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<div>Is flag burning is a real threat to the integrity of the US, a threat significant enough to alter the US Constitution to address, as the US Congress was recently debating? </div>
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<div>Every flag that is burned undermines and desecrates our national values to such an extent that these become like leaves in the wind, blow here and there with no direction. That's why some think flag burning will be next most favored tactic of war employed by the enemies of the USA, and some terrorists, to undermine our great nation, and why we must act to stop this grave threat.
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<div>Outing CIA covert operatives for political revenge? Invading another nation under false pretexts of pending attacks and weapons of mass destruction, risking the lives of thousands of US citizens in a war that many experts warned would result in a senseless quagmire and weaken national security? Justifying the torturing of prisoners with no court oversight, and suspending Bill of Rights protections by ignoring and undermining the independence and power the judiciary? Ignoring border security with Mexico for political/economic reasons, allowing the possibility of terrorists easily passing into the US? Who in their right mind would think that these actions could equal the subversive power to undermine our freedoms and civil rights, to weaken our entire way of life, compared to the destruction of a symbol on a piece of cloth?
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<div>I once thought in my naive idealistic youth that what stands behind the flag is what matters, the principles of free speech, protection from unreasonable search and seizures, habeas corpus, the rights of all to have access to a fair trial, the balance of power between the judiciary, congress and the executive branch, the right to protest and criticize the government, even in ways some find offensive. I imagined that what really mattered was the US Constitution and upholding those values. Now I know I was wrong.
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<div>Flag burning is such a threat to the integrity of the US, such a threat to national security and the furthering of the values enshrined in the US Constitution, we must pass a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning before it is too late! What if we wake up tomorrow to find a "mushroom cloud over America," using the immortal words of President Bush used to justify the invasion of Iraq, because we failed to act!
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<div>I think this constitutional amendment should also ban, along with a long list of other expressions of similar vein, the public utterance of the words "F**K America!" This utterance contains no rational discourse or substantial statement of fact. It is nothing more than a pointless emotional outburst to express immature childish and irresponsible hatred for the USA, and is a grave threat to the upholding of the sacred values of our nation and to national security, not to mention a hate filled slap in the face to all veterans who fought to defend our nation.
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<div>Childish outbursts without fact or logic that attack our great nation must be banned! Our freedom and security is at stake!</div>
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<div>Ted Moffett</div>
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