Air Force vet arrested for trying to stop flag desecration

[Dyakovo]

They are rights, not privileges.... You don't get to revoke rights simply because you don't like what the people think, say, or express.

Well...why not? Are not some rights more important than others?

No, and even if that was true, there exists no "right to steal".

[Moorwhyne]

Democracy at its finest, stopping true patriots from protecting the country's honor. Those people ought to be ashamed of themselves for desecrating that flag.

Preventing people from exercising their freedom of expression is not an act of patriotism.

But you see this is a paradox,

For in argument, I could say that the protesters hate their right to free speech by burning the national symbol of the nation that gives them said freedom.

Nobody was in the wrong or the right here, it is all about perspective... As are a lot of things.

[Tekania]

All those people died for a piece of cloth?

They died for what it represents and their actions showed that they have little respect for those ideals.

Does not matter... you do not have to respect the ideals to get the liberties and rights associated with them. And if you want to take that away, then the flag stands for nothing, and the blood spilled for its principals was spilled in vain.

[Stomalia]

Should the protesters have been trampling over the flag? No, they most definitely should not have.

Yes they should have.

No, they most certainly should not have been desecrating one of the greatest symbols of our country.

Should she have tried to take the flag? Yes, any patriotic person would have tried to take the flag. I would have done so myself.

Fuck patriotism. And you would've been arrested too.

Doing what is right supersedes the threat of getting arrested.

Should the police have arrested her for taking the flag? No, it's disgusting they did.

They were enforcing American law.

And there's also American law prohibiting the desecration of US and state flags and symbols.

Should the university have banned her from ever returning? Most definitely not.

Trying to violate people's constitutional rights is sometimes taken quite seriously here in America.

Ugh. Desecration of the American flag is not "freedom of expression."

[Page]

Also the last time a war was actually consequential to our freedom (or what's left of it) was World War 2. I seriously pity anyone who doesn't realize that. The thousands of flag draped coffins of Iraq and Afghanistan, you know what they preserved? The wallets of the ruling class and the power of Western imperialism. My freedom - bite me.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Preventing people from exercising their freedom of expression is not an act of patriotism.

But you see this is a paradox,

For in argument, I could say that the protesters hate their right to free speech by burning the national symbol of the nation that gives them said freedom.

Nobody was in the wrong or the right here, it is all about perspective... As are a lot of things.

The State takes away more freedom than it gives. We do not need a State for us to be able to do things. Its only use is to make sure we can't do certain things.

[Dyakovo]

Should the protesters have been trampling over the flag? No, they most definitely should not have.

Should she have tried to take the flag? Yes, any patriotic person would have tried to take the flag. I would have done so myself.

Should the police have arrested her for taking the flag? No, it's disgusting they did.

Should the university have banned her from ever returning? Most definitely not.

Why shouldn't they? Its perfectly legal.
So you're a thief. Got it.
Its disgusting that the police enforced the law?
She came onto the campus for the sole purpose of committing a crime. Banning her from the campus is a reasonable response to that.

[Tekania]

Preventing people from exercising their freedom of expression is not an act of patriotism.

Actually, it is. People need to stop trying to make patriotism into something it isn't (freedom).

Patriotism, and nationalism, are the antithesis of liberty.

"Patriotism" in an American sense is an anti-thesis of nationalism. Patriotism is standing up for the principals, the ideals, not symbols or particular people or officials. But I agree with you, nationalist patriotism is a bane and cancer. Its presence masquerading as true Patriotism to the core ideals is a ever present danger and something which must be combated.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Actually, it is. People need to stop trying to make patriotism into something it isn't (freedom).

Patriotism, and nationalism, are the antithesis of liberty.

"Patriotism" in an American sense is an anti-thesis of nationalism. Patriotism is standing up for the principals, the ideals, not symbols or particular people or officials. But I agree with you, nationalist patriotism is a bane and cancer. Its presence masquerading as true Patriotism to the core ideals is a ever present danger and something which must be combated.

"Patriotism is, generally speaking, cultural attachment to one's homeland or devotion to one's country, although interpretations of the term vary with context, geography and political ideology. It is a set of concepts closely related to those of nationalism."

[Dyakovo]

That a veteran is posting support for the protestors' rights should eliminate entirely the "people fought and died for your country" shit.
Plus the fact that country=/=flag and it never will (unless you are very small and made of conscious fabric).

Several veterans of the US armed forces actually...

[Dyakovo]

Preventing people from exercising their freedom of expression is not an act of patriotism.

But you see this is a paradox,

For in argument, I could say that the protesters hate their right to free speech by burning the national symbol of the nation that gives them said freedom.

Nobody was in the wrong or the right here, it is all about perspective... As are a lot of things.

Sure, you could say that. Not really sure why you'd want to though, since it both a stupid thing to say and false.

[The New Sea Territory]

No, they most certainly should not have been desecrating one of the greatest symbols of our country.

Right, they should be desecrating government buildings or politicians' houses.

Ugh. Desecration of the American flag is not "freedom of expression."

Doing something completely nonviolent and non-coercive, with no victim, isn't freedom of expression? By this, wearing a Nazi armband isn't, either.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Right, they should be desecrating government buildings or politicians' houses.

Yes! Let's throw national memorials and police stations.

[Stomalia]

Why shouldn't they? Its perfectly legal.

US law and many state laws prohibit desecration of US and state symbols.

Its disgusting that the police enforced the law?

It's disgusting that the police failed to enforce laws such as this one and this one.

[Arbolvine]

That a veteran is posting support for the protestors' rights should eliminate entirely the "people fought and died for your country" shit.
Plus the fact that country=/=flag and it never will (unless you are very small and made of conscious fabric).

Several veterans of the US armed forces actually...

And I doubt any of them were demoted for disrobing in a photo shoot desecrating the flag.

[Kaboomlandia]

Shame on the university. The flag is an ages-old symbol of patriotism, and by attempting to trample it, those protestors are showing their disdain for their homeland.

[The New Sea Territory]

Actually, it is. People need to stop trying to make patriotism into something it isn't (freedom).

Patriotism, and nationalism, are the antithesis of liberty.

"Patriotism" in an American sense is an anti-thesis of nationalism. Patriotism is standing up for the principals, the ideals, not symbols or particular people or officials. But I agree with you, nationalist patriotism is a bane and cancer. Its presence masquerading as true Patriotism to the core ideals is a ever present danger and something which must be combated.

You literally just did exactly what I was saying. That's not patriotism, nor has it ever been. America, contrary to popular belief, isn't the only place in the world to have "freedom". That, coupled with the fact that patriotism has no principles or ideals, it simply is the belief system of sucking up any authority figure in the name of one's country.

People try to fluff up American patriotism as if it's any better than ethnic nationalism in Eastern Europe or nationalist movements in South America.

[Dyakovo]

Should the police have arrested her for taking the flag? No, it's disgusting they did.

They were enforcing American law.

And there's also American law prohibiting the desecration of US and state flags and symbols.

No, there isn't.

Should the university have banned her from ever returning? Most definitely not.

Trying to violate people's constitutional rights is sometimes taken quite seriously here in America.

Ugh. Desecration of the American flag is not "freedom of expression."

Yes, it most certainly is.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

US law and many state laws prohibit desecration of US and state symbols.

Bullshit, which ones?

It's disgusting that the police failed to enforce laws such as this one and this one.

They enforced the Constitution instead! How un-American of them.

[Stomalia]

And there's also American law prohibiting the desecration of US and state flags and symbols.

No, there isn't.

Yes, I just gave you the links to the US law and the Georgian law. Unless you're blind.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Shame on the university. The flag is an ages-old symbol of patriotism, and by attempting to trample it, those protestors are showing their disdain for their homeland.

They're showing disdain for the government. That's the entire fucking point. Fuck that flag, and fuck what it stands for.

[MERIZoC]

Shame on the university. The flag is an ages-old symbol of patriotism, and by attempting to trample it, those protestors are showing their disdain for their homeland.

And they have every right to do so.

[Page]

Shame on the university. The flag is an ages-old symbol of patriotism, and by attempting to trample it, those protestors are showing their disdain for their homeland.

Maybe they have disdain for their homeland... I do, I can't feel too proud of a country that is a welfare state for billionaires and daily rains hellfire from drones upon children who live in the same city as a potential terrorist in Pakistan...

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Yes, I just gave you the links to the US law and the Georgian law. Unless you're blind.

They're unconstitutional. At least, according to the Supreme Court.

[MERIZoC]

No, there isn't.

Yes, I just gave you the links to the US law and the Georgian law. Unless you're blind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_v._Johnson