Political Jackass

Now don?t get me wrong. I am not a supporter of flag burning, but I do understand that this is a form of expression, and banning the burning of the flag goes against the first amendment. It seems to be that Republicans are all about picking and choosing what amendments they hold dear. Don?t take away our guns, the second amendment says you can?t, yet they have no qualms about freedom of speech and right to privacy (PATRIOT ACT) getting taken away. You know what their typical response would be, if you support freedom of speech, the terrorists win.

WASHINGTON – The House yesterday approved a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to ban desecration of the American flag, a measure rejected twice by the Senate in the past decade but expected to get a closer vote this year.

By a 286-130 vote, House members approved the amendment after a debate over whether such a ban would run afoul of the Constitution’s free-speech protections.

Approval by two-thirds of the lawmakers present was required to send the bill to the Senate. An Associated Press count shows 34 senators, one more than needed to defeat it if all 100 senators vote, publicly oppose it or voted against it in the past.

If the amendment is approved in the Senate, it would move to the states for ratification. At that point, 37 states would have to approve it within seven years for it to become law.

Supporters said the measure reflected patriotism that deepened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and they accused detractors of being out of touch with public sentiment. Source