Like tossing "Hitler" into an argument...

[thistlechaser]

I really need to stop reading the news. It only depresses me. The only news I can watch on TV is The Daily Show. How odd is that, that the only non-annoying source of news is a "news entertainment" show? But how could any news outlet look at this stuff and not roll their eyes at it?

Once more, the House has passed a constitutional amendment to outlaw flag burning. We'll not even talk about how (bad|good) that is, this is the part that had me closing the window in disgust. Quote:

"Ask the men and women who stood on top of the Trade Center," said Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham, R-Calif. "Ask them and they will tell you: pass this amendment."

So "Duke" knows exactly what all those dead people would want. (Maybe someone should have pointed out that if it was those who stood on top of the Trade Center wanted this passed, they were vastly outnumbered by all of those on the many floors below?)

It's just so disgusting to throw the deaths of people into your political arguments. (Please, "Duke", tell us how the people killed on 9-11 felt about abortion, too! I bet you'd say they'd be against it! You're so wise, "Duke"!)

Part of me wants to ask how anyone can take these people seriously, but then the rest of me remembers that these people are making decisions for us. We're so doomed...

---

Doomed in one way or another! Hee hee. Giant Popsicle Melts, Floods NYC Park

Comments

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

While I think it was wrong of him to drag 9-11 into it, I don't think people should legally be able to burn the flag, or otherwise do nasty stuff to it. Hell, it's a symbol of our freedom, but there is a point where 'freedom' becomes 'anarchy'. It's a fine line, unfortunately, and morons like Dukey there seem to enjoy smearing manipulative shit on it, but that's politics for ya. v.v; *smacks 'em all around*

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I could have guessed that was your opinion. :) I did the "(good|bad)" thing so that people could pick the one they wanted. An argument about flag burning would settle little and annoy many, so I figured I'd just let everyone decide on their own!

Make love, not war (in my LJ)! Heeheehee.

*smooches lots*

[metron-ariston.livejournal.com]

Anarchy would not be an unliveable state of society if people weren't assholes.

Banning flag-burning falls on the wrong side of freedom vs order. The burning of a flag in and of itself harms no one, and as such shouldn't be legislated against. But that's just IMHO, YMMV, all that jazz.

[pomr.livejournal.com]

The best we can hope for is that the Senate once more shoots down the amendment. Though I think that burning or desecrating our flag is definitely in poor taste, it seems vital to me that we are allowed to do so if we so desire. This is one of those touchy topics with a lot of folks polarized at either end of the spectrum like religion, and abortion.

I can't say I'd ever burn a flag, but that doesn't mean we should not be allowed to. Just my 50th of a dollar.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

That's my opinion as well (as it is for a lot of things). I don't think I;d ever have an abortion, but I'd want the option to be there. I'd never want to have sex with a lamp, but the government better not outlaw it!

[hamburger.livejournal.com]

Uh... last I checked 'burning' a flag was one of the ways considered to be 'proper' to dispose of an old flag that is no longer fit to display:
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/flagday/burnflag.asp

Now all of a sudden it's being outlawed? Am I missing something here?

That aside, I doubt that if I were about to fall thousands of feet to my death that I'd be thinking: "You know, they shouldn't allow people to burn flags!"

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

That aside, I doubt that if I were about to fall thousands of feet to my death that I'd be thinking: "You know, they shouldn't allow people to burn flags!"

Thanks for making me snicker out loud at work. :)

I think they're trying to outlaw the burning of it to make a statement. (Back in the Sixties people burnt them a lot, to prove they had freedom of speech? I think?)

[metron-ariston.livejournal.com]

I really need to stop reading the news. It only depresses me.

Ugh, word. Still feel guilty about my political gafiating, but it's nowhere near as bad as I felt when I was obsessing. Every time I think I'm ready to do more than skim all the stuff I would spend hours a day on months ago, I come across a story that has me wishing again for the power to kill people with my mind and I find myself ignoring the outside world for another week.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I come across a story that has me wishing again for the power to kill people with my mind and I find myself ignoring the outside world for another week.

I know. It's so easy to do that. I keep thinking to myself "things will get better after the next election!", but know what? I don't really believe that. I'm hoping for better from the same people who got us into this situation...

Bah. I'll go back and hide on FFXI. At least that's not outlawed. Yet.

*snugs*

And as a side note, I sure do miss having new Lost eps! The new season needs to get here! Now!

[metron-ariston.livejournal.com]

And as a side note, I sure do miss having new Lost eps! The new season needs to get here! Now!

Totally! I've been watching most of the season with the SO (his first time, as he left off around ep eight) and I'm amazed at how much more I'm taken with the big arcs when I can see a bunch of episodes in a row. At some point will have to make a post about hilarious-in-hindsight moments, like Kate telling Shannon that if Boone is safe with /anyone/ on the Island, it's Locke.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yes! Make a post like that! I'd love to see it. :)

[kalin-nestar.livejournal.com]

What about not agreeing with what one says but defending to the death their right to say it? (Who said that again?) In some countries if you disagreed with the governement, you'd be killed. Expressing yourself in potentially offensive ways is something that we as Americans are supposed to be able to do. Is it me, or are they passing laws these days that in the past you would never think the public would accept? I find more people saying to me, "Can they do that?" or "They can't do that!" Well, yeah they are.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Expressing yourself in potentially offensive ways is something that we as Americans are supposed to be able to do.

Exactly. It just boggles me that people are not just accepting this, but embracing it. Yay for using fear to keep the herd in line!

[2515049.livejournal.com]

That'd be Voltaire for the quote. (Sorry, I'm late.)

[kalin-nestar.livejournal.com]

hehehe, thanks!

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

I really think most of the USA is poorly trained in the simple practice of Critical Thinking. Most of us are highly subject to emotional rhetoric, non-logical (i.e. emotional) arguments, and good old-fasioned bait-and-switch tactics.

There ought to be a very simple one- or two-page reference on how to deconstruct an argument into facts, inference, value statements, and conclusions. People are treated like cattle and for the most part, they stand there and take it.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

There ought to be a very simple one- or two-page reference on how to deconstruct an argument into facts, inference, value statements, and conclusions.

I think that's a great idea, but would likely fail. People would still need to read it, not to mention remember it and use the knowledge. People don't want to do that.

Now maybe if they made a Jerry Springer show about it...

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

Here's another point I just thought of. If the amendment is accepted and the prohibition against flag burning makes it into law, then I presume it would be against the law to burn the US flag. Would it then also be against the law to burn the Mexican, Canadian, or British flags? How about the Iranian flag? If those flags don't merit the same protection, isn't that hypocrisy?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Exactly. And related to that (though I can't take credit for this argument), what happens if/when we get a president who follows some other religion? A Scientologist, say? How would people feel about him making his own religious beliefs into law then?

People really should learn to think ahead...