Burning the American Flag

Burning The American Flag

Facebook Posting

November 29, 2016 at 8:11 AM ·

If this becomes the law, I am going to start burning the flag in support of our 1st Amendment.

CNN

November 29, 2016 at 8:04 AM · 

President-elect Donald J. Trump is now proposing possible jail time or loss of citizenship for burning the American flag, an act that is protected as a form of free speech under the First Amendment

WWW.CNN.COM

Trump ignores First Amendment, suggests jail time for flag-burning

Peoples' responses:

Bobbie Wickline It's so frightening. The man doesn't have a clue!

Samuel M Klein I'm never sure if I should be amused or frightened at Trump's lack of knowledge about the Constitution and how it works.

Bridget E Kelly i can't decide if he really thinks these things or if he is purposely trying to sabotage himself so he can be impeached and move on with his life.

Marilyn Vaughn It's really hard to know what goes on in his mind! I really and truly believe he never wanted the job!

Samuel M Klein I'm pretty sure he believes this stuff. I also think he believes himself to be untouchable.

There is also no doubt in my mind that he'll be impeached inside 18 months.

Josh Vega I think he is appeasing his nationalist constituency. Further affirmation that he supports nationalist extremism

Joanna Rachel http://mobile.nytimes.com/.../senator-clinton-in-pander.... Not the first time for this

NYTIMES.COM

Senator Clinton, in Pander Mode

Michael Steen Bridget E Kelly I've thought forever that he never really wanted to be President. He just wanted to call a lot of attention to himself and shoot his mouth off. Then when he got in too far, his ego wouldn't let him back out.

Gloria Handling Jeff and I have been saying this all along, too!! He wants the title, but not the job!! It is like he just graduated from high school and was offered and took over CEO of a company he knows nothing about.😒

Bridget E Kelly Gloria Handling i hope our high school graduates have a better understanding of government.

Amanda Ehst Dr. Kelly, as much as social studies was not my favorite class, I'm pretty sure I understand more about government than Trump. And I've been out of school a long time. :)

Leslie Coren or if he is causing trouble just to cloud his tremendous conflict of interest issues

Chris Belton He's distracting you from his actions: cabinet picks and self-dealing as he uses his position to enrich himself. Watch his actions when his words are at their most provocative.

Samuel M Klein I think you're giving him too much credit. He's not some master of misdirection, just a loudmouth with a really big bullhorn.

Besides, that would mean he's building a cabinet that isn't a self contained mental hospital in and of itself. Half his picks disagree with him on basic issues. He's selecting people like a CEO instead of with an eye towards political preparedness.

Leslie Coren Useful idiot? I think more like Chauncey Gardiner

Gina Kazimir Wait...didn't we fight the flag-burning amendment thing twenty years ago? Oh, right, we set the clocks back this fall.....

Rosina Rucci All kidding aside, his lack of knowledge, understanding of anything about the Constitution and mechanisms of the govt, together with his psycho Twitter rants about imagined, invented crises are really and truly frightening. He is dumb as mud and dangerous as an oil spill. Not to mention completely psychopathic.

Beverly Sutton Lawrence Hmm ... just wonderin', Bridget, if you signed a petition or marched against Ms. Clinton's FLAG PROTECTION ACT of 2005 ... or, is it 'different' when the 'violation' of the First Amendment is proposed by your Goddess?

Bridget E Kelly I was not aware of it but I would have protested that as well. I will not sit back and let our civil rights be eroded.

Bridget E Kelly and I don't have a goddess.

Melissa Reed Politicians throw the flag burning nonsense out every few years to get people riled up. He just happens to be unstable enough to try to really do it.

Augusta Christensen 1. It was not proposed by then Sen. Clinton. 2. It would have made burning the flag to incite violence, intimidating others, or as part of an act of terrorism punishable by no more than a year in jail or a $100,000 fine. 3. No dissidents were threatene…See More

Beverly Sutton Lawrence Bridget E Kelly Okay, I'll admit, the 'goddess' bit was a bite ... ;)

Joe Metzgar I'll burn it right in front of that draft dodgers face!!!!

Kevin Courtright Big talk!

Kevin Cassidy Same.

Jane Asher Oy

Greg Schwami This is what he's all about: Nationalism not Patriotism. It's not about pride in our country it's about silencing all critics and forcing people to accept all of the country's decisions.

Tom Brientnall There's already ruling on matter. He can't do anything unless there is amendment

Bridget E Kelly I know this but he can continue to pit us against each other which is just as dangerous.

Samuel M Klein Brings to mind a story of two sweet, innocent teens who were removed from the library during study hall one day by one of the school resource officers and brought into your office to be accused by a raving mad man. Okay, so it was me and an unnamed cohort. As the statute of limitations has probably run out after 25 years I can admit that yes, I was skipping class that morning, and for whatever reason, (okay, we were stoned) we decided it was a good idea to go back into the school for lunch.

The story that guy proceeded to tell about chasing us all over town after catching us burning the flags off of veterans graves was total BS. Dude probably saw us walking in and decided to give us a good scare, but all I remember was looking at this guy thinking "I've never seen you before in my life, why are you trying to get us in so much trouble?" while fighting back a raging case of the giggles. I'm not saying that isn't the kind of dumb stuff we would have done, it just wouldn't have crossed our minds to do it.

How on earth you managed to put up with us, and continue to fight for us, I will never understand.

Bridget E Kelly Who turned you in? one of the guys from F Troop?

Samuel M Klein Oh thanks. Now I've got the theme from F-Troop going through my head.

Bridget E Kelly OK but yo know who I mean by F Troop.

Samuel M Klein One of the all time classic comedies. Love that show.

Bridget E Kelly No, our security staff at the high school.

Samuel M Klein I guess I need caffeine. No idea how that part went down. Both those officers knew me well (heck, I'd had dinner at both their houses countless times) so I was probably the automatic suspect. How they found us in the library I have no idea, but we were almost always there at that time so it probably wasn't hard to find us.

Tracey Matthews Jacobi How does the burning of our flag(assuming you still feel it is your flag) support your 1st. Amendment rights? In what way do you feel the flag symbolizes an attack on your 1st. Amendment rights? Does the flag NOT represent the sacrifices that many have made to allow us to enjoy freedoms others in the world only dream of? Including your 1st. Amendment right. If you want to support your 1st. Amendment right than utilize peaceful protest and continue to post your opinion in social media. The ironic thing is Trump is utilizing his 1st Amendment right to post his opinion and you don't like it. While I recognize the supreme court's decision that flag burning is protected under the 1st. Amendment I also recognize that it protects my right to think that anyone that can't find a more constructive and less divisive way to support their 1st Amendment rights is simple minded and disrespectful to those who sacrificed so much for others. - GlennJacobi

Bridget E Kelly the flag represents our democracy which is based on our freedoms.

Greg Schwami How is burning a flag not a form of peaceful protest? If I were inclined to burn a flag in protest to evoke a reaction from people I am exercising my 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech. Burning an American flag is a peaceful way to indicate that …See More

Tracey Matthews Jacobi Greg Schwami are you stating that you don't feel that burning the flag if divisive? How is it that the flying of the flag is considered a hardship for those on the left that aren't happy with the outcome of the election, but the BURNING of the flag is

Greg Schwami For one thing I think you're confusing this entire situation. We're talking about people purchasing or making a flag and then burning it. We're NOT talking about people stealing flags that they do not own and burning them; that is theft and it is ill…See More

Phillip Lee This would be another step closer to dictatorship

Dawn Meade Branch Regardless of whether it is against the law or not, it's disgraceful to burn the flag. So many died for our freedoms that many take for granted.

Bridget E Kelly When the symbol becomes more important than what it symbolizes, we have lost freedom of speech.

Dawn Meade Branch My husband, father, and many others that served our country would disagree. Acting out against Trump is not the answer.

Bridget E Kelly I disagree. We can not let him erode our freedoms.

Leslie Coren Dawn Meade Branch if we don't act out now flag burning will become an art form

Dawn Meade Branch I think standing together for what is right and good is better than throwing temper tantrums because of what could go wrong. America has been falling apart for years. It's time to make it right again by leading by example.

Leslie Coren I think that you post would be better served if you directed it to Mr. Trump, If You think that America has been falling apart for years and that a childish, dishonest, narcissistic salesman with an anger problem will make it right again you need to think again. As Maya Angelou said, When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

Dawn Meade Branch I do not think Trump will make anything right. I said we need to lead by example, we, as in the people. Trump scares me as well but acting like him is not answer.

Leslie Coren I don't think that many of us have it in us to act like him

Bridget E Kelly Some moments call for civil disobedience. Where would the world be today without Ghandi or MLK or Rosa Parks and other people who stood up and against the injustice.

Derek Donato It's a trap, Trump wants his supporters to see Anti-Trump protestors burning flags.

Burn the Confederate flag instead

Bridget E Kelly Now that's an idea!!!

Derek Donato I'd like to take credit for that idea but I found it on the internet haha

Phillip Lee See the thing is, the people who are fighting and dying for our freedoms, in the last couple hundred years since the revolution, since the civil war, have been doing so through acts of protest, movements for social justice and human rights. The people …See More

Bridget E Kelly My thoughts exactly.

Leslie Coren Amen

Marilyn Vaughn Right on!

Mary Staudt He is so stupid, it is frightening.

Phillip Lee And to the people that want to outlaw flag burning: can you outlaw hate speech first or...?

Bridget E Kelly Something to think about as we continue our discussion about respect for our flag.

Image may contain: people eating, food and text

Josh Vega Here is what Oliver Byrd's sister Q had to say. I thought it was spot on

"I have no issue with a person burning the flag as a form of protest. I have issues with a person disrespecting the flag as a symbol. What does that mean? …See More

Marilyn Vaughn Josh Vega hmmm ...I see your point,however I am one of those people who use above said items on the Fourth of July and throughout summer holidays. I am very patriotic and don't think that using patriotic materials including images of the flag is being …See More

Michael Steen This is so true. It doesn't have to be hanging from a flagpole or a balcony to be our flag. Great point, Bridget.

Bridget E Kelly I've always hated to see people in flag bathing suits. There is something about sitting your wet ass on the flag that is offensive to me.

Michael Steen Bridget E Kelly So true. At least those who are burning it are doing so with the full knowledge of the respect the flag deserves. They burn it as a shocking in-your-face protest that they KNOW will elicit powerful emotions. Napkins, bathing suits, and beach towels disrespect it because there's money to be made, and the people purchasing these items disrespect it out of casual ignorance.

Brian Caufield Gotta love the liberal media slant . . . He made no such "proposal" anywhere . . . He tweeted and now CNN makes that a proposal.

Michael Steen When you are a big jerk with a Twitter account, you can tweet all kinds of ridiculous stuff and people shrug it off because you're a big jerk. When you're the President-elect of the United States with a Twitter account, EVERY SINGLE DAMN THING YOU SAY …See More

Bridget E Kelly His tweet is damaging enough.