Flag burning amendment up in smoke

On Tuesday, the Senate failed by one vote to approve a constitutional amendment prohibiting flag burning. The House, of course, passed the measure, like they did in 2000. The last time these knuckleheads tried to pass the law, they lost by four votes in The Senate. Obviously the Republicans are looking for another hot-button issue to motivate their "base" to vote in this fall's elections.

Would you like to burn a virtual flag? Go here.

The ritualized burning of the American flag is considered the appropriate way to dispose of a damaged or soiled flag. According to The Flag Burning Page, "the American Legion and Boy Scouts burn thousands of flags every year in respectful retirement ceremonies". A picture of a (permitted) flag burning cermony appears below.

And yet, and yet. . .flag burning is a conundrum. You can burn a flag respectfully; you cannot burn a flag at a protest. To enforce this law, you will somehow need to suss out the motive of the burner. Is it OK to burn a flag if you're wearing a VFW jacket but not if you're wearing a Dead Kennedy's t-shirt? Are there loopholes in the law? Will people quit burning flags and begin urinating on them?

I think of myself as a patriot, and yet, I find flag burning amusing, mainly because it is always funny when a symbolic act triggers such vitriolic responses in folks. And, after all, why should The Vets have all the fun?


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