Suspected flag burner pilloried

[megimoo]

"The ACLU is going to be all over this !
"That kids will be forced to leave town before this is over. "

VALLEY FALLS -- The young man was given three choices: get turned over to the police, go one-on-one in a fight with a seasoned war veteran, or be duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours with a sign around his neck identifying his alleged crime: flag burning.

It was the third option that would still have the small town buzzing a week after a 21-year-old was hunted down and forced to endure a public humiliation with its roots dating to the Middle Ages. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1938 were incensed enough to tie up the man..

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories...storyID=846181

[stsinner]

Just as with any other 'right,' if you choose to exercise it, you'd better be prepared to pay the price.

[JB]

Just as with any other 'right,' if you choose to exercise it, you'd better be prepared to pay the price.

Not following you.

If I freely exercise my first amendment rights I should be prepared to be turned over to police, fight someone or be taped to a flagpole?

Since I am a fan of street justice, I would advocate this course of action for his real crime of stealing the flag in the first place. If it was his own flag and he burned it he should just tell those guys to go F themselves.

[stsinner]

Not following you.

If I freely exercise my first amendment rights I should be prepared to be turned over to police, fight someone or be taped to a flagpole?

Yes.. Just like if you exercise your right to walk up to me and call my wife a whore.. You have the right to do that, but be prepared for me to knock your teeth out.. Rights require a little bit of common sense and decency, lest you feast on your teeth or find yourself taped to a flag pole.. Many people died for that flag, and especially relatives and members of the VFW where this asshole pulled this stunt.

[stsinner]

Not following you.

If I freely exercise my first amendment rights I should be prepared to be turned over to police, fight someone or be taped to a flagpole?

Since I am a fan of street justice, I would advocate this course of action for his real crime of stealing the flag in the first place. If it was his own flag and he burned it he should just tell those guys to go F themselves.

They said he cut the rope holding the flag on the VFW flag pole and burned their flag-a flag that flew over soldiers in Iraq. It was a special flag.

[JB]

Yes.. Just like if you exercise your right to walk up to me and call my wife a whore.. You have the right to do that, but be prepared for me to knock your teeth out.. Rights require a little bit of common sense and decency, lest you feast on your teeth or find yourself taped to a flag pole.. Many people died for that flag, and especially relatives and members of the VFW where this asshole pulled this stunt.

What's funny is that if I call your wife a whore and you knock my teeth out, you'll be the one getting locked up.

What really got me about your post is the part about rights requiring common sense and decency. Who decides where that line gets drawn? You? How about if we let radical muslims draw that line. That is, if I decide I want to post a picture of Mohammed in this thread, it should be removed or I should go to jail because someone thinks it is indecent? You may want to live in that world. I don't.

Posting pics of Mo and burning flags is first amendment protected. That's what those guys fought for and I thank the hell out of them for it.

[stsinner]

What's funny is that if I call your wife a whore and you knock my teeth out, you'll be the one getting locked up.

What really got me about your post is the part about rights requiring common sense and decency. Who decides where that line gets drawn? You? How about if we let radical muslims draw that line. That is, if I decide I want to post a picture of Mohammed in this thread, it should be removed or I should go to jail because someone thinks it is indecent? You may want to live in that world. I don't.

Posting pics of Mo and burning flags is first amendment protected. That's what those guys fought for and I thank the hell out of them for it.

Responding as those psychos do to Muhammad in a cartoon is not sane or rational.. Calling ones wife a whore is a little more fight-worthy, as is burning a flag that veterans actually died under in Iraq.

In order for your argument to stand up, we'd have to take all 1 billion or so possibilities of when one could exercise and prescribe a reaction.. What I'm saying is use your head.. Burning the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) flag on their property wasn't a well thought out exercise of free speech.

[JB]

Responding as those psychos do to Muhammad in a cartoon is not sane or rational.. Calling ones wife a whore is a little more fight-worthy, as is burning a flag that veterans actually died under in Iraq.

You keep applying what you believe is rational to the incidents under discussion. I'd rather not live under your interpretation. The muslims wanted to beat the crap out of people that published pictures of Mo. You want to beat the crap out of a guy that burned a flag. Some might say you're both rational, some might say you're both insane.

In order for your argument to stand up, we'd have to take all 1 billion or so possibilities of when one could exercise and prescribe a reaction.. What I'm saying is use your head.. Burning the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) flag on their property wasn't a well thought out exercise of free speech.

My argument stands up. It will stand up against infinity possibilities. Let's separate the crimes from the non-crimes in this story and see if you agree.

Stealing a flag. Crime.
Burning a flag on someone else's property. Crime but not because it was a flag.
Burning a flag, that I own, on my property, regardless of where it came from or where it flew. Not a crime.
You knocking my teeth out as a result of my burning that flag. Crime.

[stsinner]

You knocking my teeth out as a result of my burning that flag. Crime.

I didn't say that them taping the guy to the flag pole was legal, just as knocking your teeth out wouldn't be, but if you choose to exercise your right to free speech in such an undignified and insulting way, be prepared for the emotional consequences, which generally aren't legal.. There's a big difference between exercising your right to free speech and just being a stupid asshole and deserving some street justice, as you put it.

[Sonnabend]

What gets me is "they hunted him down"

Vigilantes....if they knew where this kid was, then call a cop. Basically they gave him a choice

1. Be seen by the cops, who would have called it a misdemeanour.

2. Go one on one with a combat vet...hey great choice, volunteer to be beaten half to death.

3. Be publically humiliated

I wonder....what if he had said no to all three...what would they have done,. beaten him up anyway? The kid had left the premises and they went after him.

Assault, false imprisonment...EXTORTION.

FELONIES.

If it's a legal issue CALL A COP, and if there are no ground to arrest then leave him the fuck alone because you and your ilk are not fucking judge and fucking jury.

I didn't say that them taping the guy to the flag pole was legal, just as knocking your teeth out wouldn't be, but if you choose to exercise your right to free speech in such an undignified and insulting way, be prepared for the emotional consequences, which generally aren't legal.

This vigilante mentality makes me sick. Coming from a Truther, why am I not surprised?

Those involved should be arrested and charged, I dont give a fuck what you think you are doing, you do not EVER have the right to take the law into your own hands.

There's a big difference between exercising your right to free speech and just being a stupid asshole and deserving some street justice, as you put it.

And it is called THE LAW.

"Street justice"? I suppose you're sad they didnt just shoot the kid.

Jerk.