Have You Ever Seen A Flag Burning?

[ThomWV]

I am 58 years old. I saw protests against the war in Viet Nam, I served in that war. I was gassed once at an anti war rally after I got out and I've visited many of the country's cities over some politically turbulent times. Not once in my life have I ever seen a flag burned. I do not know that anyone I've ever spoken to has mentioned ever seeing one burned. Have you ever seen one burned?

How common is this horrible insult to the nation, this flag burning?

[bluestateguy]

1. none

But passing this amendment will push many people to do it as an act of civil disobedience.

[knowbody0]

2. you have one year on me

we burned draft cards, and images of Nixon, no flags. this all appears to me to be a diverson. mayhaps flag burning in Iran will be considered provocation for shock and awe.

[Vickers]

3. Have you ever seen a gay marriage?

How about a welfare queen?

OK, surely you've seen a someone hugging a tree!

:P

[Obamanaut]

19. yes, no, only after a lot of adult beverages

but never a flag burning

[tk2kewl]

4. yes

it was at a ceremony to retire a well worn flag. i was a kid and it was at 4H camp. it was a serious occasion.

[longship]

5. In my 57 years -- ZERO! n/t

.

[Vanje]

6. Flag burning is'nt a big problem in my neighborhood.

Looming home foreclosures and difficulty affording treatment for chronic illnesses are the nagging concerns in my little community here in rural SW Idaho.

Flag-burning isnt much of a problem here.

[oneighty]

7. Never

I am 71 Korean War Vet.

180

[ovidsen]

8. I've asked many people this

Mostly people who back the "anti-flag burning" amendment proposal. Nope, they've never seen it happen.

I attended several anti Vietnam war rallys in DC in 1970 and '71. I saw lots of people, some disorderly, got hit by a cop, enjoyed tear gas... but I never saw a flag burned. And that's why I'm against this proposed amendment. Why waste the time working to ban something that never happens anyway?

[lumpy]

9. Never have- Maybe now there

will be since it has been made an offense.

[mcscajun]

11. It hasn't been made an offense yet.

It only passed the House, and it's highly unlikely to pass in the Senate.

It does, however, give the House members who supported it a way to beat the drums in the newsletters they send home saying how terribly patriotic and righteous they are.

Feh.

[ovidsen]

20. I predict it never will be.

Even if it does pass the Senate (like you say, hihly unlikely), it has to be approved by 3/4 of the state legislatures (38) in 7 years. REALLY highly unlikely.

And THEN lawmakers will have to define exactly what they mean by desecration. Is that burning the flag? Washing your car with it? Blowing your nose? Wearing a flag patterned bathing suit? How about a flag tattoo? If your definition's too vague, out it goes!

It'll never FLY!:patriot:

[merbex]

10. Nope

Amazing that this is an issue that Congress deems serious enough to amend the Constitution over

[tyedyeto]

12. Only on TV protests in foreign countries.

Never in this country. Went to a few protests in Berkeley in the late 60's...nope, not one flag burning did I see.

I have been involved in flag 'retirement' ceremonies where flags were respectfully disposed of by burning. They are cut up so it is no longer the 'flag' before it is burned.

[Robb]

13. Thos ceremonies are the only place I've seen it too...

...is there a loophole? Or is the freakin' Elks Club going to jail?

[tyedyeto]

17. You cut the field of stars from the rest of the flag...

then cut the stripes. Once that is done, it is no longer considered a flag. At least that is the way it was expained during the Girl Scout ceremonies I've been involved in.

[Eric J in MN]

14. Never in person (nt)

nt

[Gabi Hayes]

15. yeah....there's a VFW hall down the street, and they were BURNING

flags en masse a few years ago

can't wait to see them behind bars next time they try THAT again

[thecrow]

16. Never

[AnnInLa]

18. yes, on TV during the Vietnam War protests

as a little girl, I remember seeing a few pics on TV, and also seeing a few pics in Life Magazine, I think it was Life.

It's a wedge issue to put those unpatriotic liberals in a bad light. IMHO, the libs in Congress should just go along with it and change it later when we take over Congress again.

[immoderate]

21. The supporters of this measure cited about 100 over the last 20 years.

That's about four a year! I guess you would have to have plenty of advance notice to make it to the "event."

As Jon Stewart pointed out, most flag burnings occur in foreign countries so I doubt this law will affect much of that.

It also leads to a lot of questions that are not answered by the law. Reminiscent of the old draft card burning law. If you publicly burn what you say is your draft card, what is the evidence that you actually burned your draft card? When you are tried for flag burning, how shall those trials proceed? Will they produce some bits of charred cloth as evidence? How can they prove that it was actually a flag? If it has 15 stripes and 51 stars, is it an American flag. Maybe it's a worn out flag T-shirt.

In the 60s, there was American flag rolling paper. You got to burn the flag with every joint. If you draw a flag and burn it, is that a violation? Suppose the red fades to orange, is that a flag?

I think there should be a flag burn in on the day this amendment is ratified. Millions of people should burn flags in protest of the flag burning amendment. I hope the best trial lawyers will be there to help tie up the court system.

I protested the Vietnam war, I was at the Woodstock festival. I was at the giant march in Central Park I never saw a flag burned. I think these clods are trying to provoke it.

--IMM