Burn the American Flag

[Valley Oak]

Published on July 5, 2016
Fists fly as 'cowboy' nationalists fail to stop anarchists burning US flag on 4th of July. Fights broke between anarchists and nationalists in Seattle's Waterfront Park, Monday, after the latter group attempted to stop the leftists from burning the US flag on American Independence Day.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0fP-ds0zCI

A Man Burned The Flag And Got Arrested, Which Is Clearly Unconstitutional (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bryton-mellott-flag-burning_us_577be671e4b0a629c1aadb96?section=)

After reviewing the charge for “flag desecration,” even an Illinois state’s attorney agreed it was bogus.
07/05/2016

A young man who wasn’t feeling very patriotic this 4th of July weekend decided to burn an American flag and tell the world about it on Facebook — only to get arrested the next day after neighbors complained.

Bryton Mellott, 22, of Urbana, Illinois, was taken into custody Monday (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/05/484817551/illinois-man-is-arrested-after-burning-u-s-flag-wont-face-charges) after police received calls about his Facebook posts, which included a picture of him setting the Stars and Stripes on fire and a message explaining that he was “not proud to be an American.”

“In this moment, being proud of my country is to ignore the atrocities committed against people of color, people living in poverty, people who identify as women, and against my own queer community on a daily basis,” Mellott wrote in a Facebook post that appears to have since been taken down.

Continues Here (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bryton-mellott-flag-burning_us_577be671e4b0a629c1aadb96?section=)

36662
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"If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable."



- Justice William Brennan in Texas v. Johnson (1989)

[Thad]

Thought experiment

Instead of a flag you have someone burning The Constitution, only its not one person its 1 million people.

Are you saying its cool to have 1 million people in America who feel like burning The Constitution?

I see no difference between Our Flag and The Constitution
and someone who would burn The Constitution as an enemy of Our Country

There are some things that must be protected as sacred.

If you don't know what sacred means do some homework on reverence.. Its way important to have some of that


Published on Jul 5, 2016
Fists fly as 'cowboy' nationalists fail to stop anarchists burning US flag on 4th of July. ...

[Valley Oak]

Thad, I have a master's degree in Political Science from Sonoma State University. I know a thing, maybe two, about this issue, and others.

For starters, I'm with SCOTUS Justice William Brennan and the majority he spoke for in Texas v. Johnson, 1989 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_v._Johnson) on this one. As I already quoted Justice Brennan in my original, thread staring post:


"If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable."

The US Supreme Court already decided back in 1989 that burning the American flag is Constitutionally protected freedom of speech. I'm with them and their decision. It is the law; it is Constitutional law!

Also, consider the consequences in being consistent with what you are saying. If you have your way and burning the American flag must be prohibited then there have to be legal consequences for doing so. Therefore, what will the penalty be? A $100 fine? One day in jail and an arrest record? Will it be an infraction, a misdemeanor, or a felony? Or should it be a $10,000 fine AND one year in jail? Some people will think even that is too lenient and would like to see the death penalty for a treasonous act.

And if someone wants to burn a copy of the Constitution in public then I can assure you that the SCOTUS will vote that it is also Constitutionally protected freedom of expression.


Thought experiment

Instead of a flag you have someone burning The Constitution, only its not one person its 1 million people.

Are you saying its cool to have 1 million people in America who feel like burning The Constitution?...

[Barry]

...Are you saying its cool to have 1 million people in America who feel like burning The Constitution?...
Yes! Ironically, what's sacred about the constitution is that protects the right of free speech, which includes burning it!

[Valley Oak]

<ytd-video-owner-renderer><ytd-channel-name id="channel-name" wrap-text=""><yt-formatted-string id="text" has-link-only_="">BBC News (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC16niRr50-MSBwiO3YDb3RA)</yt-formatted-string></ytd-channel-name></ytd-video-owner-renderer>

<ytd-expander><yt-formatted-string force-default-style="" split-lines="">President-elect Donald Trump has suggested there should be punishments for people who burn the US flag, such as a year in prison or revoking citizenship. It follows a protest outside Trump Tower where supporters of the NYC Revolution Club burned an American flag. One of those who took part Sunsara Taylor, defended the right to burn the flag, while Church Pastor Jody Rogers condemned the move.</yt-formatted-string>
</ytd-expander>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERe6UD1_-Nc

[SonomaPatientsCoop]

Well, I will say there is US code that deals with the US flag, and it does start off: "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America" .
Though it has been well established that, at least in cases of protest free speech- those laws trump the code.

And I would add that the code also has lines such as: "(d)The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery...." I think we all can point to hundreds if not thousands of examples of this.

And: "
(i)The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.... " Well, I got 3 words for this- Budweiser Flag cans...

[Valley Oak]

The Hill - 03/11/20

Protests erupted in Raleigh, N.C., on Tuesday night, with demonstrators burning a flag at the governor’s mansion after police shot an alleged gunman during a chase.

Hundreds of protesters rallied outside Gov. Roy Cooper's (D) mansion, where the crowd took and burned an American flag, blocked roads and chanted, CBS News reported (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/javier-torres-raleigh-police-shooting-sparks-protest-and-flag-burning/). Protesters also gathered outside the home of Raleigh's police chief. The demonstrations broke out after a police-involved shooting earlier Tuesday evening...

Article and video here. (https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/486997-protesters-burn-flag-at-north-carolina-governors-mansion-after-police)