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| File List | 1989-09-16 | 7.8 KB | 98 lines |
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- ║ ║ A SOBERING DECISION ║ ║
- ║ ╚═════════════════════╝ ║
- ║ ║
- ║ Five ignoble members of the Supreme Court are responsible for marking ║
- ║ the date 21 June 89 as the day which will be recorded in the annals ║
- ║ of history as the gang rape of the spirit of American patriotism! ║
- ║ Their controversial ruling, which upholds flag burning under First ║
- ║ Amendment rights of free expression and nullifies the flag-desecration ║
- ║ laws in 48 of the 50 states, has made mockeries not only of our beloved ║
- ║ flag but all that it represents. The decision was supported by ║
- ║ Justices William Brennan (author), Harry Blackman, Thurgood Marshall, ║
- ║ Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ Where does "freedom of expression" stop and criminal behavior begin? ║
- ║ Shall it become "acceptable" to extinguish the eternal flame at the ║
- ║ Kennedy Memorial in protest? Is it within First Amendment rights ║
- ║ to vandalize the Washington Monument or Jefferson Memorials under ║
- ║ such freedoms? How about the cold-blooded murder of an unpopular ║
- ║ public official? Precisely where shall we draw the line of ║
- ║ "acceptability"? Certainly not at our beloved emblem of national ║
- ║ sovernty! ║
- ║ ║
- ║ To understand the high court's convoluted decision, one must first ║
- ║ understand the significance of the symbol central to the issue. The ║
- ║ flag of this nation is far more than a bolt of cloth to be dismissed as ║
- ║ unworthy of virtuous consideration. It represents a unique cultural ║
- ║ symbolism which is cherished for the freedoms that we all enjoy. Our ║
- ║ flag transcends all copyright, patent, trademark, and licensing laws or ║
- ║ other statutes. It is completely absurd to believe (as some obviously ║
- ║ must) that since anyone may purchase a copy of "Old Glory", the flag ║
- ║ may be displayed or destroyed at the individual's discretion and ║
- ║ without fear of reprisal. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ A national flag embodies the very spirit of the land and, more ║
- ║ importantly, the values endeared by its people. A purchased copy shall ║
- ║ "belong" to no single person! Ironically, the copy's symbolism shall ║
- ║ be representative of the whole of the population of the land over which ║
- ║ it is flown. Therefore, a national Standard which is burned or ║
- ║ otherwise desecrated, is an affront to the very embodiment for which it ║
- ║ stands! It is carried into battle, it is flown over exploited ║
- ║ territories, it is lowered as a salute to deceased patriots, etc. And, ║
- ║ in the case of the American flag, it may be conspicuously displayed in ║
- ║ honor of our values and freedoms, however, it was never intended to be ║
- ║ defiled as a form of self-expression! ║
- ║ ║
- ║ Imagine that the "life expectancy" of anyone burning the Iranian flag ║
- ║ in public! Although we are ideologically opposed to the Iranians, we ║
- ║ could learn much from their loyalties and enthusiasm. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ There is no reason to waste vast sums of the tax-payer dollars on ║
- ║ endless appeals, lavish pensions, or the like. Such actions may have a ║
- ║ secondary benefit by making our justice system as efficient as it once ║
- ║ was, or as swift as that of the present-day Chinese. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ Hundreds of thousands, upon hundreds of thousands of brave young men ║
- ║ have fought and died defending the American flag. What gives Brennan, ║
- ║ Blackman, Kennedy, Marshall, and Scalia the right to lay waste to it? ║
- ║ ║
- ║ In fear of their lives and property, I am certain that one or more ║
- ║ of these men may elect to reverse their opinion. Such is the ║
- ║ true nature of politics! Nothing shall possibly suffice as an ║
- ║ acceptable remedy to the irreversible damage that they have already ║
- ║ inflicted upon the past two centuries of democracy. Brennan and his ║
- ║ associates have condemned themselves by espousing an outrageously un- ║
- ║ american opinion regarding the Standard under which this country has ║
- ║ rallied and blossomed into the most envied nation in the entire world. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ If the Constitution of the United States means ANYTHING to the people ║
- ║ of this great nation, those sitting in judgement can formulate but ║
- ║ a single verdict concerning the Supreme Court's unfortunate act of ║
- ║ "juris-IM-prudence". Since the court's ruling is a matter of public ║
- ║ record, it may be deemed that de facto "due process" has already ║
- ║ occurred. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ If reason prevails, it should be impossible to proffer any convincing ║
- ║ arguments on behalf of the five justices. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ These protectors of democracy have warped and twisted the meanings ║
- ║ of the United States Constitution and gnawed at its foundations. ║
- ║ Let it be known that the vast majority of the American populace will ║
- ║ not rest until these decision id reversed. We must take action to ║
- ║ show the world that our once proud flag shall be desecrated by no one, ║
- ║ in any form, no matter how covert! ║
- ║ ║
- ║ Surely the founding fathers are turning in their graves, knowing that ║
- ║ two hundred years after their valiant struggle to gain and maintain ║
- ║ freedom for this modest Republic, a handful of men in judicial robes ║
- ║ have subverted the spirit of democracy. Justices Blackman, Brennan, ║
- ║ Kennedy, Marshall, Scalia, and many others before them, have ║
- ║ consciously eroded the institutions of this great land and eaten away ║
- ║ at the liberties of the American soul for many decades. ║
- ║ ║
- ║ Are we willing to allow our patriotism to fade away with the liberties ║
- ║ that have been extorted by the court. Or will the American public ║
- ║ rise above the smoldering ashes of the flag and voice their outrage! ║
- ║ ║
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