Protester Defends Flag-Burning at Occupy Charlotte
Some members of the Occupy Wall Street group in Charlotte, N.C., are under fire for setting American flags ablaze, but one of the protesters is defending his incendiary actions.He had every right in the world to burn the flag. While I disagree with his actions on a visceral level, I appreciate that it's our enumerated right to speak our mind - especially when it's speech that not everyone approves of. Now, that said, the moron set fire to a field because he was being an idiot while burning the flag - and was charged accordingly. I hope he has to pay for the fire department's efforts to put out the fire as well.
"Those were actions taken on my behalf," Occupy Charlotte member Alex Tyler said at a camp meeting, according to a Charlotte Observer report. "I did it to display my utter contempt for American greed, not (the military)."
I reiterate: Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
That is all.
7 comments:
Free to burn YOUR flag, YOUR field, YOUR whatever...
It's when YOUR burning starts to burn things that aren't yours we begin to have real problems.
wv: litlese The language of the wee folk!
"I did it to display my utter contempt for American greed, not (the military)."
The flag represents a great many things to a great many people. You can't pick and choose which of them to tick off when you burn a flag, and saying that you didn't mean to diss the military -- because you were too lazy to pick a more appropriate symbol -- is an infantile excuse.
I think I have similar misgivings to Jay's in re burning the flag. I don't like it at all, and I don't like what it represents... but we want to be very, very careful about banning offensive speech. Contrariwise, if you're going to do it, man up and take responsibility for the results of your actions.
I'm glad he can be charged (for being an idiot). "Stupid is as stupid does, sir."
That could be an expensive little flag... :-)
"That could be an expensive little flag..."
Well, stupid should hurt. That's what Darwin said. (Okay, maybe I'm paraphrasing a bit.)
I don't have a problem with someone burning a flag. At least they're being open about what they think, even if I think it's misguided. You can trust a fool, because you know he'll do foolish things. It's the people who hide their thoughts and beliefs behind a smile and poll numbers who worry me.
I have at times thought that I was the only one on the right who believed that any American has the right to burn a flag. Of course, along with that, one who does so should expect that I will (A) consider them a moron, (B) not listen to a word they have to say, and (C) have utter contempt for whatever position they feel they they are promoting by their action. It cuts both ways. You have every right to your free speech, and I don't begrudge you that. I have every right to feel disdain toward you when you show disrespect toward a symbol of what I believe in. Don't begrudge me that. Are we in agreement? Good! Now, along with that, while you burn our flag for your really important political message, do us all a favor and don't inadvertantly burn stuff that doesn't belong to you. Got it? Good!
I strongly disagree with burning the flag for political reasons. However, if it is your flag, I won't stop you.
Note: I will beat the living daylights out of you if you catch other things on fire with your protest, because grass fires get out of hand a heck of a lot faster than you can imagine, dumba**.
LittleRed1
I've always been uncomfortable with defining actions as speech.
I'm fine with dude burning his flag, although I still think he should be charged under any applicable laws prohibiting open burning and pursued civilly for whatever damages he caused.
Still, and the courts probably disagree, I don't recognize speech without an actual message. Burning a flag does not convey discrete information (as the need for verbal elaboration demonstrates) and therefore does not qualify as speech. It's satisfactory that such behavior be protected under the mantle of property rights. Perhaps I'm being too literal.
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