Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Flag Burning
Here is a Letter to the Editor in today's Democrat-Gazette. Mr. DuBose is close to a sensible thought. Read on.
It is obvious the so-called flag-burning amendment will make everyone from the kooks on the far left to the wingnuts of the far right unhappy because it (a) goes too far and/or (b) doesnÃ?t go far enough.
How about we sort of straddle the middle with a constitutional amendment that goes something like this:
"Whereas the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of expression; therefore, an individual, hereinafter to be known as the Protester, may at any time and any place burn and/or otherwise desecrate our national flag. And;
"Whereas said First Amendment equally guarantees freedom of speech and expression to all sides of an issue, any American citizen, hereinafter known as the Protestee, who finds said actions of the Protester to be offensive, stupid, childish and/or just plain ignorant may feel free to beat the ever-livin'? dog snot out of said Protester without fear of civil or criminal penalties for said action."
As the law of the land, this may not exactly satisfy both sides in this issue, but it would give each a modicum of satisfaction, keep from further cluttering up our already overloaded legal system with asinine lawsuits and certainly result in an upgrade to our nation's gene pool.
JACK DuBOSE
Conway
The right to free speech is our most cherished freedom, or it should be. Society generally demands gomannersers when one speaks, and burning Old Glory is certainly insensitiveive and stupid act. Somebody so foolish as to set that blaze certainly runs the risk of causing a public outrage, and who would convict the person who beat the dog snot out of a flag burner? Case closed. Justice done.
It is obvious the so-called flag-burning amendment will make everyone from the kooks on the far left to the wingnuts of the far right unhappy because it (a) goes too far and/or (b) doesnÃ?t go far enough.
How about we sort of straddle the middle with a constitutional amendment that goes something like this:
"Whereas the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of expression; therefore, an individual, hereinafter to be known as the Protester, may at any time and any place burn and/or otherwise desecrate our national flag. And;
"Whereas said First Amendment equally guarantees freedom of speech and expression to all sides of an issue, any American citizen, hereinafter known as the Protestee, who finds said actions of the Protester to be offensive, stupid, childish and/or just plain ignorant may feel free to beat the ever-livin'? dog snot out of said Protester without fear of civil or criminal penalties for said action."
As the law of the land, this may not exactly satisfy both sides in this issue, but it would give each a modicum of satisfaction, keep from further cluttering up our already overloaded legal system with asinine lawsuits and certainly result in an upgrade to our nation's gene pool.
JACK DuBOSE
Conway
The right to free speech is our most cherished freedom, or it should be. Society generally demands gomannersers when one speaks, and burning Old Glory is certainly insensitiveive and stupid act. Somebody so foolish as to set that blaze certainly runs the risk of causing a public outrage, and who would convict the person who beat the dog snot out of a flag burner? Case closed. Justice done.
