Stars & Stripes Forever

Don't even get me started on these knuckleheads that can't tell the difference between The Flag and a bunch of flags. They pull the same stunt almost every year. Orrin Hatch shares the following level-headed, non-incendiary rationale:

Burning, urinating, defecating on the flag - this is not speech. This is offensive conduct.

Careful with the poo-poo talk, Orrin -- you might get nabbed for indecency. He must have been hanging around Metallica too long.

Randy 'Duke' Cunningham makes the same point without all the dirty words:

Ask the men and women who stood on top of the (World) Trade Center. Ask them and they will tell you: pass this amendment.

Hmm. Sound logic indeed. The problem with all of this nonsense is that these control freaks mistake The Flag (an abstract symbol of our country) with every flag (physical item, probably made in China, that you can buy at Wal-Mart) that is produced. These clowns should have studied the works of one of their former colleagues, Linguistics Professor/U.S. Senator S.I. Hayakawa (R-CA), who might have told them that they were confusing levels of abstraction.

Also, I think it's interesting that they should use the term "desecrate" in reference to their proposed amendment. The definitions for "desecrate" revolve around things that are sacred (i.e. derive their status from religious traditions, not civic or governmental). Without even getting into Church vs. State, a lot of the same folks who are gung ho on the Flag Anti-Desecration stuff also would like to see the Ten Commandments get bigger play in schools, courthouses, etc. If I may quote from those same Commandments:

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (Ex. 20:4, NIV)

To me, that says don't start making things sacred that aren't already on the sacred list provided. (Note: See cow picture from earlier post.) And how can you desecrate something that is not sacred? But, what do I know?

Some comments on this from the Atheistic Commie Lovers Union. Also from Cato. To sum up: I have a great big flag in my front window. I like it there. If someone tampered with it without my permission, I would be able to get the police involved due to them messing around with my property. If that person desecrated a flag that he purchased himself, then it might (or might not) upset me. Hatch and company want to change the Constitution just to make sure that I don't have my feelings hurt.