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Jail and Loss of Citizenship for Flag Burning?

Do You agree with trump?

  • Great idea, throw them in jail then out of the country

    Votes: 3 2.1%

  • Worst idea ever, a clear violation of the 1st A

    Votes: 126 87.5%

  • Other, see explaination

    Votes: 15 10.4%
  • Total voters
    144
  • Poll closed .
Casper said:
Saw this and thought it would be interesting to get the input of the members here. Do you think this is a good idea or a violation of the 1st A? Thoughts.
Trump mulls loss of citizenship, jail for flag burning
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I have never and will never burn the American flag, but Trump's comments just show how dangerous he could actually be if he and his followers get what they want. Pure fascist bull****.
 
Casper said:
Saw this and thought it would be interesting to get the input of the members here. Do you think this is a good idea or a violation of the 1st A? Thoughts.
Trump mulls loss of citizenship, jail for flag burning
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Loss of citizenship, or even jail, for burning a flag? That's patently absurd. However, I highly doubt even a manchild such as he would ever REALLY advocate for such 1984-ish punishments.

I don't know what he's on during his early morning twitter freakouts, but I want some.
 
No. No. Just... no.

First of all, you CAN'T lose your citizenship. You would have to amend the Constitution. You can't even voluntarily renounce your citizenship from INSIDE the US. You would have to become a citizen somewhere else and then travel outside the US and then go to a US Consulate and THEN submit the paperwork to renounce your citizenship.
 
I'm still trying to stay optimistic about his presidency but regardless of how it plays out Trump is an idiot. A freaking moron. I have never thought that about a President before. Not even W.
 
Always make your poll results public.
 
BrewerBob said:
No. No. Just... no.

First of all, you CAN'T lose your citizenship. You would have to amend the Constitution. You can't even voluntarily renounce your citizenship from INSIDE the US. You would have to become a citizen somewhere else and then travel outside the US and then go to a US Consulate and THEN submit the paperwork to renounce your citizenship.
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Not to mention that the SCOTUS already ruled on this.
 
Kobie said:
Loss of citizenship, or even jail, for burning a flag? That's patently absurd. However, I highly doubt even a manchild such as he would ever REALLY advocate for such 1984-ish punishments.

I don't know what he's on during his early morning twitter freakouts, but I want some.
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I would agree, except that I am a student of history and as such know that when some say things such as this they are revealing their inner selves and are testing the waters. I agree it would not be something he would try getting implemented right off, but once he consolidates his power it could come back to the forefront.
 
No jail. Just an axe handle across the shins.

Then a mandatory 6 months living in some third world dictatorship where they will learn and respect what they have here at home, and know it is not all that bad.

or, forgo the axe handle and enlist them "voluntarily" for two years in the GRUNT forces of the Marines or Army.
Maybe an EGA on their lapel or some airborne wings / sapper patch will instill a little pride in themselves.

or, two years in the DECK DEPT of a Navy ship, being a deck ape. Not a professional Bo'sn mate, but a painting, chipping, grinding, line splicing, watch standing deck ape.

Builds character.

These flag burners are sadly lacking in it.

OOOOO RAH !!!
 
Last edited:
I answered "other" because I don't think it is the worst idea ever. There are definitely worse ideas. Invading Russia during the winter, for example.
 
Casper said:
Saw this and thought it would be interesting to get the input of the members here. Do you think this is a good idea or a violation of the 1st A? Thoughts.
Trump mulls loss of citizenship, jail for flag burning
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Before our friends berate Trump for thinking out loud, I'll point out that Hillary Clinton introduced a bill in 2005 that would have made it a crime to desecrate the flag.

I think it would be foolish to criminalize it even if it could withstand SCOTUS. Who cares if someone burns the flag? It's a piece of cloth assembled in China. Who's the idiot?
 
Ikari said:
Trump can mull it all he wants, he has no ability to do anything about it.
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It's not the fact he can't do it, it's the mindset that he thinks something like that is right.
 
What an absolutely stupid and moronic idea.

This guy is such a buffoon and a joke.
 
MaggieD said:
Before our friends berate Trump for thinking out loud, I'll point out that Hillary Clinton introduced a bill in 2005 that would have made it a crime to desecrate the flag.
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Her and Bush supported criminalizing desecrating the flag if IIRC.

I think it would be foolish to criminalize it even if it could withstand SCOTUS. Who cares if someone burns the flag? It's a piece of cloth assembled in China. Who's the idiot?
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And that's what I don't get. If the American flag is so sacred, why would we allow it to be made in China? It is a piece of cloth. Burn a flag in public, with correct legal permits, I don't care. I don't choose to partake in that form of protest, but to each their own on that one.
 
Praxas said:
I have never and will never burn the American flag, but Trump's comments just show how dangerous he could actually be if he and his followers get what they want. Pure fascist bull****.
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Unlike you, we don't always agree to walk in lockstep as the Left does.
 
Praxas said:
It's not the fact he can't do it, it's the mindset that he thinks something like that is right.
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Yeah, that's why we have checks and balances, they'll be tested for sure for his Presidency.
 
Trump expressed his personal thought's on what he thinks the penalty should be for flag burning but the Supreme Court has
determined burning a flag can be a 1st amendment issue. Read the case for all the details!


Texas v. Johnson

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/491/397

During the 1984 Republican National Convention, respondent Johnson participated in a political demonstration to protest the policies of the Reagan administration and some Dallas-based corporations. After a march through the city streets, Johnson burned an American flag while protesters chanted. No one was physically injured or threatened with injury, although several witnesses were seriously offended by the flag burning. Johnson was convicted of desecration of a venerated object in violation of a Texas statute, and a state court of appeals affirmed. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, holding that the State, consistent with the First Amendment, could not punish Johnson for burning the flag in these circumstances. The court first found that Johnson's burning of the flag was expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment. The court concluded that the State could not criminally sanction flag desecration in order to preserve the flag as a symbol of national unity. It also held that the statute did not meet the State's goal of preventing breaches of the peace, since it was not drawn narrowly enough to encompass only those flag burnings that would likely result in a serious disturbance, and since the flag burning in this case did not threaten such a reaction. Further, it stressed that another Texas statute prohibited breaches of the peace and could be used to prevent disturbances without punishing this flag desecration.

Held: Johnson's conviction for flag desecration is inconsistent with the First Amendment. Pp. 402-420.
 
Ikari said:
Yeah, that's why we have checks and balances, they'll be tested for sure for his Presidency.
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As was proven though during the Obama administration with a Dem congress and presidency and a left-leaning SCOTUS, those checks and balances disappear and that is how we got the ACA. I don't doubt that under a GOP presidency (with Trump) and with a GOP congress and maybe a right-leaning SCOTUS (if he gets to pick another), the damage he can do is great.
 
Disagree strongly with that particular tweet, however, as has been pointed out, in all the history of ideas, there's worse ones.
 
Praxas said:
I have never and will never burn the American flag, but Trump's comments just show how dangerous he could actually be if he and his followers get what they want. Pure fascist bull****.
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That F word is getting more thrown around by lefties than their favorite R word now.

Letter cannot be delivered without proper postage...FACIST!
You do not qualify for the student discount...FACIST!
Sorry, we are out of ranch dressing at the salad bar...FACIST!
The FCC just added a 0.35 cent increase to your cable bill...FACIST!
The cat meows at the door to be let back in...FACIST!
Power is down on your block...FACIST!

the list goes on and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.........FACIST!
 
Casper said:
Saw this and thought it would be interesting to get the input of the members here. Do you think this is a good idea or a violation of the 1st A? Thoughts.
Trump mulls loss of citizenship, jail for flag burning
Click to expand...

It's a right. I don't like it and would never desecrate a flag in any manner. But it's minor in the overall scheme of things.

I'm more worried about a sleazeball college president who refuses to fly the flag on campus so that he can concentrate on:

racist, misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and behaviors," Hampshire's president, Jonathan Lash, said in a statement at the time.

If that school receives one dollar of government funding or tax breaks, then that should stop.
 
RetiredNSmilin said:
That F word is getting more thrown around by lefties than their favorite R word now.
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Sorry but wanting to make the penalty of loss of citizenship for burning the flag IS fascism plain and simple. Your list would be fascist as well IF the penalties were loss of citizenship. So spare me your drivel.
 
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