One flag is on government property and
the other flag is on government property.
One flag is government property, and
the other flag is government property
Bring your own flag and deface it = free speech
Destroy someone else’s flag? Not the same.
Do we want equal justice?
Do we reject Joe McCarthy who used the power of government to persecute his political opponents?
This is another example of the insanity that is so rampant in our culture and society right now. I’ve never witnessed anything like it. How can any judge justify this? They should be disbarred.
I am against
(1) prosecuting flag burning (unless it is of course someone else’s property)
(2) and three strike or habitual offender engagements.
What’s your stand on habitual offender/ 3 strike laws……….
Wait i got more
………….
What was Einstein’s definition of dementia?
How many revolutions of the wheel should the justice hamster make before we stop the nonsense?
I agree with your number 1. I’m not sure what you mean with number 2. Can you explain?
The punishment should reflect the gravity of the crime…not based on feeeeeeelings or politics.
Hmm, I had not thought of stealing and burning someone else’s flag as a “third strike felony” but I guess it qualifies.
I am generally supportive of such three-strikes laws.
If he’s got two other felonies this name then the Iowa sentence was probably the right thing to do.
As for yesterday’s pro-Palestine protesters, it might be a first felony hate crime.
It seems to me that he was not sentenced for burning a flag but the combination of his actions together with the reason/intent (that he confessed to) for them were deemed a hate crime.
I am not a legal expert so will be interesting to see the views of other posters who have more experience in legal matters.
There is a difference between hate speech and free speech.
Edit - Seeing the other posts about three strikes then I agree that also played into it.
15 years for burning a flag (any flag) is outrageous!!
The “judge” should be disbarred.
There’s a little more to it than that.
No there is not, not in a legal/constitutional sense anyway.
There is a proper legal distinction between ordinary crime and hate crime,
but even there the line is a bit tricky. ex: burn a pride flag to protest transvestite story hour or burn it because one hates transvetites
It’s free speech either way.
I find burning the American Flag Very annoying but it is free speech.
Jail terms for burning a gay pride flag is somehow making that flag way more special than the American flag which imo is outrageous/ridiculous.
I thought there were laws against hate crimes. Until the Sc rules they are unconstitutional they exist.
Like i said I am not an expert.
In general, hate crime laws provide stiffer penalties when a crime is motivated by hate.
Imagine:
They are controversial for a number of reasons, not limited to the fact that prosecutors are often accused of applying them unequally. (White guy uses a slur while committing a crime he gets a heavier sentence than a black guy using the same slur and committing the same crime.)
Case by case basis automatic with automatic enhancements for recidivism but not to the 15-20 year and no three strike laws
So you are against three strike laws? I bet that’s not true
Right that’s such a huge problem imo
It wasn’t for burning a flag.
Nobody reads anymore
