One of my colleagues asked me of my take on the flag burning amendment working its way through Congress. He needed to know whether I was supporting the amendment as a precondition to going to the lunchroom for a snack.
I gave a moment's reflection, and decided that it was time to tell him the awful truth.
I do not support the flag burning amendment. This is one of those issues that comes up every few years when members of Congress have to burnish their patriotic credentials.
When we're in a time of war and terrorists continue to gun for us, when we've got borders more porous than the collander I use to strain pasta for dinner, and when we've got serious fiscal issues to address (Social Security, national debt, etc.), Congress takes the time in its busy schedule to discuss a flag burning amendment?
Is this really the most crucial issue of our time? Do we need yet another limitation on speech? I would rather see people who burn our flag suffer the consequences of their actions without needing the FBI to step in. After all, they've got better things to do with their time (as if the FBI would bother enforcing the action at all).
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