens. Are we really prepared to constrain the free expression of Americans because you don't like the way they express themselves? Get ready for such an amendment to turn into a justification for the government to prohibit all manner of free speech that is inconvenient for their political purposes. There's a reason that it's the FIRST Amendment.
3) I hate the people that burn the flag. That's just douchebaggery, burning the flag is iconoclasm (literally) and it's stupid and offensive and I have no truck with those who would burn the flag to make a point, because they could a make their point better if they stopped smoking the weed long enough to do something about the world instead of acting like assholes and staging dumbass protests. Make America better, don't hate America.
That said: The day that burning the Stars and Stripes becomes unconstitutional, I'll burn that motherfucker, and I'll burn it proud. Because my family and friends that did military service did service to ensure that I could express freedom so far as to BURN THE FLAG. 'Cause America is more than the fucking flag. America is great exactly because our nation is so strong we can even burn our flag and let that be patriotism. Who else can say that? That's the essence of the promise of American freedom. We're so free that we can even hate our own country from time to time. That's real freedom motherfucker. You make that unAmerican, then that Constitution, that I know and revere, is tainted with unAmericanism. And that would be the worst thing ever.
If there is (given that the correct number of states ratify) an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that prohibits the burning of the American flag, well three things will be true:
1) The Constitution would, for the second time, prohibit the individual free action of Americans consistent with their free exercise of liberty. The only other time that's been done was Prohibition. And we know that turned out real well.
2) What the fuck? The Constitution was established to constrain the power of government to regulate the free conduct of citizens. Are we really prepared to constrain the free expression of Americans because you don't like the way they express themselves? Get ready for such an amendment to turn into a justification for the government to prohibit all manner of free speech that is inconvenient for their political purposes. There's a reason that it's the FIRST Amendment.
3) I hate the people that burn the flag. That's just douchebaggery, burning the flag is iconoclasm (literally) and it's stupid and offensive and I have no truck with those who would burn the flag to make a point, because they could a make their point better if they stopped smoking the weed long enough to do something about the world instead of acting like assholes and staging dumbass protests. Make America better, don't hate America.
That said: The day that burning the Stars and Stripes becomes unconstitutional, I'll burn that motherfucker, and I'll burn it proud. Because my family and friends that did military service did service to ensure that I could express freedom so far as to BURN THE FLAG. 'Cause America is more than the fucking flag. America is great exactly because our nation is so strong we can even burn our flag and let that be patriotism. Who else can say that? That's the essence of the promise of American freedom. We're so free that we can even hate our own country from time to time. That's real freedom motherfucker. You make that unAmerican, then that Constitution, that I know and revere, is tainted with unAmericanism. And that would be the worst thing ever.
Labels: politics
posted by justin | 11:38 PM
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