You're a grand old flag, You're a high flying flag And forever in peace may you wave.
Let's see, I'm your representative in Congress. What can I find to do today? Well, I could cut some government pork and reduce the huge and growing deficit - maybe by cutting that $1.5 million bus stop in Alaska. Or perhaps I could look into ways to secure the borders so terrorists crossing over at high speed from Canada don't crash into the ones running north from Mexico. Hey, I could spend some time thinking about preserving US sovereignty once the CAFTA pseudo-government gets set up. Wait, I could work on ways to make sure the DEA can't bust down the doors of medical marijuana users, guns blazing. Or I could really knuckle down and come up with a good, viable plan to privatize and stabilize Social Security. Then again, maybe today is the day to figure out a way to hold down medical costs and provide a system to subsidize private gap insurance for the 35 million uninsured. I've got a staff, I've got resources, I've got think tanks which will just about write these bills for me. I could be a dynamo of legislative productivity, advance my career and make the people glad they voted for me. This is the day!…
Article comments
26 - Nancy
Yeah, what Silas said! Good job & well done. You (Silas) should flame more often. Certainly a very elegant flame as well as to the point. With patriots like Patriot, who needs traitors?
27 - Al Barger
Nancy, re: nails (comment 7) You certainly are an evil one, ain't ya?
Shark, don't bogart that joint, my pinko friend.
Clubhouse, I'm with you on the contemptible Representative Cunningham. I vote he gets the first whack from Nancy's pointed copy of the First Amendment. Then one for John McCain.
28 - Nancy
Only with politicians and spammers :)
29 - Natalie Davis
I attach no meaning to that red, white, and blue piece of cloth and before this would never consider burning one. Now, it seems like my duty to torch it. If one ever suspected that America is America no more, there should be no doubt now.
Pass the dutchie, Shark, my friend.
30 - Roy Smith
Under normal circumstances (i.e., before the neo-cons came to power), I would never have ever considered burning a flag. If this idiotic amendment passes and is ratified, though, I will feel obligated to burn flags frequently and publicly, just to reaffirm that America is about freedom (in spite of what Bushco thinks).
31 - Nancy
Just get a burning permit first, especially if it's been very dry out. However, most flags these days don't burn - they melt.
32 - SFC SKI
You can buy flags that are made from many different fabrics. While the nylon ones look sharp, the cotton ones fold up much tighter and hold their triangular shape, even after you tuck the 3 expended rounds into the corners.
33 - Dave Nalle
Ski, you can buy flags made from black powder crusted sticks and mini roman candles that burn decoratively for the 4th of july. I wonder where they fit in all this.
Dave
34 - Dave Nalle
A quick followup to this article.
The text of the Amendment is as follows:
"The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."
So it could include banning other desecration of the flag besides burning it, including wearing it or displaying it as part of an item of clothing. The term desecration leaves the whole issue up to broad subjective interpretation.
The roll call vote can be found here. The final vote was 286-130 with 18 absent. Interestingly about half the Texas delegation, including quite a few Republicans was absent for the vote. I kind of wonder why.
Also, a similar amendment was passed by the House in 1999 with an even larger majority and was then defeated in the Senate. We can only hope that the same happens with this one.
Dave
35 - SFC SKI
Nice and vague as well as open to abuse, do these guys smoke up before they write these bills or what?
36 - gonzo marx
i said it on another flag Thread...
my new company..yas can all invest
Blogcritics american flag rolling papers
we'll be rich i tell you
mwahahahAAHAHahahAHAHHAAHhaHHAhAhahAHAaaa
Excelsior!
37 - Pete Blackwell
Patriot,
Dave is making fun of people who do insane things in Jesus' name, not Jesus. And I think when he called you a brownshirt, it wasn't meant to be a term of endearment.
You don't have to check your head at the door when you come in here.
38 - Natalie Davis
Sergeant, I believe they booze up. And the others vote on bills they haven't read. An example: the Patriot Act.
39 - Al Barger
I'd like to throw in with Miss Natalie here in saying that President Bush needs the Patriot Act up directly in the center of his ass.
40 - WTF
American Flag Rolling Papers?
Gonzo, you're about 35 years too late.
Remember the "head shop" years?
41 - gonzo marx
to WTF,
35 years ago i was 8...a bit young for smoking yet
besides, they may have had them then, but i am more than willing to bet they ain't got them now
mwahahahAHAHAHahahAAHAHAhaHAAHAHahahAaaa
idea recycling for capatalist gain
what could be more "amurikan"
Excelsior!
42 - Dave Nalle
Pete, just to set the record straight, while I was indeed poking fun at those who do idiocy in Jesus' name, I wouldn't hesitate to poke fun at the J-man himself under different circumstances.
Dave
43 - Mark Schannon
Gonzo, you're losing it. Drink some Irish whiskey NOW. It's the only thing that'll bring you back down to earth.
And keep on truckin' Nancy!
44 - Temple Stark
The Blogcritics' editors liked this one and therefore it's a pick of the week. Congratulations and thank you. Put the news up proudly on your site. We've provided a handy button to do just that at the link below.
Here's a link to the rest of this week's picks and the reasons why.