You know, we appreciate the fact that the proposed amendment to criminalize the physical desecration of the flag (for example, by burning the thing) died in the Senate. We really do. But the fact that it just missed by one fucking vote doesn't give us much confidence in the Senate's collective ability to understand the concept of civil liberties, or to appreciate the difference between a fucking icon and an actual nation of law and liberty. It also doesn't give us much confidence in their general intelligence, but then we never had all that much confidence on that front anyway.
We're particularly disgusted to see folks like Harry Reid and our own local idiot Bob Menendez voting "Yea" on this one. No, we're not Democrats, but when people that we expect to be semi-intelligent and semi-sane (at least compared to most of today's Republicans) vote for something this obviously wrong, it fucking disappoints us. In addition, John McCain voted "Yea," continuing his slide into asinine stupidity. Hey, you think if his only hope to get out of a Vietnamese war prison was to set fire to an American flag as a diversion, he'd just sit and rot? Pathetic. But then, what more can we expect from someone who advocates the "teach the controversy" approach to creationism?
As we've said before, this is an incredibly simple issue, folks. The flag represents our country, our freedoms, and our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Key word: represents. The flag itself is none of these things. It's just a symbol. What the fuck is so hard about this? It's a piece of fucking cloth. Desecrating it, burning it, wiping your ass with it — these actions themselves are only symbolic because the flag itself is symbolic. But the flag itself is not our nation; it's not our people; it's not our civil liberties.
In many ways, it reminds us of the old bumper sticker slogan: "Death to all fanatics!" We view people who support an amendment banning flag desecration in much the same way that we view the intentionally obtuse (and hopefully just fictional) person who is fanatically screaming for death for all fanatics. Similarly, these flag-hugging freaks are missing the incredibly obvious facts laid out before them. America is, above all else, about freedom, and the Constitution is the protective mother of that freedom. The flag is a symbol representing the freedom that our country thrives on. So, supporting an amendment to the Constitution — the framework on which our freedom was built — which involves the restriction of any aspect of that very same freedom, no matter how small, for the purpose of protecting a thing that symbolizes that very same freedom, is about as obtuse and idiotic an action as we can imagine. Supporting this amendment is tantamount to prioritizing a symbol more highly than the freedoms which that symbol represents. It is valuing a piece of fucking cloth more highly than the ideals the piece of cloth is meant to stand for in the first place.
As with so many things, either the Senators who voted for this amendment are morons for not seeing this obvious contradiction, or they see it just fine, and have decided to set aside civil liberties and simple, rational logic in order to pander to what they see as their frothing, idiotic voting base. Either way, these Senators are fucking assholes — they get to pick what kind, but their only options are idiot and liar.
But what the fuck — the measure failed, right? To honor that slim victory, we'd like to invite our readers to get in on the crazy, crazy world of flag-burning before this ridiculous legislation manages to get the one additional vote it needs on its next go-around (which we're guessing will be...oh, right before the next election?). Don't worry — just because they can consider making the desecration of a symbol illegal, that doesn't mean they can consider making the desecration of an image of that symbol illegal, right? Oh, wait — since that's just as arbitrary, of course they can. Have fun, you budding pyromaniacs.
You know, I've long since reconciled myself to the fact that, whatever else their faults may be, virtually no one who gets elected to national office in this (increasingly less) great country of ours can be considered stupid, although Dubya truly makes me reconsider my premise.
My point is this: Every senator who voted for this asinine proposal knows the flag is a symbol, and therefore every senator who voted for this asinine proposal is a pandering piece of (insert whatever substance you consider to be beneath BS here).
The thing that disturbs me most about all of this is that you always have an outside hope of teaching someone who is too stupid to understand a concept, but someone who already understands and panders anyway is truly beneath contempt.
People are funny that way. Symbols are important to us. Right, wrong or indifferent, they just are. Society in general is very structured---- on every continent, in every walk of life. Symbols help keep the structure in place. I've been married to the lovely Mrs. Fan-man for several years, but if I choose not to wear my wedding ring for several days, I guarantee someone I know will ask me how my marriage is doing. My marriage? The summer heat makes my fingers swell like ballpark franks and that makes my ring very uncomfortable sometimes... That's just my nosey co-workers. Imagine the reaction if your average Indian wife left the house without the red dot on her forehead, or a Muslim woman unwrapped her burqa to get some fresh air on a hot day. Remember the published cartoons that had a certain religous faction so uptight? Symbols, that's all. Religion and patriotism are a lot alike.
I get all fired up about patriotism through sports. I've watched the movie "Miracle" about the 1980 US hockey team 200 times and still get stirred up at the end. It really ticks me off when I see ignorant ass-wipes in the Middle East burning the US flag. It's even more disturbing to me when our own citizens are doing the same. People burning the very symbol of freedom that allows them to continue to protest in that manner. Ironic and hypocritical. Nice rant. A good dose of common sense to keep my emotions in check.
So, if you said to your wife, "Honey, I have thought about this, and wish to take off my wedding ring as a form of protest. I still love you, but my issues with marriage as an institution must take precedence", she'd try and have you jailed?
Or say you got divorced; would you still wear a wedding ring because of its importance as a symbol? Look, I just want to be clear on this; lots of people absolutely hate America. They hate the nation, the policy, and the people. Now that it's tourist season here in England, I can't say I'm overly fond of them myself (could you tell your countrymen it's acceptable to speak quietly on occasion? And that not everyone wants to see your hairy, pasty ass in shorts and wife-beaters?) Sorry, tangent. 'Ass-wipes' burn American flags, America shits on the parts of the world that aren't financially lucrative or politically expedient. I'm not suffering under any misapprehension that the UK is better...I'm disgusted that my adopted country acts as America's lapdog. France is probably the only country that gets foreign policy right more often than not, really.
Burn flags. Burn every flag, rather than burn people. I'm going to chuck one on the barbecue now, as a matter of fact. No one will see it but me, but I'll enjoy the fuck out of it,
I'm going to leave my browser open all night with your flag burning in the hope that western civilisation will collapse while I'm asleep. That way I won't have to go to work tomorrow.
So, if you said to your wife, "Honey, I have thought about this, and wish to take off my wedding ring as a form of protest. I still love you, but my issues with marriage as an institution must take precedence", she'd try and have you jailed?.
Not exactly. Your example is taking what I said to an extreme. My point was that symbols are important to everyone's daily lives. They provide structure and sometimes guidance. I'll state my opinion clearly: Flag burning is not a crime and people shouldn't be punished for burning flags in protest. Like I said, patriotism and religion are a lot alike. When people feel strongly about one or the other, they try to pass laws based on the concept. They would be wrong each and every time.
'Ass-wipes' burn American flags, America shits on the parts of the world that aren't financially lucrative or politically expedient.
Ok, first: When we're talking about the ass-wipes, we're not just talking about flag burning. America is not a person, it is a country. A very, very flawed country that is great in many ways and absolutely horrible in others. I refer to certain Middle East radicals as ass-wipes because I know they are burning the American flag because they couldn't get their hands on an actual American to behead... because you know they would.
Rest assured that I've never physically taken a shit on any part of the world because they didn't meet my financial or political standards. Those factions in the Middle East that hate Americans existed long before I was born and will be there long after my childrens' lives are over. To quote Billy Joel, "we didn't start the fire." Those factions in the Middle East hate unconditionally. That's why I think they are ass-wipes. They can build a bond fire with American flags if they want and I wouldn't give a fuck. The next time Al Jazeera TV shows footage of an American (or even someone from England) being beheaded, know it's the same as burning a flag to them. No big deal. Go try to join them in a flag burning protest. I dare you. Better make sure you're life insurance is paid up first.
not everyone wants to see your hairy, pasty ass in shorts and wife-beaters
You can kiss my tan, waxed ass. ;) Just kidding brother. I don't like to see that shit over here either.
My point was that symbols are important to everyone's daily lives. They provide structure and sometimes guidance.
But what would be the purpose in burning an unimportant symbol? It reminds me a bit of an experience I had earlier this year...was involved in an industrial action short of a strike (kind of a 'slow-down'). I had to deal with a lot of complaints from people who were inconvenienced...which is fair enough, but it's a pretty pointless protest that doesn't inconvenience anyone; and a poor use of sybology to destroy a meaningless symbol.
As for factions that hate unconditionally, they're all over the world. There are Israelis who hate unconditionally; Baptists who hate unconditionally; Chinese, Belgian, and Afrikaaners who hate unconditionally. It doesn't excuse the beheading of anyone (I am opposed to murder in all its forms, judicial and terrorist alike), but I think you're ascribing a lot to say that burning a flag is the equivalent of beheading someone. Those who want to kill usually find a way.
There are Israelis who hate unconditionally; Baptists who hate unconditionally; Chinese, Belgian, and Afrikaaners who hate unconditionally.
Ass-wipes, ass-wipes, ass-wipes, ass-wipes and ass-wipes.
Nobody bothers to burn unimportant symbols. People burn flags metaphorically because the purpose is important to them. If my wife walked in the house one night and found me having sex with the babysitter, she might throw her wedding ring at me. Throwing the ring being a metaphor for throwing away the marriage. Burning a flag isn't the equivalent of killing someone. Emotions behind someone's desire to burn a flag vary. Some people burn the American flag because they're sick of paying taxes. Some burn the flag because they can't get their hands on an American to behead.
We agree on the basic premise, Ed. People are creative. Outlaw the burning of the flag, I'm sure radical college kids would drop trow and wipe their butts with it instead.... You CAN fight city hall, and it's worth it every time.
Make no mistake about it — there are people who have been elected to national office who are morons. You need look no further than the House of Representatives to see that. Just look at the asinine things that some of those idiots do and say. Really, I view the House as America's House of Lords (the analogy drawn to the English House of Lords before they started reforming it).
Also, there is no doubt in my mind that Bush is an idiot. Really and truly, all insults aside, he is not a smart man. So, as far as I'm concerned, your feelings about him are dead on.
Now, that said, I do believe that most of the Senators who vote for obviously deranged legislation are smart enough to see their own errors, and are doing so simply to pander to their voters. As we've said, that is no less an offense than actually believing in the hateful or idiotic legislation that they are voting for, and perhaps it is even worse. As Pool Guy says above:
The thing that disturbs me most about all of this is that you always have an outside hope of teaching someone who is too stupid to understand a concept, but someone who already understands and panders anyway is truly beneath contempt.
But, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that some of the Senators really do believe some of this shit. Maybe not banning flag desecration since that's a really obvious one, but I have no doubt that some of them are every bit the raving homophobes that they seem to be.
Oh, and AgentX — did western civilization collapse? I haven't been watching the news, so I'm not sure.
We should begin routinely referring to those who support this amendment as flag worshippers. You know, idolaters. I'm pretty sure the bible frowns on that. Force them to choose between the bible and the flag. You know which way that will shake out.
Having read enough fanfic in my time on the Intarwebs, the idea of flag 'shippers makes me vaguely uncomfortable. I'm not sure what they'd write about, but I'm sure it would involve star-spangled rubbers and Uncle Sam's Cooking Oil and Natural Lubricant. Frightening stuff.