 |
| Flag Desecration 101, wingnut style |
I love when wingnuts get huffy not only over flag burning, but actual or alleged desecration short of that.
Then, they do what's pictured at left. (I had been wondering what these flags were, then finally saw "Back the Blue" with one of them, and got my answer.)
Desecration?
Absolutely yes, I say. And, with official legal warrant. Namely, the U.S. Flag Code, or to put it again ...
Quite arguably hellz YES, per Wikipedia:
The flag should never have any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind placed on it or attached to it.
Sounds pretty simple.
I'd argue that fading the whole flag to black-and-white is a "mark." Certainly, putting the one blue stripe on top of it is certainly a "mark," or "figure," or "drawing" — take your pick. And, in the above, the words most most certainly are desecration, as each one is a "word."
So, besides the one I linked above, this whole shitload of Google images, for Back the Blue, Thin Blue Line or whatever one will call it, is flag desecration.
So, why?
I think a mix of several things:
1. For some, the end justifies the means, and they have at least a vague inkling they shouldn't do this, but they're going to "show" Black Lives Matter the reality — even with blue lives allegedly so vile to commit bestiality AND own child porn! And, while not THAT bad, and doing nothing illegal, Texas cop hero Darren Goforth of two years ago had a mistress, followed by the investigator of Goforth's murder having his OWN relationship with that same woman/mistress.
2. For others, it's thinking "cops right or wrong" just like "my country right or wrong," whether they think about the Flag Code or even know it exists.
3. For yet others, it's "any conservative campaign is better with a U.S. flag," even though the Flag Code also expressly prohibits it in advertising AND says that for PR-type stuff, bunting should be used instead.
4. Per No. 2, other wingers are flag-illiterate.
That said, in reality, I find wingers whining about flag desecration to be hilarious. And, just another example of "free speech for me but not for thee," as Nat Hentoff titled a book. Of course, the U.S. Flag Code, wingers' ignorance or disregard for it aside, is unconstitutional, and has been ever since Texas v Johnson; indeed, Wiki notes that SCOTUS struck down a 1989 Flag Desecration Act, passed on the basis of its ruling on the Texas v Johnson, a year later. And that's why the criminal penalties in the Flag Code have never been enforced.
But, as long as wingers are going to selectively whine about flag desecration, burning or whatever, I'm going to give it back to them, both barrels.
But, I have no problems with "Back the Blue," as long as it's not a veil for an attack on Black Lives Matter. I've known a couple of good to great police chiefs, one hard-nosed one, one allegedly sleeping around with multiple women in his small town (he's now dead, fatally shot while doing off-duty security to help pay the bills for his about 10 acknowledged kids). I've known great beat cops, OK ones, goofball ones, and one definite bad apple.
Cops are human beings. They do a job with above-average (though not the highest in America) levels of both danger and stress. And, yes, both were illustrated Tuesday by the Little Elm, Texas cop fatally shot by a suspect from his home.
As far as stress, though, as far as I know, no wingnut said "Back the Wings" before Reagan fired the stressed-out striking air traffic controllers.
So, why?
I think a mix of several things:
1. For some, the end justifies the means, and they have at least a vague inkling they shouldn't do this, but they're going to "show" Black Lives Matter the reality — even with blue lives allegedly so vile to commit bestiality AND own child porn! And, while not THAT bad, and doing nothing illegal, Texas cop hero Darren Goforth of two years ago had a mistress, followed by the investigator of Goforth's murder having his OWN relationship with that same woman/mistress.
2. For others, it's thinking "cops right or wrong" just like "my country right or wrong," whether they think about the Flag Code or even know it exists.
3. For yet others, it's "any conservative campaign is better with a U.S. flag," even though the Flag Code also expressly prohibits it in advertising AND says that for PR-type stuff, bunting should be used instead.
4. Per No. 2, other wingers are flag-illiterate.
That said, in reality, I find wingers whining about flag desecration to be hilarious. And, just another example of "free speech for me but not for thee," as Nat Hentoff titled a book. Of course, the U.S. Flag Code, wingers' ignorance or disregard for it aside, is unconstitutional, and has been ever since Texas v Johnson; indeed, Wiki notes that SCOTUS struck down a 1989 Flag Desecration Act, passed on the basis of its ruling on the Texas v Johnson, a year later. And that's why the criminal penalties in the Flag Code have never been enforced.
But, as long as wingers are going to selectively whine about flag desecration, burning or whatever, I'm going to give it back to them, both barrels.
But, I have no problems with "Back the Blue," as long as it's not a veil for an attack on Black Lives Matter. I've known a couple of good to great police chiefs, one hard-nosed one, one allegedly sleeping around with multiple women in his small town (he's now dead, fatally shot while doing off-duty security to help pay the bills for his about 10 acknowledged kids). I've known great beat cops, OK ones, goofball ones, and one definite bad apple.
Cops are human beings. They do a job with above-average (though not the highest in America) levels of both danger and stress. And, yes, both were illustrated Tuesday by the Little Elm, Texas cop fatally shot by a suspect from his home.
As far as stress, though, as far as I know, no wingnut said "Back the Wings" before Reagan fired the stressed-out striking air traffic controllers.
No comments:
Post a Comment