New York Daily Photo Analytics

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

False Assumptions

It's been awhile since I have seen a flag burning - this one appeared to be a spontaneous act which occurred at the 2008 Police Riot concert, featured yesterday on this website.
I grew up in a time of protest, revolutionary sentiments and live in an extremely liberal environment. But I have always felt very uneasy at a flag burning. I always thought it was illegal. And it seems like an ultimate act of desecration - like smearing images of the Virgin Mary with excrement or spitting in someone's face.
Flag burning is still not a criminal offense in the USA, however it is in some other countries. It has withstood two Supreme Court decisions (defended by William Kunstler, NYC Greenwich Village resident) as an act of protected speech under the First Amendment. Several flag burning amendments have been proposed which were very narrowly defeated in Congress, one by only a single vote.
But like women being topless in public, which is legal in New York State, there are many popularly held beliefs which are based on misunderstandings about the legalities of various actions, like flag burning. Many false assumptions are made ...

9 comments:

Wayne said...

The photo worked out well. As a symbolic gesture flag burning seems lame to me. Anarchy for anarchy's sake.
Activists who truly want positive change go about it in an intelligent manner, which tends to earn respect.
Keep yours eyes peeled for those topless women Brian. That's a form of protest I can support.

Joao Augusto Aldeia said...

We had a revolution in Portugal in 1974, but I don't remember any flag burning - not even an American flag, although there were strong feelings against American politics at that time. I think that burning a flag is a stupid thingh, because a flag stands for much more than the politics of the moment.

b13 said...

August 1990 -- "Beat up a flagburner" bills to encourage vigilantism by reducing the penalty for assault to a $5 fine if the victim is burning a flag are introduced in several state legislatures.

Not sure how much truth there is to this but I will gladly pay $10 to get a double whooping in if I see this happening.

One of our freedoms as an American is to leave. If you disagree with our way of life so much that you would desecrate one of our National symbols, you are not welcome under my roof.

Anonymous said...

but sir- there's no roof over the entirety of America. America is a beautiful place of many individuals with many different views. One of our other freedoms, as an American, is to stay.

Anonymous said...

b13, you are a fascist. I'm sure many places do not welcome you.

Anonymous said...

b13 if you don't like freedom or people acting out their freedom then maybe you should move to another country.

b13 said...

"anonymous" is afraid to speak publicly. I will stay in the country that I love. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

^Just don't like the people in it or the principles it stands for eh?

Naomid said...
This comment has been removed by the author.