I believe it is wrong to desecrate the American flag. It is a symbol of freedom and of who we are, and it is an insult to all Americans, past and present, when it is burned or defamed. Too many dedicated men and women have fought and died to protect our flag and our freedoms for me to stand by and support its destruction in the name of so-called freedom of expression.
To which, two questions:
1. Would the senator make it a crime to "defame" the flag?
2. What's the difference between freedom of expression and "so-called" freedom of expression?
20 comments:
I don't care if somebody burns the flag, as long as the person wraps it around his head first!
Wow, In light of his flag burning position I've got a new slogan for Conrad - "no nonsense left behind."
JP had promised me Burns' position on a number of issues such as an exit strategy on the war on drugs, his thoughts on term limits (pretty loaded question I'll admit), equalizing the unfortunate tax treatment between employer and individual health insurance plans (but now he's promoting both small government and pride in the prescription drug plan.)
No mention of earmarking reform (you got to give it to Conrad, he has done a hell of job bringing home the pork) or legislative process reform.
Maybe it's time he comes home for an extended rest.
Hey, Corny has enough Abramoff money to buy EVERYONE in Montana a new flag should they decide to burn the ones they already have. I don't see a problem here. And like 3rdy there, I don't care if Corny burns a flag......long as he wraps Jack's money in it first!
David,
I am intrigued by that phrase, "so-called." I see it a lot in newspapers, and it does not seem to have an obvious meaning.
Does it mean the reporter is not vouching for the meaning of the word she is using? Here is an example from a New York Times article about that city's diabetes epidemic:
"So-called Type 2 diabetes, the predominant form and the focus of this series, is creeping into children, something almost unheard of two decades ago."
What do you mean, so-called Type 2 diabetes? Isn't that what it's called?
In the same series of stories, the Times also refers to the "so-called bad cholesterol."
The so-called phrase is a bit overused.
Diane
Diane,
It's kind of like the use of quotation marks to cast "doubt" on anything a so-called "reporter" writes. It's a lazy and sloppy "trick" (although I probably would agree with the Times on "bad cholesterol," which really isn't named that).
Geez. I thought that said "Burns the fag"!
Nah, Burns ain't a fag. But he WAS just helpin' that sheep over the fence!
Like the so-called "Patriot Act?"
Freedom of Expression: How It Works
Legal to desecrate unapproved symbols (Nazi flag). Illegal to desecrate approved symbols (American flag).
Legal to use hate speech to describe oppressor races (whites). Illegal to use hate speech to describe oppressed races (blacks).
Legal to print lies about advanced religions (Christianity). Illegal to print truth about backward religions (Islam).
So, which is better -- using quotes or using so-called?
So-called bad cholesterol or "bad" cholesterol?
Diane
Another definition of freedom of expression:
Allows anonymous jackasses to spout garbage they wouldn't dare attach their names to.
I nominate Ed Kemmick for SCOTUS.
You mean SCROTUS, don't you?
As in SCROTUS MINIMUS, right?
I nominate Budge for SCROTUM!
Ed Kemmick: This is how it works. You can have a dynamic and interesting blog like this one and anonymous posters, or you can have a phony piece of crap blog like yours where everybody has a fake name and pretends to know everybody else.
I nominate Anon for Vice Scrotum! He's got a good point!
I accept the nomination. Running for re-election is easy.
Anon: God, I hate to admit this, but you are absolutely right! Just this morning I got an e-mail from a regular reader who said, "Ed, the blog is getting so boring lately. Is there any way you could attract an anonymous racist (preferably from Ennis) who could make scrotum jokes?"
Sigh. If only.
Ed, I'd be glad to come over for some unedited politcal punditry! THAT should attract a few readers!
LK
The Billings Blog: Your No. 1 Montana source for scrotum-related political punditry.
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