Burning U.S. Flags in the U.S.
Every decade, almost like clockwork, watery eyed patriots in Congress come out of the woodword and try their hardest to outlaw all those evil protestors burning American flags. Should the preservation of a symbol outweight an individual's freedom of speech?
Harmless Freedom of Speech
Side Score: 23
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Should Be Banned
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It is, technically, freedom of speech. However, I do think the US should endorse vigilante justice :) If you hate this country enough to burn our flag, then leave it. I hate to give the false dilemma, but "love it or leave it". There is also the "change it" part, but that's not always so easy to do. Side: Harmless Freedom of Speech
What do you mean by "vigilante justice," and why do you think "the US" should "endorse" it? It's a fallacy to equate burning flags with hating a country. Firstly- how can anyone love or hate a country? A country is an idea. Burning a flag could be a person's way of expressing disappointment, disagreement, chilliness or pyromania. Regardless: What is the alternative to tolerating flag burning? Incarcerating, fining, or harming a person? That would infinitely be the more despicable action. Side: Harmless
I can understand how people can get offense by seeing the us flag being burned but there are also people who get offended by seeing the confederate flag displayed in certain parts of America. These are symbols and i belief they are protected by the freedom of speech. Burning the flag is a vary visible declaration that one is angry with the direction the country is going, it doesn't mean they hate the country it self. For instance. The bush occupation lead America into an immoral war. Most of the world saw it as America going to war and not the bush government going to war. The flag represented America and that is what many anti-us people saw and why they are anti-us. the burning of the flag represents that there are those of us who do not follow the us government as it abuses are national symbol. Most people arn't anti-american but anti-american imperialism. Side: Harmless Freedom of Speech
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It's better for these protesters to burn a flag and not hurt anybody than to take their anger out on another human being. And to dispose of a flag, I think you can either burn it (not in a protesting way, but in a peaceful way) or bury it. I'm not sure, but I bet you can google it. Side: Harmless Freedom of Speech
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Yes, it's not a "law", but military protocol says damaged flags should be burned. However, as far as I know, there's no law that makes it illegal to arbitarily dispose of flags. There's also no law that says people can't have their feelings hurt. The day such a law is passed is the day freedom of speech dies, since everyone's opinion on some subject is bound to hurt at least one person's feelings. Side: Harmless Freedom of Speech
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