From: "Peter Trei" <trei@process.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 22:06:57 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Flag Burning...
Message-ID: <199706131352.GAA06683@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



"RS" writes:

I'm curious as to why you feel the need to conceal your identity.

> When it comes down to flag burning, It really bothers me that we allow our
> symbol of freedom to be burned.  It's more than a flag and a right.  It's a
> symbol of the freedom we have.  To allow someone to publicly burn a flag is
> essentially displaying our freedom being burned.

It's a symbol, not the thing symbolized. You are confusing the map 
with the country. 

Burning the flag is a statement by the burner that they feel that the
symbol has become empty, and the freedom which the flag symbolizes is
gone or has been compromised in some manner. It's clearly a form of
political speech. True, It's a very strong statement, but strong 
political speech has been protected by the Constitution (at least up till 
now).
 
> Bush was a veteran, and Clinton was not.  I take it the ones who are
> writing on this subject about how we should have the "freedom" to burn the
> flag have never served in the military or for our country.   

You are mistaken - some of the people opposing your viewpoint have 
stated that they are veterans.

> Being a veteran myself, I find it very distateful to allow anyone on our
> soil to be allowed to "BURN" our symbol of freedom.  Think about the flag
> for a moment and what it really stands for.  Does it not stand for freedom
> and liberty?

It does *stand* for freedom and liberty, but only as long those 
values really exist. It *is* *not* freedom and libery in it's own
right.
 
When what the flag symbolizes is gone, it becomes just a piece of 
cloth. Burning this cloth draws attention to the loss. It is a dramatic
statement, but under certain circumstances an appropriate one.
 
> Sorry, I just had to let this out.  I stand behind Bush on this one.  Don't
> burn the flag unless you would like to live under another flag!

Thank you for your opinion. You are of course free to express it. And 
I, and other thoughtful, freedom-loving Americans can oppose it.

Think about this:

Would you rather people did not burn the flag because:

1. They'll be thrown in the slammer if they do.
2. The revere the values for which it stands, and will not descrate a
   meaningful symbol of these values.

In (2), we can look at the (very rare) individuals who *do* burn the
flag, and determine for ourselves if they have a valid point to 
convey.  

In (1), we'll never know.

For Congress to deny the freedom to burn the flag is a desecration of what
the flag stands for - a descration of the flag by the government itself.

Peter Trei
trei@process.com

Disclaimer: I represent only myself in this article.