Congressman Michael Capuano Says You Can Burn the Flag, But Not on Television

I don't know what bothers me more, the base ignorance of the Massachusetts politicians who favor the Flag Protection Amendment, or the base hypocrisy of the ones who oppose it but supported the television censorship bill.  Congressman Michael Capuano, for example, voted in favor of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act but opposes the flag amendment.  So he's OK with speech restrictions when they violate constitutional principles, but he's opposed to them when they're incorporated into the constitution?

For my part, I consider the Flag Protection Amendment to be unnecessary, divisive, and wholly against the spirit of the most important amendment of them all: the first.  (Also, it would be yet another expansion of the federal government's power beyond that envisioned by anyone at the founding of the nation.)   When we lose the freedoms that make America great, we become just another country with lots of guns - like all the other ones.

Comments

[theautoprophet]

How about this: if we allow "protesters" to burn our flag, then I am allowed to kick the crap out of them without charges, on account of their provocative speech.

[carpundit]

I agree with the sentiment entirely. I have no desire to burn our flag, and I generally loathe those who do. I care about the RIGHT to burn the flag.

[BigFordFan]

I agree with the AutoProphet's sentiment, but also don't see a reasonalbe purpose to enact legislation or amend the constitution.

I would never personally participate in a flag burning, but these loonies do have that right.

And violence doesn't solve anything.

For those that want to counter the flag burning, do the opposite, display a flag on your house with pride. That's what we do.

[wavemaker]

How about this:

Which video image does more damage to America's reputation abroad (if anyone cares):

A. Dick Durbin's speech on the Senate floor comaring Gitmo interrogation techniques (not torture -- techniques) to the Nazis,etc. or

B. A bunch of loonies on the streets of, say, SEATTLE (yeah, Seattle) burining an American flag and waving signs calling Bush dirty names.

[note that I said Bush -- that's because I don't know of any right-wing loonies who burn the flag -- but it is not an invitation to exercise partisan hair-splitting depending on your sympathies with sign's contents. This is supposed to be a "content neutral" exercise]

Both eminently protected. Both idiotic. Both deserving of an ass-kicking?

[carpundit]

Both protected for now. Wait a bit and the Seattle crowd might go to prison. In a cell next to Howard Stern.