Air Force vet arrested for trying to stop flag desecration

[Nazi Flower Power]

Maybe she'll realize how worthless the flag is seeing as how the people and "values" it's supposed to represent desecrate it with impunity.

America is dead,it's just on life support.

When a soldier gets arrested for trying to defend their National Flag is the day you realize what the fucks even the point of fighting on behalf of idiots like that?

So don't fight. We could use less wars anyway.

[Neutraligon]

Maybe she'll realize how worthless the flag is seeing as how the people and "values" it's supposed to represent desecrate it with impunity.

America is dead,it's just on life support.

When a soldier gets arrested for trying to defend their National Flag is the day you realize what the fucks even the point of fighting on behalf of idiots like that?

She committed a crime to prevent people from using their constitutionally supported right to freedom of speech as described in the first amendment and as supported the SCOTUS. In essence she was directly trying to go against one of the core values of what makes America so great.

[Wisconsin9]

Maybe she'll realize how worthless the flag is seeing as how the people and "values" it's supposed to represent desecrate it with impunity.

America is dead,it's just on life support.

When a soldier gets arrested for trying to defend their National Flag is the day you realize what the fucks even the point of fighting on behalf of idiots like that?

I would rather have my freedoms than my flag, thank you very much.

[Furry Alairia and Algeria]

You didn't answer the theft problem.

Because there is no theft problem. Calling this theft as if she should be charged and convicted with theft is blowing this incident way out of proportion.

I have yet to speak about punishment, however technically, it is theft.

[AiliailiA]

I don't give a shit about other countries.

I propose shortening the US Pledge of Allegiance. To what you just said.

[Allentyr]

MIGHT'VE supported the protesters entirely but then...

"You enslaved us"
"You put us in this white supremacist place"

...So I support their freedom of speech, but I also think they are racist asses.

[Tekania]

Flag desecration is a form of expression protected by the first amendment. I'm fine with the outcome here.

[Aethrys]

Seems to me she was exercising her right to free speech by engaging in an impromptu counter protest. Hers was admittedly more successful in my view, as it succinctly detailed what she was angry about, whereas the students seem to have just been protesting for the sake of protesting. Unless the point was just "We hate the country we are currently in, and would like to alert those around us of this!" Which, I mean, you would think that it'd be more useful to get together money for a plane ticket if you're trying to solve that issue.

[Russels Orbiting Teapot]

Seems to me she was exercising her right to free speech by engaging in an impromptu counter protest. Hers was admittedly more successful in my view, as it succinctly detailed what she was angry about, whereas the students seem to have just been protesting for the sake of protesting. Unless the point was just "We hate the country we are currently in, and would like to alert those around us of this!" Which, I mean, you would think that it'd be more useful to get together money for a plane ticket if you're trying to solve that issue.

Running up to protestors and trying to take their symbology is not a valid form of counter protest.

[Wisconsin9]

Seems to me she was exercising her right to free speech by engaging in an impromptu counter protest.

Up until the point she took the flag, at which point she was engaging in theft.

[New Frenco Empire]

Meh. Flag desecration is only really something that edgy college fuckwits would do, but it's their right as Americans to do so. This is an acceptable outcome, and anyone who disagrees is obviously not the patriotic American they think they claim to be.

Seems to me she was exercising her right to free speech by engaging in an impromptu counter protest. Hers was admittedly more successful in my view, as it succinctly detailed what she was angry about, whereas the students seem to have just been protesting for the sake of protesting. Unless the point was just "We hate the country we are currently in, and would like to alert those around us of this!" Which, I mean, you would think that it'd be more useful to get together money for a plane ticket if you're trying to solve that issue.

The main difference here is that the students didn't break any laws, while the veteran did. The students are protected by the first amendment. She, who interfered with private property rights, is not.

[Aethrys]

Seems to me she was exercising her right to free speech by engaging in an impromptu counter protest. Hers was admittedly more successful in my view, as it succinctly detailed what she was angry about, whereas the students seem to have just been protesting for the sake of protesting. Unless the point was just "We hate the country we are currently in, and would like to alert those around us of this!" Which, I mean, you would think that it'd be more useful to get together money for a plane ticket if you're trying to solve that issue.

Running up to protestors and trying to take their symbology is not a valid form of counter protest.

Valid is subjective. If you meant to say it's not "legal" you'd be correct. Legal or not, it proved quite effective.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

You didn't answer the theft problem.

Because there is no theft problem. Calling this theft as if she should be charged and convicted with theft is blowing this incident way out of proportion.

She took something that did not belong to her.

When she was asked by the rightful owners to give it back, she refused to do so.

When asked by campus security to give it back, she continued to refuse to do so.

When campus security attempted to take it from her in order to return it to the rightful owners, she resisted and struggled.

That's not just theft, that's brazen theft.

[Tekania]

A country that loses its national symbols and protects those who disrespect them will divide itself further and further until no such country is left.

Our symbols stand for something..... if we don't protect those who show disrespect, then the country is already dead.

[Tekania]

A patriotic veteran servicewoman arrested for trying to stop a bunch of ungrateful college liberals from committing blatant treason and dissent against the state that provides and protects them, to which they won't be arrested for.

Amazing how far backwards we've gone and how low we've sunk.

Treason is very strictly defined in our law; flag desecration is not treason.

[Teemant]

Because flag is something more than just a piece of cloth. It represents the country and it's values, history, people etc.

What if one of these values is the value of freedom of expression?

Civilised people don't have to destroy things or tramp on flag to get their point across. Freedom of expression means that they can use words too.

[Wisconsin9]

Running up to protestors and trying to take their symbology is not a valid form of counter protest.

Valid is subjective. If you meant to say it's not "legal" you'd be correct. Legal or not, it proved quite effective.

Until the cops brought her down, gave the flag back to the protesters, and kicked her off campus, anyway.

[Tekania]

Treason is a specific legal term. It doesn't mean whatever you want it to mean.

Dissent is an activity that is, or at least used to be, considered patriotic in its own right.

Provides in what sense and protects from what threats?

They won't be arrested because of a novel concept called freedom of speech.

Treason is treachery, and to spit in the eye of your own nation is treachery, it is treason.

Ah yes, Freedom of Speech, the idea that you should allow your enemies to destroy you simply because you think they should be allowed to speak their mind, no matter how dangerous and disturbed it might be. How precious it must be to protect the words that would cause your downfall.

If we don't protect them, then we have already fallen.

[Aethrys]

Valid is subjective. If you meant to say it's not "legal" you'd be correct. Legal or not, it proved quite effective.

Until the cops brought her down, gave the flag back to the protesters, and kicked her off campus, anyway.

The fact that we're talking about it now is proof that it was and continues to be effective.

[Wisconsin9]

Until the cops brought her down, gave the flag back to the protesters, and kicked her off campus, anyway.

The fact that we're talking about it now is proof that it was and continues to be effective.

I'd say that in order to be effective a protest first has to actually sway people.

[AiliailiA]

Just how dear DO Americans hold the freedom of speech?

In 2006, an amendment to ban flag desecration came within 1 vote of the 67 needed to pass the Senate (the same has repeatedly got 2/3 in the House). The vote was mostly on party lines, but more Democrats voted Yea than Republicans voted Nay.

Weirdly, Harry Reid voted Yea and Mitch McConnell voted Nay!

Republican Yea:
Alexander R-TN
Allard R-CO
Allen R-VA
Bond R-MO
Brownback R-KS
Bunning R-KY
Burns R-MT
Burr R-NC
Chambliss R-GA
Coburn R-OK
Cochran R-MS
Coleman R-MN
Collins R-ME
Cornyn R-TX
Craig R-ID
Crapo R-ID
DeMint R-SC
DeWine R-OH
Dole R-NC
Domenici R-NM
Ensign R-NV
Enzi R-WY
Frist R-TN
Graham R-SC
Grassley R-IA
Gregg R-NH
Hagel R-NE
Hatch R-UT
Hutchison R-TX
Inhofe R-OK
Isakson R-GA
Kyl R-AZ
Lott R-MS
Lugar R-IN
Martinez R-FL
McCain R-AZ
Murkowski R-AK
Roberts R-KS
Santorum R-PA
Sessions R-AL
Shelby R-AL
Smith R-OR
Snowe R-ME
Specter R-PA
Stevens R-AK (President pro tempore)
Sununu R-NH
Talent R-MO
Thomas R-WY
Thune R-SD
Vitter R-LA
Voinovich R-OH
Warner R-VA

Democrat Yea:
Baucus D-MT
Bayh D-IN
Dayton D-MN
Feinstein D-CA
Johnson D-SD
Landrieu D-LA
Lincoln D-AR
Menendez D-NJ
Nelson D-FL
Nelson D-NE
Reid D-NV
Rockefeller D-WV
Salazar D-CO
Stabenow D-MI

Republican Nay:
Bennett R-UT
Chafee R-RI
McConnell R-KY

Democrat Nay:
Akaka D-HI
Biden D-DE
Bingaman D-NM
Boxer D-CA
Byrd D-WV
Cantwell D-WA
Carper D-DE
Clinton D-NY
Conrad D-ND
Dodd D-CT
Dorgan D-ND
Durbin D-IL
Feingold D-WI
Harkin D-IA
Inouye D-HI
Kennedy D-MA
Kerry D-MA
Kohl D-WI
Lautenberg D-NJ
Leahy D-VT
Levin D-MI
Lieberman D-CT
Mikulski D-MD
Murray D-WA
Obama D-IL
Pryor D-AR
Reed D-RI
Sarbanes D-MD
Schumer D-NY
Wyden D-OR

Independent Nay:
Jeffords I-VT (elected as Republican)

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/r ... vote=00189

[Tekania]

The "protesters" should have been arrested and jailed, not the hero who tried to stop them.

Too bad no hero is here to stop you from desecrating the flag... you're defecating all over it with your words.

[Tekania]

Stomping on a flag not only violates the Flag Code but is also immoral and, anti-American.

The flag code is a code of etiquette..... not criminal law or penalty.

[Wisconsin9]

Just how dear DO Americans hold the freedom of speech?

In 2006, an amendment to ban flag desecration came within 1 vote of the 67 needed to pass the Senate (the same has repeatedly got 2/3 in the House). The vote was mostly on party lines, but more Democrats voted Yea than Republicans voted Nay.

Weirdly, Harry Reid voted Yea and Mitch McConnell voted Nay!

Republican Yea:
Alexander R-TN
Allard R-CO
Allen R-VA
Bond R-MO
Brownback R-KS
Bunning R-KY
Burns R-MT
Burr R-NC
Chambliss R-GA
Coburn R-OK
Cochran R-MS
Coleman R-MN
Collins R-ME
Cornyn R-TX
Craig R-ID
Crapo R-ID
DeMint R-SC
DeWine R-OH
Dole R-NC
Domenici R-NM
Ensign R-NV
Enzi R-WY
Frist R-TN
Graham R-SC
Grassley R-IA
Gregg R-NH
Hagel R-NE
Hatch R-UT
Hutchison R-TX
Inhofe R-OK
Isakson R-GA
Kyl R-AZ
Lott R-MS
Lugar R-IN
Martinez R-FL
McCain R-AZ
Murkowski R-AK
Roberts R-KS
Santorum R-PA
Sessions R-AL
Shelby R-AL
Smith R-OR
Snowe R-ME
Specter R-PA
Stevens R-AK (President pro tempore)
Sununu R-NH
Talent R-MO
Thomas R-WY
Thune R-SD
Vitter R-LA
Voinovich R-OH
Warner R-VA

Democrat Yea:
Baucus D-MT
Bayh D-IN
Dayton D-MN
Feinstein D-CA
Johnson D-SD
Landrieu D-LA
Lincoln D-AR
Menendez D-NJ
Nelson D-FL
Nelson D-NE
Reid D-NV
Rockefeller D-WV
Salazar D-CO
Stabenow D-MI

Republican Nay:
Bennett R-UT
Chafee R-RI
McConnell R-KY

Democrat Nay:
Akaka D-HI
Biden D-DE
Bingaman D-NM
Boxer D-CA
Byrd D-WV
Cantwell D-WA
Carper D-DE
Clinton D-NY
Conrad D-ND
Dodd D-CT
Dorgan D-ND
Durbin D-IL
Feingold D-WI
Harkin D-IA
Inouye D-HI
Kennedy D-MA
Kerry D-MA
Kohl D-WI
Lautenberg D-NJ
Leahy D-VT
Levin D-MI
Lieberman D-CT
Mikulski D-MD
Murray D-WA
Obama D-IL
Pryor D-AR
Reed D-RI
Sarbanes D-MD
Schumer D-NY
Wyden D-OR

Independent Nay:
Jeffords I-VT (elected as Republican)

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/r ... vote=00189

And it's a good thing that that didn't pass, although after that it still would have needed to go through the states.

[Tekania]

You can't arrest people who haven't committed a crime.

Yes, but you can arrest them for displaying discontent for your lawful rule.

Not in the US, you can't.... not sure where you are from.