The American Spectator

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(Page 5 of 11)

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I cannot believe the position Ben Stein is taking here. Last I checked there is no constitutional amendment that prohibits hate speech. Some states have passed hate crime laws, some organizations, such as universities, have rules and regulations against hate speech, but, as Ben points out, racial epitaphs are used in music and on the street with considerable freedom. I certainly find flag burning offensive. I would even go as far as to forbid my employees from burning a flag in my place of business just as I do not allow racial epitaphs in the office.

However, do we really need a constitutional amendment to forbid the burning of a piece of cloth that happens to be a symbol? This very same symbol flies all over my city overnight, in the rain, is emblazoned on shirts, stuck in the ground for a holiday and left for dogs to use as a marking post. I think the person that burns a flag in protest is honoring everything this country stands for far more that the idiot car dealer that leaves the flag flying 24/7 simply as a way to draw people to their business. Free political speech is absolutely protected by the constitution. A flag burning amendment would be a stain on the face of the constitution.

p>Thank God that sanity prevailed in the Senate in the face of this lunacy! br> -- Tom Cabanski /p> p> Three cheers for Ben Stein on his analysis of what should be protected speech and what should not be. My reading of his article was especially timely because I had just viewed the odious Reverend (for goodness sake who in the world ordains these people?). Barry Lynn on morning TV attack a public school for displaying a large picture of the historic Christ on the wall next to the principal's office for forty years. It was accurately pointed out by the counter person that the second amendment has absolutely no applicability in such situations as the prohibitions against Congress making no law establishing religion is meaningless since Congress is not involved in the slightest way. So much for the Democrats making inroads into the religious vote, it just is not going to happen with such over the top bigotry. I'm sure the Founding Fathers would be amazed to see how the first and second amendments have been abused by the far left. br> -- Jack Wheatley br> Royal Oak, Michigan /p>

Four reasons why the Flag Burning Amendment is stupid:

1) American men and women didn't die protecting the flag, they died protecting the Constitution. When I enlisted in the US Navy in 1987, I raised my right hand and swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. There was no mention of a flag of any kind.

2) We've already done a pretty good job of making desecration of the flag a daily occurrence. If the flag is so revered a symbol as to require Constitutional protection, how can we abide seeing pasted across T-shirts, underwear, coffee cups, soda cans, adorning drinks, on food wrappers, etc., etc. Commercialism desecrated the flag a long time ago.

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