Should burning the American flag be illegal?

Trump is suggesting that there should be consequences for burning the US flag, including a year in jail or loss of citizenship. His spokesman then doubled down on it.

So should it be illegal even if it's your property and you're not breaking any other laws by burning it?

I was wondering how long it would take Mountain Dew Camacho to start wanting to chip away at freedom of expression. I may not agree with burning the flag, but mirroring the Soviet Union isn't the answer, either.

I don't think the Soviets cared whether people burned an American flag or not....

I can't believe we're back to even discussing this seriously. Of course burning the flag should be legal. When was this last a serious topic? Sometime during Bush-1's reign?

No. But I understand why he thinks it should be considering his base of supporters.

Burning a flag is the proper way of disposing of it.

Plus if you want to send a message, it's Freedom of Speech and doesn't really hurt anyone.

What about inciting a riot?

Here we go back to the worst of hits of the 80's.

If it were a right-winger getting hauled away for handing out NRA propaganda, it would be "omigawd!! Government goons!! Overreach! Fascism!! Revolution!! ".

Make it a left-winger burning a flag, suddenly it's "lock him up!! Un-American! Treason! ".

Fuckin' hypocrisy.
Fuckin' humans.

Certain forms of speech are not protected. including those that may incite imminent lawless action.

Did you know that's actually trolling the Left?

Hillary Clinton co-sponsored a bill in 2005 that does exactly what Donald Trump is describing.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/1911/text

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Protection_Act_of_2005

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/12/Opinion/Hillary_s_pathetic_pl.shtml

So it's presidential to be a troll now?
Fascinating.

Not saying I agree with it, but how is the bolded part exactly what Trump is describing? The tweet said "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag". Did he clarify/walk back his tweet later and I missed it?

Did you read the fine print?

The law would have prohibited burning or otherwise destroying and damaging the US flag with the primary purpose of intimidation or inciting immediate violence or for the act of terrorism.​

This is already the case without the need for SB1911.

Of course, all this could just be him, once again, expertly getting the media to quit talking about various conflicts of interests, in-fighting over Romney, Trump Foundation stuff.

Probably.

No. In a country in which free speech is written into your constitution to the extent that it permits all manner of vile expression it is nothing more than a contradiction to treat a flag as sacred and beyond comment and expression.

No, it should not be illegal.



Freedom, freedom, freedom, oy!

Though, protesting the American flag accomplishes nothing in trying to protest Trump and his supporters. Trump and his Trumpets don't actually support the ideals of the American flag--protesters would be better off burning the Confederate flag if they really want to piss Trumpets off.

If you understand what that flag actually represents, then you can't pass a law banning flag burning.

Yep.

You being a veteran, I assume you get a ton of posts by your Navy buddies sputtering about fighting for the flag any time someone burns a flag in protest or shits on one. Those kinda of vets clearly didn't understand what they were supposedly fighting for.

Sure.

Lets ban Confederate flags and swastikas while we are at it.

Or maybe D. Trump can stop acting like a pussy.

He dishes it but he can't take it.

I"ll put it this way, I don't like it, in fact I hate it, but I don't believe it should be illegal.

It should be legal but don't be surprised when people beat the living shit out of you for doing it.

That is a crime, of course, but most people won't get involved because they think the flag burner was a jack ass to begin with.

This assumes he's an expert in anything. I heard the same reason put forth for his tweets on the call for recounts from a day or so ago. I think he has the attention span of a kitten.

Actually most of my military friends seem to understand this perfectly well. It's usually the armchair general types that get all bent out of shape.

Huh. Guess mine are just idiots, then