Friday, June 23, 2006

Yep, I called it...

I don't know if I should be proud that I could see the obvious tactics of the right-wing a mile away, or just sad that I could...(see Mawwiage is what bwings us togedduh twoday..)

From the Washington Post:

Flag Burning Redux
If this is an election year, it must be time to amend the Constitution.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006; A20

WITH CONGRESSIONAL elections coming, the Republican leadership has found a pivotal issue. Terrorism? Hardly. Entitlement reform? Don't be silly. We're talking about the grave threat to America known as flag burning. Yes, that election-year favorite is back: the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States allowing Congress to criminally punish the "physical desecration" of the American national banner. If you haven't noticed a rash of flag-burning incidents sweeping the nation that's because, well, there isn't one. But that doesn't stop Republicans from trotting it out as a more-patriotic-than-thou card.

They are, as always, close to having the votes to send it to the states for ratification. The House of Representatives has passed the measure and the vote will be tight in the Senate, where the Judiciary Committee approved the amendment 11 to 7. We hope the amendment will fall short of the needed two-thirds majority on the Senate floor; it's depressing enough that a majority of senators will support it.

The amendment would soil the First Amendment's command that Congress shall "make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech." Flag burning is an odious form of expression. But there are lots of odious forms of expression the First Amendment protects: Holocaust denial and swastikas, racist rants and giant Confederate flags, hammers and sickles. The amendment's power is in its self-confident sweep: Speech, including expressive acts, will not be censored. Government cannot punish ideas. Members of Congress who would protect the flag thus do it far greater damage than a few miscreants with matches.

2 Comments:

At 20:53, Blogger Alex said...

Not only did he call the fact that they would try it, but my man also said it wouldn't pass, although it would get close enough to scare the bejeezus out of us all (my word).

He was right - today, the amendment failed, missing only one of the required sixty six. How freakin' scary is that?

While we all ponder that (and make sure our passports are updated), tune in to the B man who apparently has his finger on the political pulse of our nation.

 
At 09:46, Blogger Alex said...

Correction: The amendment actually got sixty six votes, but needed sixty seven.

 

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