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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.
Next year we should get some Freepers to have a counter-flag burn. N. Korea, France, China, Iran, Hezballa, Syria, UN all sound like the beginning of a good list. Ironically the one that would really piss them off would be a Gay Pride flag.
I don't care if anyone is gay but the Rainbow Flag symbolizes an agenda to make it mandatory to celebrate, venerate the gay lifestyle while continueing lies about the "shared" reality of Aids and the overall necessity to denigrate heterosexuals and heterosexual marriage while demanding the same right.
No wrinkles allowed?
You would kill me if I wrote what I was thinking, lol. Did you see the 'ironman' contest?
I was watching "Pale Rider" on Hallmark
Shane! / Preacher!
OK, I know what you were watching, I'll let you figure out the rest of this, lol.
So, someone finally cut him open and counted the rings?
I'll guarantee you that the one vote short on the Flag Burning Amendment was just a coincidence. Republicans don't really want to pass it, they like bringing it up every election year. Notice that conservative Republicans Mitch McConnell and Robert Bennett voted against it, as if the leadership couldn't get one more vote. McConnell will likely be majority leader when Frist retires, so its as clear a ploy as can be.
If these people really were interested in celebrating freedom of speech they'd have their phone numbers listed.
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The eagle and flag are beautiful and the medals look really good. I thought the little hand was going to grab them!!
Yes it does!
140x100 on Click
Linus as usual looking wise and knowing
Joshing of course - Linus needs a tranquilizer!
Its really simple. We don't need to change the current law about flag desecration. We just need to decriminalize physical assault on flag burners.
Linus loves Sugar Pops for breakfast every morning
I believe that the Senate made a mistake in not passing the Amendment on to the States.
It is also my belief that any American citizen who miliciously burns or descreates the American Flag should be hanged.
People in foreign lands who burn the American Flag I can understand their actions. They hate us and hate what we stand for. Not everyone loves us.
It is the sorry bastards that call themselves American citizens that descreate and burn the symbol of what America stands for and represents America that gets my goat. If they do not like this Country, Fine and Good have the dencency to leave and go to another Country. But to take advantage of the protections and privilleges that this Flag provides and then disrespect and injure it makes my blood boil.
He has OD'ed on sugar!!
One of my favorite created animations -
One of your favorite creations and I made fun of him!! I think we have hijacked a perfectly good thread!!
Well, that lot is always calling to decriminalize all sorts of behavior, so...
Thank you both for all of your pings.
They are terrific, as per your usual.
I hope you had a very happy Independence Day!
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