-On the basis of known information, I wholeheartedly support the notion of an amendment to the Federal Constitution prohibiting the burning of the American flag. I am not convinced that the right to "free speech" as articulated in the First Amendment encompasses, or should encompass, the desecration of the Star-Spangled Banner.

A while back, I wrote the following at Blogs for Bush:

In response to flag burning, I've tried to make a deal with myself: If I ever see some yokel trying it, I'll do my darnedest to rescue that flag and give it to the local VFW in order to have it properly retired, or at least treated with honor. I'll allow it as a matter of theoretical and abstract Constitutional law, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over a burner being pounded into the ground as a result of the legitimate and justifiable anger of a patriotic citizen. Burning flags is for unreasonable extremists who don't need to be in the national political conversation anyways. It's juvenile behavior, if you ask me.

I still wouldn't lose any sleep if Peter Patchouli got pounded into the ground as a result of his burning an American flag. Actions, after all, have consequences. Some consequences are more immediate and physical than others. However, Mr. Patchouli would probably sue for assault & battery, along with a criminal prosecution for the patriotic citizen. This is unacceptable from my standpoint.

The solution, then, is to impose some cost on Mr. Patchouli, and the concept of establishing flag burning as proscribed conduct seems a valid means to do so.

-If all goes well, I'll get to go and see Bewitched this weekend. If someone's going to follow in the footsteps of Elizabeth Montgomery, then it might as well be Nicole Kidman. Having Samantha around would be worth putting up with Agnes Moorehead or Shirley MacLaine.

Overthrow the Emperor and rule my new empire, indeed.

-The Dark Side Sourcebook for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game is nifty. It would be cool to have an RPG campaign of nothing but Dark Jedi. Heh heh heh. "You killed younglings!" "Yes. Yes we did. And it was fun!"

Posted by: Country Pundit at 12:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 384 words, total size 3 kb.