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<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Nahhhh, we don't need to make an amendment.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Laws
setting parameters in which flag burning could take place would be easier.
After all, gun-control laws have been upheld. Free speech is somewhat regulated,
as well.(Try to take over a street for a march without a permit or, more
famously yell "Fire" in a crowded public place.)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Laws
could be passed stating that a flag burner must be a certain distance away from
other people or buildings, must have a burn permit, must file an environmental
impact statement (nylon is pretty nasty when it burns), must have proof of
insurance in case of injury to other people or property or lawsuits arising from
the inhalation of smoke or being burned, must provide fire extinguishing
equipment, operated by qualified people, yadayadayada.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>If
someone did not want to go through all that, a protester could waive all of the
above with the following caveat: A flag burner must wrap him or herself in
the flag to be burned before igniting it.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>(For
those of you who didn't get it, the previous is called
"satire")</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=304244318-21082006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com]<B>On
Behalf Of </B>Ted Moffett<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, August 21, 2006 11:31
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Joe Campbell<BR><B>Cc:</B>
vision2020@moscow.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Celebrate freedom,
kick a flag--burner's ass!<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>All-</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<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>
<DIV> </DIV>
<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. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<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? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<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. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<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! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<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. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Childish outbursts without fact or logic that attack our great nation
must be banned! Our freedom and security is at stake!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ted Moffett</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>