This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.
This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.
This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.
This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.
This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.
This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.
Yes it is. I can think of nothing that signifies free speech more. :thumbs:
Of course burning our flag is and should be protected speech. Just as you can hang a Nazi Swastika flag on your home. Or go up to a black family and tell them matter-of-factly how you wish that they were still slaves. Or openly denying the Holocaust. Or referring to all Muslims as a bunch of evil backwards barbarians. All of this is protected expression.
I would prefer knowing who the worst pieces of garbage in our society are by letting the garbage air itself out.
Of course. Opposition to flag-burning is moon-faced, gleeful pig-ignorance of this country and what this country is about. Mark Twain had it right over 100 years ago.
"You see my kind of loyalty was loyalty to one's country, not to its institutions or its office-holders. The country is the real thing, the substantial thing, the eternal thing; it is the thing to watch over, and care for, and be loyal to; institutions are extraneous, they are its mere clothing, and clothing can wear out, become ragged, cease to be comfortable, cease to protect the body from winter, disease, and death. To be loyal to rags, to shout for rags, to worship rags, to die for rags -- that is a loyalty of unreason, it is pure animal; it belongs to monarchy, was invented by monarchy; let monarchy keep it. I was from Connecticut, whose Constitution declares "that all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their benefit; and that they have at all times an undeniable and indefeasible right to alter their form of government in such a manner as they may think expedient."
-Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Of course. Opposition to flag-burning is moon-faced, gleeful pig-ignorance of this country and what this country is about. Mark Twain had it right over 100 years ago.
"You see my kind of loyalty was loyalty to one's country, not to its institutions or its office-holders. The country is the real thing, the substantial thing, the eternal thing; it is the thing to watch over, and care for, and be loyal to; institutions are extraneous, they are its mere clothing, and clothing can wear out, become ragged, cease to be comfortable, cease to protect the body from winter, disease, and death. To be loyal to rags, to shout for rags, to worship rags, to die for rags -- that is a loyalty of unreason, it is pure animal; it belongs to monarchy, was invented by monarchy; let monarchy keep it. I was from Connecticut, whose Constitution declares "that all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their benefit; and that they have at all times an undeniable and indefeasible right to alter their form of government in such a manner as they may think expedient."
-Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Of course the incredible thing is, we actually fought in a world war against the nation that the swastika flag represents.
We also fought a bloody civil war against the Confederates. Both the Confederates and the Nazis lost, we defeated them.
I do not know of any other country that permits the flags of its historical enemies to be displayed.
Maybe such countries exist. It would be interesting to find out.
I won't pick sides, but I am amazed.
And by the way, I do WANT very much TO pick sides, but I won't.
I guess there's an Orangeman for every Catholic.
This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.
How does one's loyalty to the country instantiate itself if one shows no care or regard for the country's symbols or to its institutions (including laws, traditions, culture, governmental institutions, etc.), Tanngrisnir? In what way is one loyal to the country? The literal soil of the nation?
Too true. And we certainly fought wars against enemies who burned and desecrated our flag and everything that they believe it represented. Yet we let people engage in the behavior that enemies of our country did and still do.
Too true. But there is no way we can keep people from believing in evil things and displaying their evil beliefs without ourselves becoming the tyrannies we loath.
I voted no. Since the flag is the symbol of our country and our country's constitution is the entity that guarantees free speech it would seem that burning the flag is symbolically destroying free speech. IF one feels the country needs changing then the tools and procedures to affect those changers are guaranteed by the constitution which is the framework of our freedom.
And how they try to substitute obnoxious bull**** for thoughtful posts.People like you make me ashamed to be an American, and make me reflect on Ben Franklin's comments.
Our constituion is not what gaurantees free speech.
It is extaordinary to me how ignorant people are of history.
According to the ACLU, marching through a neighborhood of Jewish Holocaust survivors carrying a Nazi Swastika flag is a close second, perhaps.
This seems like a relevant question, because of all the free speech debates.
It's a simple yes or no question.