"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -- unknown

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

the f'ing senate
June 28, 2006 - 6:35 am

wholey fuck.

do i get the basic notion of what the flag represents? yes, i do. i understand it's arguably the leading symbol of this nation.

do i understand why some people are so deadset against it? yes, i do. i understand that some people feel if you burn the flag, you are, in effect, saying you want to burn (destroy) this country.

by my reaction, you can guess that i'm against the ban.

i apperciate if your for it, but you won't change my mind.

i object on two levels.

1) amendments should be used to PROTECT our rights. they should not be used to limit anything. name one one current amendment that limits what an individual person can do.

2) being a patriot is not blind love for your nation. i'm sorry, but it's not. you have an intense dislike for parts of our country and still be just as "good" a citizen as someone who professes to love ever bit of it.

if you can't wrap your mind around the idea.. that people have fought and died in wars for (in this specific instance) the very right to burn the flag... then you, in my opinion, are allowing yourself to be blinded by emotion.

granted, most of the displays where i've seen the flag burned.. it was being used to draw attention (much like the various naked/topless protests that happen from time to time), which tends to say to me that your "issue" doesn't matter to most people and so you are just attention whoring to get on tv...

that aside, i have seen protests where the burning of the flag was part of the message.. part of their point.

do i like what those folks had to say? no, i don't.

do i think they have right to say it? yes, i do.

and you know what.. the very fact that people can get up and a burn a flag -- a symbol that is hugely important to so many people (even those who've chosen to burn it) -- is one of the biggest, most important reasons why i relish the fact i live here.

to every person who wants to take away choice.. and freedom, i ask you -- if you really relish living in the land of the free, why do strive to limit that freedom?