The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #92548   Message #1772151
Posted By: Barry Finn
29-Jun-06 - 02:09 PM
Thread Name: BS: The treasonous US Constitution
Subject: RE: BS: The treasonous US Constitution
Arson
NOUN:
The crime of maliciously, voluntarily, and willfully setting fire to the building, buildings, or other property of another or of burning one's own property for an improper purpose, as to collect insurance.

ETYMOLOGY:
Anglo-Norman, from Late Latin rsi , rsin-, from Latin rsus, past participle of rdre, to burn; see as- in Indo-European roots

Cross burning, like you've shown, is done "with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons, to burn, or cause to be burned, a cross on the property of another, a highway or other public place."

That defination does not describe flag burning. And if it's a danger to someone that it may be a crime of Reckless indangerment (not flag burning) but if it isn't then there's not crime. If the act actually hurts some one then there are civil courts that would handle that senario, unless intentional, then it would be an case of "Battery", again, not flag burning. There is no, nor should there be a law to prohibit flag burning, Even it there are laws elsewhere in the world (since when do we care what the world does). In this country it has been found to be a form of FREE SPEACH.

An amendment, as Don stated above (thank you Don)

"There is an essential difference between the Constitution and the Law. The difference—which they would be fully aware of had they managed to stay awake in their high school civics classes—is this:   The Constitution places constraints upon the government, not the citizenry. The Law covers both the government and the citizenry.

1. The government is free to do only that which is specifically permitted by the Constitution.

2. A citizen is free to do anything he or she wishes, unless it is specifically forbidden by the Law."

Barry