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excon

Mr. Trump, meet the Constitution

Hello:

Our brand new president tweets: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"
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Here’s where I explain to Trump, what SHOULDN'T need explaining. Flag-burning is constitutionally protected speech. The Supreme Court has made this CLEAR in a ruling joined by Mr. Trump’s favorite justice, Antonin Scalia.

Grab onto your seats, America..  We're in for a bumpy ride..

excon

Posted - November 30, 2016
Tags : None

Responses


  • 11111
    Well I love my Countries flag and if I saw someone burning it I'd really want to give them a punch in the throat (that way they wouldn't be chanting burn the flag for at least a couple of weeks). But I would be the one  breaking a law not them and I would become part of the problem and not part of the solution. Trumps tweets are dangers because of what he says some one who wasn't thinking about burning a flag last week might start thinking about doing it just to spite Trump. And because of what Trump said someone one who would normally suppress their anger and stay within the law - they lose it because Trumps got them all wound up. Cheers!
      November 30, 2016 11:35 AM MST
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  • I respect my flag.   I acknowledge my country has checkered past and is often derelict in upholding it's ideals.   Still  I fly the flag in respect for the ideals and the best things it is supposed to represent. I also acknowledge it is just another material symbol.  It's just a flag at the end of the day. 
    However I will burn that SOB with a smile the moment someone tells me I can't.  For no other reason that I believe in those ideals and cherish the rights it is supposedly meant to represent so much. If I choose to burn MY American flag or you yours.  No law should tell you or me no.  When I come over and try to burn YOUR American flag.  Now you can kick my ass.


    I want to know if Trump  realizes that burning the flag is considered one of the proper protocols for disposing of a retired flag? 
      November 30, 2016 12:13 PM MST
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  • 3934
    Bah, let's not get our jimmies rustled over this.

    The flag-burning thing is just a subject RAWFs bring out as red meat for their base because it's a sure-fire way to get them riled up. It doesn't require the RWAFs in power to actually DO anything because...

    1) Only a constitutional amendment would overturn the controlling court decision protecting flag-burning as speech

    2) Incidents of flag-burning are very very VERY rare.

    I saw an old NY Times article (circa 1995) which reported from the adoption of the American flag in the 1700s until the SCOTUS decision protecting flag-burning as speech, there were 45 recorded incidents of flag burning. NOT 45 per year, 45 TOTAL in over 200 years.

    Tweeting about flag-burning is just political Kabuki theater, and I suspect even The Donald is aware of it.
      November 30, 2016 12:34 PM MST
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