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*sigh*....Makes me dislike the hispanic population more and more...and I've never been racist. But as I get older I meet more and more hispanics with the mentality that it is okay to do this to our flag. It makes me so mad and sometimes I wish bad things upon all the illegals....I try to be fair, but dang it, why do "we" cater to these people?
The cops didn't do anything but tell the Americans to stand back for the most part.
*sigh*....Makes me dislike the hispanic population more and more...and I've never been racist. But as I get older I meet more and more hispanics with the mentality that it is okay to do this to our flag. It makes me so mad and sometimes I wish bad things upon all the illegals....I try to be fair, but dang it, why do "we" cater to these people?
The cops didn't do anything but tell the Americans to stand back for the most part.
uuuugggghhhhhhh
There is no reason to hate Hispanics over these flag stupidities. There has been a court case testing the limits of free speech by burning the American flag, Americans burning American flags. Thats even worse than putting another flag before the American flag.
There is no reason to hate Hispanics over these flag stupidities. There has been a court case testing the limits of free speech by burning the American flag, Americans burning American flags. Thats even worse than putting another flag before the American flag.
You know PL, one can understand the utter contempt we have for those who burn the flag a lot more if they had fought to preserve the flag.
I don't know anyone who has served in our military who would condone flag burning - just the opposite -
You know PL, one can understand the utter contempt we have for those who burn the flag a lot more if they had fought to preserve the flag.
I don't know anyone who has served in our military who would condone flag burning - just the opposite -
Letter from Colin Powell (5/18/1999)
GENERAL COLIN L. POWELL, USA (RET)
909 NORTH WASHINGTON STREET, SUITE 767
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 22314
The Honorable Patrick Leahy
United States Senate
Washington, DC 10510-4502
Dear Senator Leahy,
Thank you for your recent letter asking my views on the proposed flag protection amendment.
I love our flag, our Constitution and our country with a love that has no bounds. I defended all three for 35 years as a soldier and was willing to give my life in their defense.
Americans revere their flag as a symbol of the Nation. Indeed, it is because of that reverence that the amendment is under consideration. Few countries in the world would think of amending their Constitution for the purpose of protecting such a symbol.
We are rightfully outraged when anyone attacks or desecrates our flag. Few Americans do such things and when they do they are subject to the rightful condemnation of their fellow citizens. They may be destroying a piece of cloth, but they do no damage to our system of freedom which tolerates such desecration.
If they are destroying a flag that belongs to someone else, that's a prosecutable crime. If it is a flag they own, I really don't want to amend the Constitution to prosecute someone for foolishly desecrating their own property. We should condemn them and pity them instead.
I understand how strongly so many of my fellow veterans and citizens feel about the flag and I understand the powerful sentiment in state legislatures for such an amendment. I feel the same sense of outrage. But I step back from amending the Constitution to relieve that outrage. The First Amendment exists to insure that freedom of speech and expression applies not just to that with which we agree or disagree, but also that which we find outrageous. I would not amend that great shield of democracy to hammer a few miscreants. The flag will be flying proudly long after they have slunk away.
Finally, I shudder to think of the legal morass we will create trying to implement the body of law that will emerge from such an amendment.
If I were a member of Congress, I would not vote for the proposed amendment and would fully understand and respect the views of those who would. For or against, we all love our flag with equal devotion.
I believe there should be a law passed right away that bans any flag other then our own from being displayed.
This is American, that is our flag and if you remove it, burn it or destroy it you should be shot on the spot.
People we had people wake up REAL quick. I am sick of people trying to defend those people who want to change our culture.
Time to get the machine guns out and use the damn things.
Time to get the B 52s ready for a total deporation of these people.
It is only going to get worse if we do not take a stand and stop this.
How dare posters here defend these people, you should be deported with them for defending them.
Easy there.
I take offence to anybody desecrating my flag as well; that stated, the context of said desecration needs to be taken in context.
And; strictly speaking, a US flag has 13 stripes along with 50 stars. No more and no less. In other words; say a protester defaced a facsimile of a US flag with, say, 51 stars-----any law proscribing desecration would not apply.
There is no reason to hate Hispanics over these flag stupidities. There has been a court case testing the limits of free speech by burning the American flag, Americans burning American flags. Thats even worse than putting another flag before the American flag.
I don't hate hispanics...but I'm not as openly nice as I once was...in my ignorant days. My ex was hispanic and her parents came here illegally and I have a huge problem with the fact he owns an apartment building in American...one of the reasons why she is my ex. Most of my exs are hispanic...so I don't hate, but I will speak up if and when I find out someone is here illegally.
GENERAL COLIN L. POWELL, USA (RET)
909 NORTH WASHINGTON STREET, SUITE 767
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 22314
The Honorable Patrick Leahy
United States Senate
Washington, DC 10510-4502
Dear Senator Leahy,
Thank you for your recent letter asking my views on the proposed flag protection amendment.
I love our flag, our Constitution and our country with a love that has no bounds. I defended all three for 35 years as a soldier and was willing to give my life in their defense.
Americans revere their flag as a symbol of the Nation. Indeed, it is because of that reverence that the amendment is under consideration. Few countries in the world would think of amending their Constitution for the purpose of protecting such a symbol.
We are rightfully outraged when anyone attacks or desecrates our flag. Few Americans do such things and when they do they are subject to the rightful condemnation of their fellow citizens. They may be destroying a piece of cloth, but they do no damage to our system of freedom which tolerates such desecration.
If they are destroying a flag that belongs to someone else, that's a prosecutable crime. If it is a flag they own, I really don't want to amend the Constitution to prosecute someone for foolishly desecrating their own property. We should condemn them and pity them instead.
I understand how strongly so many of my fellow veterans and citizens feel about the flag and I understand the powerful sentiment in state legislatures for such an amendment. I feel the same sense of outrage. But I step back from amending the Constitution to relieve that outrage. The First Amendment exists to insure that freedom of speech and expression applies not just to that with which we agree or disagree, but also that which we find outrageous. I would not amend that great shield of democracy to hammer a few miscreants. The flag will be flying proudly long after they have slunk away.
Finally, I shudder to think of the legal morass we will create trying to implement the body of law that will emerge from such an amendment.
If I were a member of Congress, I would not vote for the proposed amendment and would fully understand and respect the views of those who would. For or against, we all love our flag with equal devotion.
Sincerely,
General Colin Powell, USA (RET)
Well, here's the thing. If you are in the US illegally and you have come to the conclusion that this country owes you citizenship and the full panoply of benefits accrued to citizens, then burning a US flag may not help you make your case.
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