The Senate today ended a contentious debate over the constitutional amendment prohibiting the desecration of the American flag with a close vote against the amendment. A vote of two-thirds of the Senate (67 votes) is required to pass a constitutional amendment. The amendment failed 66-34.
This is the second amendment proposed by the Republican leadership in as many months. Both the gay marriage amendment and the flag burning amendments were election-year tools to reach out to the conservative base. It is no surprise that they both failed.
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Rah Rah! We win! I was watching this documentary on A&E about white-supremacists and Neo-Nazis (they said skinheads, but I refuse to refer to it as that). Toward the end, they lit an American flag from the falling embers of a burning cross. Funny how activists (for lack of a better word) from all sides of the political spectrum use flag burning as a point of protest.
--Mike
Those attempted amendments are no more than political pandering. The Republicans in charge are trying to re-energize their base in response to the problems and divisions that the other issues (Iraq War, etc.) have caused as of late.
I'm shocked that it was only rejected by one vote. It's a good thing, but shocking nonetheless.
The scariest part is that 66 senators feel comfortable using our constitution to take away freedoms. I'm ashamed the Michigan senators voted for it, and I sure as hell know in 2008 they aren't getting my vote.
I wrote about it in my latest Blog, which has a few more key points than Iwant to list here ;)
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If a society is willing to give freedom for temporary security, they deserve neither.
If you want to burn the American flag, why are you in our great country?
I gotta share feelings with both sides. Constitutionally we have a right to burn flags. But, to me, it seems like a sacred thing that shouldn't be desecrated. I don't agree with the government. I don't like the way our government is run or its decisions, but I live here and I want to respect it. Honestly, our country has done a bang-up job helping out. Recently, maybe not so much, but look at our history. Barely 200 years old...there are gates to castles in Scotland that are over 200 years old...and we have had more world-wide influence than many of the greatest empires of all time. Whether people hate us or love us, everyone knows what America is. That's impressive. I don't want to live here, but while I do, I'm gonna respect, not agree with and not support, but I'm gonna respect this nation and it's government.
Also, burning the flag is like burning a Bible in the Vatican, there is just something wrong with it. Why would you buy something just to destroy it?
"Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth 'you owe me!' Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the whole sky."
-Hafiz