Who thinks that an action(burning the flag) is not the same as speaking my opinion?(freedom of speech)?

Question

Thanks for showing me the other side of my debate. I stand corrected!!

Answer 1

I do!!! Woe upon the idiot that I see burning the American Flag.

Answer 2

Well the bill to make it an unlawful act to torch the american flag failed, by like 2 votes or something, so you can burn ol' Glory to your heart's content. OTHER people also have the power of free speech, though, and they're fully free to openly cricitize you for doing so.

The border fence with mexico's being built largely because of the general sense of an arrogant and contemptuous attitude toward the united states on the part of mexicans who've moved in, mainly since 1986. Americans really don't want disruptions and teeming masses in the streets making a mess of things and abusing our national symbol etc. I think burning the US flag is a REALLY great way to get people to not like you in america, if that's your goal, keep it up! LOL

Answer 3

It depends on the action.

Is sign language speech? I'm just waving my hands around. Is writing speech? I'm just putting marks on a piece of paper. Is painting speech? I'm just drawing pictures. If your answer to these (especially the last one) is yes, then tell me how a picture of the flag is not an expression.

People need to distinguish between the physical object (cloth or paper) and the symbol it represents. Is there anything special about the piece of cloth or paper that the flag is printed on, other than what it represents? No. There is nothing inherent in the item itself, as a physical object, that warrants protection, any more than any other piece of cloth or paper.

So, what's special about the American flag is its symbolic value. It represents the country, and by extension American values. And thus, it is a form of expression. And if it is a form of expression, then by definition it's covered by the 1st Amendment freedom of expression.

So, basically, those who want to punish people for showing disrespect to the flag want to punish people for showing disrespect for the US government and/or its policies. It's the first step towards making it illegal to criticize the government.

Making it illegal to symbolically attack US policies by burning a flag, while making it legal to symbolically support US policies by flying the flag, means that the government is valuing one viewpoint above the other. It means that the government is deciding what types of speech are allowed, and what opinions or messages are valid.

If you want to make it illegal to burn all pieces of cloth, then that's not regulating speech. If you want to make it illegal to do anything with the flag (from burning it to displaying it), then you are not valuing one message over another.

But if you want to make it illegal to symbolically state that you are opposed to something the US government is doing, then you are regulating speech, and in fact regulating it based on which side of a debate it happens to be on. That's viewpoint-based discrimination.

And that's just one more step, among the many already taken, towards turning this country into a tyranny. Is that what you want to defend?

Answer 4

You should get a big response on this topic. The Supreme Court upheld the right of pornographer Larry Flynt in his freedom of speech case. Why is flag burning not the same? I think it is the same. It's hypocritical - to denounce the government that is giving you the right to freedom of speech - but ignorance is not a crime.

Answer 5

no there not the same!
Freedom of speech is the right to speak your mind and state you opinions,
Burning of the US Flag is pure disrespect to the forefathers and people who have faught and died to protect the those very freedoms!

Answer 6

You have a freedom of speech not a freedom of action. You can yell at someone all you want as an expression of anger, but the minute you hit the person to express that anger, your in trouble.

Answer 7

Because ther are limits to your "rights" Just like we have freedom of speech,but better not make a threat on the president(even if it is an idle one),or all that free speech s**t goes out the window.Go figure!!! Just more double talk!!!

Answer 8

Me !!

But, unfortunately, the interpretations of the Constittion by liberal judges over the years has resulted in sanctioning anything and everything as free speech.

When, in fact, I think the Constitution refers to freedom of political speech, opinions, etc., but should not apply to acts of treason nor to offensive stuff such as foul language.

Answer 9

"Actions speak louder than words." Intelligent people realize that actions can be speech.

What, we don't have enough serious and pressing issues in this country to occupy our time and effort, we have to raise these minor discords to Constitutional Proportions?

Looks like somebody is in political trouble and needs to distract people from looking too closely too much at what is going on, by raising these emotional flag-waver kind of "issues."

Answer 10

the flag is a SYMBOL of freedom. but making it illegal to burn flags you are attacking freedom itself in order to protect a symbol!