I was thinking the same thing. With names like Poison Oak and Sha Lar I bet they fly the rainbow flag.
Posted on 07/04/2006 3:31:16 PM PDT by RetroSexual
About 25 revelers celebrated their freedom of speech and welcomed the Fourth of July on Monday night with the "2nd Annual Old Time American Flag Burn."
Around a burn barrel at Seabright State Beach, organizer Brent Adams, 41, of Santa Cruz, declared flag burning not a protest, but a celebration of the Constitution's First Amendment.
"It seemed like a good idea to burn some flags just because we can," added fellow organizer Sha Lar, 32, of Santa Cruz.
The festivities were especially relevant after a constitutional amendment allowing Congress to ban flag desecration died in the Senate last week.
That proposal came in response to Supreme Court rulings in 1989 and 1990 that burning and other desecrations of the flag are protected as free speech by the First Amendment.
But it failed by one vote in the Senate to reach the two-thirds approval required before going to the states for ratification.
"The Senate overruled it by one vote, and let's celebrate it," Lar said. Some at the celebration noted that in other countries, they could be shot for torching the national flag.
Poison Oak, 35, of Aptos, said he wanted to "reclaim the flag. Not only those who support President George W. Bush can wave the red white and blue."
Still, not everyone on the beach appreciated stars and stripes melting over the fire.
"I think they should keep it to themselves," said Bill Crawford, 16, of Aptos, who was on the beach with buddies Elijah Manchester and Jacob Kendall, both 16 and from Santa Cruz.
The trio looked away as flames consumed the large and small flags.
"To me this is what represents our nation and what represents our freedom," Manchester said. He questioned why the group would want to burn the symbol of free speech.
Despite their different views, those who didn't agree with flag burning were still welcome at the event, said Igliashon Jones, 23, of Santa Cruz. Free speech is what it was all about.
"I don't think this would be what it is without debate," Jones said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Moron.
Notice how their "taking back the flag" thing never goes anywhere, because the reaction is "Who's stopping you from showing the flag?" And of course, after they periodically find their love of the flag, it's gone once the cameras aren't around, and they go right back to showing their "Peace" and "UN" and rainbow flags, which are the only ones they can really get behind. (yawn)
They'd respond by saying "But that symbolizes something we're against"...as opposed to burning the flag. A revealing attitude.
The amendment to stop this crap failed by one vote: and one of the voters against it was 12,000 year old Robert Byrd who is up for re-election. He might get re-elected, of course, because he in the King of Pork. However, whether he can vote next time remains to be seen. The other WV Senator had better sense and voted affirmative.
Of course the second annual flag burning may not be the last annual flag burning, but the burners will (a) be doing it elsewhere than in the U.S.; or (b)doing it here because they want some warm place where food is provided; or (c) they like the stories they have heard about prison homosexuality, or (d) they are just the harmless but nettlesome prickly pears who need something to do after sucking the bong all day, with a snort of coke as a chaser later in the early evening.
I was thinking the same thing. With names like Poison Oak and Sha Lar I bet they fly the rainbow flag.
Getting folks riled up is their goal...it apparently works...
Or could flag-burning be considered "hate speech" and therefore be subject to fine and imprisonment?
How about incitement to riot? Public burning without a permit?
Ah, much more fitting saying now.
Yes. I would hope the courts would agree. It should be treated the same as if it was a cross that was burned. Go burn a cross and see if anyone who attacks you is protected by the law. I'll bet no charges would be brought (unlike if it were a flag).
BUMP! to your post.
Still, it's funny to see them fight to "take back the flag" so they can burn it!
Barf alert! Those people make me sick!
What would their reaction have been if some one showed up with U.N. flags to burn?
Notice this is Santa-Cruz, Kommifornia.
You know, the same insane bunghole that elects avowed communist as mayor, the community that happily accepted Angela Davis a regent at the local university.
They've shown that they are idiots for all the world to see.
Wonderful idea. If I still live in the area next year, I'll give it a go.
Neal Boortz had an interesting idea. He said that flag burning should be allowed as a first amendment issue, and that we should make a federal law protecting flag burners which says anyone beating the crap out of a flag burner shall be arrested and fined one dollar.
"It seems like a good idea to kick these turds in the teeth just because we can," added Freeper Triggerhippie, 38, of St. Augustine.
I saw one man today at our town's Fourth of July parade, carrying two 'War is not the Answer' [white words on a UN blue background] signs. Boy, did he look out of place! He even looked a bit uncomfortable, just too many American flags and happy Americans for his 'sensibilities.'
People who want the UN to put the US in its place are idiots as far as I am concerned. I do not give them the time of day!
I wonder if smoking a cigarette in Santa Cruz is protected?
Poison Oak? Who the heck names their kid 'Poison'? Known to all three of his friends as 'Scratch'.
I wonder if they would be willing to put their lives on the line to defend the flag (and everything it stands for) if we were under attack ?
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