Philosoraptor called it

Some legislators would elevate their perverse fetishes to Constitutional status:

U.S. House Approves Constitutional Amendment to Protect Flag
June 22 (Bloomberg) -- The House of Representatives approved, for the fifth time, a constitutional amendment to ban the desecration of the U.S. flag, setting the stage for a close vote in the Senate, which has previously rejected the measure.

The House approved the proposal by 286-130, more than the two- thirds necessary to pass constitutional amendments.

The amendment allows Congress to pass laws prohibiting destruction of the flag as part of protests. A constitutional amendment is necessary because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1990 that laws forbidding flag desecration violate the free speech protections of the First Amendment.

"For the first time we have the chance for this amendment to pass the Senate,'' said Representative Randy Cunningham, a California Republican and the sponsor of the measure.

Via TalkLeft.

Comments

[Vanna]

What's really ironic is that flag desecration happens all the time: those tattered flags you see flapping outside restaurants and car-parts stores and malls. Do you think the uber-patriot flag-flyers care about maintaining a flag according to custom and tradition? Nah: stick it there and let it wave to rags. Nuff said.

[Amanda Marcotte]

Damn, I better finish using up my flag toilet paper before this passes.

[JoshA]

As Cunningham also pointed out, people who stood at Ground Zero on 9/11 would have wanted this. I thank him for pointing this out, because before I always thought they were thinking stuff like "I don't want to die" or "I sure hope they catch the guy who did this." In fact, they were thinking about how much burning the flag needs to be unconstitutional. Who knew?

[Steve Brady]

He even said to go ask them. Apparently he can communicate with the dead.

So, to recap:

Kid Rock cutting a hole in a flag and wearing it like a poncho: No Problemo.

Burning a flag in protest: Evil.

[Sky-Ho]

Wait,

is this the Randy "Duke" Cunningham of San Diego?

Check out:
<http://tbogg.blogspot.com/2005/06/pay-for-play-local-congressman-duke.html>

or just <http://tbogg.blogspot.com/> and scroll down one or two pages.

The dude is corrupt/ likely busted in a big way.

Maybe he can ban burning the flag and save his ass.....

[Mnemosyne]

"For the first time we have the chance for this amendment to pass the Senate,'' said Representative Randy Cunningham, a California Republican and the sponsor of the measure.

Shorter Randy Cunningham: I want to pass the measure before I go to jail.

[Mnemosyne]

Kid Rock cutting a hole in a flag and wearing it like a poncho: No Problemo.

I have to admit, I was FAR more appalled at that sight than I was Janet Jackson's naked boobie.

[Flint]

Their next piece of legislation will call for it to be a felony to photograph the flag over a coffin.

[Abby]

My rep Capuano did not vote for this, but I was really embarassed that 4 (out of a total of 10) Massachusetts Democratic Representatives voted for this damn thing.

[m]

I would settle for the enforcement of state laws against using the flag for advertising purposes. Real estate agents in particular like to plant little flags with their logos attached. Misdemeanor in NY, felony in quite a few states. Just can't get the law enforced though.

Burning the flag as a protest is exactly what the flag is about. The decision by the Supremes re flag burning was in regard to political speech, not commercial speech.

[rea]

Isn't a congressperson who take a million-dolar bribe from a defense contractor, then wraps himself in the flag when he gets caught, kinda committing flag desecration himself?

[mudkitty]

Ditto the above.