Comments on: No flag-burning please, we’re British

By: SBR6: Reactions to The Scotsman’s new monthly poll « Scottish Blogging Roundup

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 14:54:47 +0000

[…] Shuggy has a post on The Sharpener taking a look at proposals to ban flag burning. […]

By: Rachel

Rachel — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 16:51:09 +0000

I am minded of the Bill Hicks’ rejoinder to anti-flag-burners.

‘My Daddy DIED for that flag!’
‘Really? I bought mine in Wal-Mart’.

Burning flags, burning Guy Fawkes, whatever…

By: dearieme

dearieme — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 21:57:40 +0000

“a sensible Supreme Court decision from 1989, which held that the burning of the American flag was a form of free expression protected under the First Amendment.” I rather disagree, Shuggy, that it’s sensible. Wouldn’t a better decision have been “Oh do grow up you silly sods, the Constitution is not concerned with trifles, so just eff off”?

By: Brian J Deller

Brian J Deller — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:23:34 +0000

I can remember 30 years ago when I was working in the USA, there was a student’s demonstraion about the Vietnam war and one student was assaulted by nearby construction workers because he had made a pair of shorts out of the US flag. Americans are very patriotic and the desecration of a US flag in public would emote physical attacks by local US patriots, and often arrest by the police.

In the UK, it should be sufficient for the police to arrest those who burn ANY flag where citizens are likely to be insulted or incited to react with force, even at a later date against the militant group, the offence being for public disorder and probably also under the Health and Safety Act with the latter probably carrying the greater penalty if fire is involved.

What is needed is for the police to enforce existing laws and not worry about offending a groups’ sensibilities, whether they are a religious organisation or even the BNP who often are targeted unfairly for quiet lawful protests: and I am not a BNP supporter.

By: chris

chris — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:56:22 +0000

fabulous – would it just be national flags? could we, for instance, burn the flag of Texas? or US flags with only 49 stars on them?

By: Jonn

Jonn — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 10:18:35 +0000

It’s signal politics, plain and simple.

The new laws are intended not to change the situation on the ground, because, as you note, the police already have powers to deal with this stuff.

Instead, they’re intended purely to say “Labour is tough on crime” to the tabloids.