"The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."
So! Here we are, once again, meeting amongst the thorny hedgerows of national politics debating Amendment 1 of the U.S. Constitution; the right of the individual to the free exercise of "expression" as defined in our nation's Bill of Rights. More specifically, as in the form of the latest proposed House of Representatives amendment, also the title of this article, and the right to burn the American flag.
While listening to talk radio I found one seemingly innocuous point commonly overlooked: Why we are considering such an amendment in the first place.
It was unthinkable, not so many years ago, that the sentiment of the American citizenry would find it necessary to legislate respect for the principles on which this great nation was founded, and the symbols which represent them.
What has become of a people where the societal condition reflects a deteriorating lack of patriotic values? Values once deeply rooted in our communion by virtue of the individual patriot. But so it now seems that the "patriot" no longer lives, for we are more greatly becoming a class of divisible personage with only self-regard for one's immediate gratification.
Just as some pols on the one hand plaudit fraudulent and contemptible impudence toward our patriotic struggle against our global enemies, we the people whom substantiate and protect our freedoms by our demonstration, or shameless lack thereof, are equally guilty of their oppression; hereby resulting in such shameful exercise.
Culpable are the many whom hide behind the Stars and Stripes, when they should be waving them with vigor.
While listening to talk radio I found one seemingly innocuous point commonly overlooked: Why we are considering such an amendment in the first place.
It was unthinkable, not so many years ago, that the sentiment of the American citizenry would find it necessary to legislate respect for the principles on which this great nation was founded, and the symbols which represent them.
What has become of a people where the societal condition reflects a deteriorating lack of patriotic values? Values once deeply rooted in our communion by virtue of the individual patriot. But so it now seems that the "patriot" no longer lives, for we are more greatly becoming a class of divisible personage with only self-regard for one's immediate gratification.
Just as some pols on the one hand plaudit fraudulent and contemptible impudence toward our patriotic struggle against our global enemies, we the people whom substantiate and protect our freedoms by our demonstration, or shameless lack thereof, are equally guilty of their oppression; hereby resulting in such shameful exercise.
Culpable are the many whom hide behind the Stars and Stripes, when they should be waving them with vigor.
posted by byJiminy at 10:37 AM
1 Comments:
I too think it is reprehensible to desecrate our flag. However, this is a clear interpretation of the First Amendment right of free speech. Everyone seems to agree on "free speech," but differ on where to draw the line. You can't dictate patriotism. I would rather know who the protesters are than have them hiding underground. If one compares this issue with the ones which arose during the founding of our country, we see that "there is nothing new under the sun."
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