Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Probably the most depressing Patriot’s Journey entry

(This is a Patriot’s Journey post. Others joining in are Alex, Scott, JimK, and Moorewatch. If you wish to join in, feel free.)

I cannot believe that our elected Representatives would be so ignorant as to try this again.

Look, I’m all for revering the flag, because of what it stands for. But I respect our freedoms even more, and voodoo is still a protected religion.

What? Did you think that this was about politics? Nope, this is a Voodoo religious ceremony, trying to destroy the United States by destroying that little icon that stands for all the things that we think of as good and honorable, like purity and innocence (white), hardiness and valor (red), and vigilance, perseverance and justice (blue).

Regardless, it is still just a symbol. The truths and ideals that it represents are not harmed in any way by the torching of a few scraps of dyed cloth. Since we have enough freedoms for even the most repugnant among us to have a fair say. (And once that flag has burned, I would love to ask, “Uh, huh… And? What’s your point?” just to see the blank expression come across their face.)

I have never burned a flag before. But I’m right there with a lot of others who will buy a flag, just to burn it in protest of this seizing of our most basic rights. Our freedoms are too important to let the Government stop us from offending each other.

The cure for bad speech is more good speech, not silencing their voices. If you are offended by someone’s speech, you have the right to present your case, and let others decide which of you is “right” and which is “wrong”. You DO NOT have the right to get a law passed to silence him. That is political correctness at the point of a gun.

You don’t have a right to not be offended, and that is all this boils down to - people burned a flag and some other people got upset about it. You don’t change the Constitution just because somebody pisses you off.