Political Cartoons Done Right | 92 comments (92 topical, 0 hidden)
Ever heard of argumentum ad populum? Look it up. (none / 0)

Just because you deem something "not right" doesn't mean it isn't protected by the Constitution.

You have the right to freedom of speech too. And with that freedom of speech, you can express your personal disapproval of the 'mosque' or flag burning or koran burning. When a majority expresses that same opinion, those acts become less and less popular and with any luck, the perpetrator will decide on his or her own to avoid doing things that will make them less popular.

However, when the public gets outraged at Obama and Bloomberg for not stepping in and preventing the 'mosque' or flag burning or koran burning, this is just downright idiotic. They have no right to infringe on freedom of speech unless that speech provokes imminent physical harm.

Furthermore, people like you don't seem to realize just how counter-productive it is to focus your energy towards the people who burn flags. Of course you don't like it. That's the point. That's the purpose of the statement that is being made and the more you disagree with it, the more profound the statement becomes. For every flag burned on American soil, a conservative trips over his own dick against freedom of speech, one of the main principles the flag stands for.

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/13/2010 06:36:53 PM EST

[ Parent ]
And then there is the real world... (none / 0)

If everything was so cut and dry why do we live in a nation divided ready to riot and kill one another.  Sometimes you do the smart thing regardless of the "law."

Once upon a time it was constitutional to hold slaves.  That was wrong, too.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/14/2010 01:58:59 AM EST

[ Parent ]
You're comparing (none / 0)
Burning a flag to slavery. Wow.

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/14/2010 03:41:14 AM EST

[ Parent ]
You could look at it that way... (none / 0)

Is the constitution even relevant or just an archaic document from our history?  Nobody seems to follow it, unless they want to score political points.

When a law becomes ignored, it no longer forms the basis for law.  Welcome to the 21st century James, your government does as it pleases and when the constitution stands in the way, they trample it.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/14/2010 03:53:27 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Go read the Constitution (none / 0)
And then get back to me.

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/14/2010 02:32:18 PM EST

[ Parent ]
The constitution was shredded by the... (none / 0)
Patriot Act.  It no longer regulates our government.  Go read the Patriot Act.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/14/2010 10:51:07 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Agreed (none / 0)

I've ready and we agree. It violates the Constitution, particularly the 4th Amendment. Your stance on the PATRIOT ACT is contradictory to your stance on flag burning (et al). If you get mad when our 4th amendment rights get trampled, you should be mad when someone tries to trample our 1st amendment rights.

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/14/2010 11:16:28 PM EST

[ Parent ]
No, it doesn't. I am proud to be an American... (none / 0)
while you may have the legal right to burn the flag, as a political statement, not the proper destruction one, if I caught you doing it, I would beat the crap out of you.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/14/2010 11:28:50 PM EST

[ Parent ]
And (none / 0)
You would get your ass kicked, go to jail, then get sued. Sad day.

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/15/2010 12:56:50 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Gladly, free speech carries a responsibility... (none / 0)

that you protect it and not give your adversary cause to take it away.  It's all mute, I lost my free speech when they passed the Patriot Act.

I doubt they would ever get to the foot soldiers, but eventually someone will follow up on this once the US joins the new global government.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/ index.php?title=Bush_Admini stration_War_Crimes_in_Iraq

Eventually someone will want their pound of flesh out of America. Sad day for Americans.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/15/2010 05:27:16 AM EST

[ Parent ]
So... (none / 0)

In order to "protect" my free speech, I must not practice it, other wise it will be taken away?

That's your position on flag burning?

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/15/2010 05:48:17 PM EST

[ Parent ]
You must choose carefully... (none / 0)
try walking in Harlem and say "nigger."  My point is with freedom comes responsibility.  You must be pragmatic.  That is why we say war on terror, not war on radical Islam.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/16/2010 12:21:40 AM EST

[ Parent ]
So... (none / 0)

Walking into Harlem and saying "nigger" gives the people in Harlem a right to kick my ass?

Try walking into an Oklahoma Sooners bar wearing a Texas Longhorns shirt.

Based on your logic, the Sooners fans would be justified in pulling your balls off.

http://www.faniq.com/blog/T exas-Longhorns-Oklahoma-Soo ners-Rivalry-Moves-Straight -to-the-Top-Fan-Nearly-Lose s-Scrotum-Blog-3909

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/16/2010 12:45:50 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Actually it was the opposite... (none / 0)

I may have the right to walk into the bar and call everybody a whore's son.  But pragmatism prevents me from doing it.  The same goes for Koran and Bible burning.  This lip service to "freedom of speech" is a joke.  Intelligent people can use common sense to restrict their speech themselves without need of a speech committee deciding which words are okay and which are not.

And if I was a Sooners fan, i might pull somebody's balls off, but I'm not so we will never know.  There is a difference between a football fan and destroying the emblem of your nation.  You are just setting up a strawman and you know it.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/16/2010 03:03:15 AM EST

[ Parent ]
That speaks volumes about your values. (none / 0)

Intelligence isn't measured by how hard you hit.

Notice you didn't say "Violent people can use fighting to restrict the speech of others without need of a speech committee deciding which words are okay and which are not."

In your own words: "Intelligent people"

Not "violent" people. It takes a special kind of idiot to say in one breath that speech can be restricted by intelligent people and in the next breath condone restricting speech by hitting someone in the face.

You are the speech committee

You want to restrict my speech and decide which words are okay or not.

"It is poignant but fundamental that the flag protects those who hold it in contempt."

Justice Anthony Kennedy, Texas v Johnson 1989

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/16/2010 04:14:31 AM EST

[ Parent ]
I'm not the speech committee and we don't (none / 0)

live in a courtroom.  We live in the real world with a mix of educational standards.  Be a hard case and die gasping "freedom of speech" as the enemies of America stand laughing over you.

Your wake-up call should have been Palestine when the people there exercised their new found freedom of speech and elected a bunch of terrorists.  Go freedom of speech.  Like I said it comes with responsibility, abuse it and you will lose it.  That's why we have the Patriot Act.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/16/2010 05:07:04 AM EST

[ Parent ]
at least you're honest (none / 0)
when you say "enemies of america" you realize you're referring to yourself, right?

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/16/2010 03:51:19 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Really? An enemy seeks to destroy your... (none / 0)
way of life, I only seek compromise to promote harmony.  You have a funny way of defining your enemies and your friends.  I suppose Dick Cheney is a friend and I am the enemy.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/16/2010 07:54:21 PM EST

[ Parent ]
I.d.i.o.t. (none / 0)

I'm using your definition!

"Be a hard case and die gasping "freedom of speech" as the enemies of America stand laughing over you."

Who would be laughing over me if I tried to burn the flag (freedom of speech) and got my ass kicked for it? YOU!

It's fun to watch you trip over your own dick.

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/16/2010 10:37:47 PM EST

[ Parent ]
I was thinking about you this morning as I left... (none / 0)
the house.  The analogy was Anakin Skywalker dueling with Obi-wan Kenobi.  Only the Sith deal in absolutes, welcome to the Sith.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/16/2010 10:53:03 PM EST

[ Parent ]
I was thinking about you... (none / 0)

Because the Sith were for free speech, right?

 

The one dealing with absolutes here is you. You believe morality and ethics to be black and white issues. Burning the flag is wrong and should therefore be punishable by force... no pun intended.

I don't like the idea of burning the flag either. I don't like the word nigger or religion for that matter. The first amendment protects all these things not because we like them, but rather in spite of the fact that we don't. That is a core American principle. If you are against it, or generallyforitexceptincases whereyoudon'tlikewhat'sbein gsaid, then you are against a core, nay... THE core American principle.

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/17/2010 02:35:39 AM EST

[ Parent ]
The absolute is that you defend something to... (none / 0)

the death even though you know it is inherently wrong.  Standards change over time and so must the laws and constitution.  I believe so strongly in that that I left the US.  I am an American in passport and inherent culture only.  I will not go back to an America I see to be a nation of hypocrisy where laws and legislatures are corrupted by money interests.

That was the nation that Jefferson warned against and those money interests will continue to use those laws to justify their rape of our nation.  

How's that for honesty.

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/17/2010 07:55:13 AM EST

[ Parent ]
I defend freedom of speech. (none / 0)
Did you move to a country that bans flag burning? Nazi Germany, perhaps?

"Terrorism is the war for the poor and powerless. War is the terrorism for the rich and powerful."

by JamesStevensDigArt on 09/17/2010 08:29:52 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Vietnam, don't try burning the flag here. (none / 0)

Don't waste your vote, vote Green or Independent in the next election.

by mcamelyne on 09/17/2010 09:46:03 AM EST

[ Parent ]

Political Cartoons Done Right | 92 comments (92 topical, 0 hidden)