Awesome punishment for flag burning

[wtfd661]

Found this over at 1911forum.com, thought it was fantastic (other than he got off a little to easy).

Gateway Pundit: Flag Burner Duct-Taped to Flagpole For 6 Hours During Child's Soccer Picnic (Video)

Flag Burner Duct-Taped to Flagpole For 6 Hours During Child's Soccer Picnic (Video)


A 21 year-old Valley Falls man was duct-taped to a flagpole for 6 hours after he burned the US flag at a VFW hall.



The man sat duct-taped as the town held its fall youth soccer picnic with a long parade of children passing in front of him.
The Times Union reported:

The young man was given three choices: get turned over to the police, go one-on-one in a fight with a seasoned war veteran, or be duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours with a sign around his neck identifying his alleged crime: flag burning.

It was the third option that would still have the small town buzzing a week after a 21-year-old was hunted down and forced to endure a public humiliation with its roots dating to the Middle Ages. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1938 were incensed enough to tie up the man last Sunday after they accused him of setting the flag in front of their building on fire.

Post Commander Nick Normile, a Vietnam War veteran, said the man came into the post's bar Sept. 18 on Poplar Avenue and was eventually turned away for not having a proper ID.

Apparently angered, the young man, who Normile did not want to name, cut the rope of the American flag flying overhead and used a cigarette lighter to set it on fire, Normile and others said.

The man sat pilloried as the village had its fall youth soccer picnic with a long parade of children passing in front of him.



"He'll never disrespect the flag again, I can tell you that," Normile said.

Normile said the flag had at one point flown over U.S. troops in Iraq had special significance.

Veterans, both local and nationwide, responded to the event as accountings were posted online to the official VFW Facebook page and national Web site. Comments posted supported the act and added ideas for further punishment.​

 

[MoparMan]

+1 MILLION. LOVE IT.

 

[edsinger]

Sweet!

 

[Joe Williams]

'Fraid I just can't support violently attacking people for exercising their Constitutional rights. Doing so just means you are crapping on the Constitution to punish someone for burning a flag, which just seems worse to me.

Or do folks just believe in and defend our rights when they agree with them? The post commander said that guy would never disrespect the flag again. But.... what about the post commander himself, who spit on all the flag symbolizes?

 

[Benny]

I wish he would have picked one on one with a seasoned war vet...And it was video taped and sent to me for my viewing pleasure.

 

[Fletch]

'Fraid I just can't support violently attacking people for exercising their Constitutional rights.

There's a constitutional right to destroy the property of others? Afraid I missed that one.

 

[ATF Consumer]

'Fraid I just can't support violently attacking people for exercising their Constitutional rights. Doing so just means you are crapping on the Constitution to punish someone for burning a flag, which just seems worse to me.

Or do folks just believe in and defend our rights when they agree with them? The post commander said that guy would never disrespect the flag again. But.... what about the post commander himself, who spit on all the flag symbolizes?

I'm right there with you...while he may have been using his 1st amendment right to express his anger toward them, he was destroying property that was not his.
He should not have been given a choice...the local LEO should have been notified and let them process the crime in accordance with the law.

 

[jclark]

'Fraid I just can't support violently attacking people for exercising their Constitutional rights.

I can!!!

 

[CountryBoy19]

'Fraid I just can't support violently attacking people for exercising their Constitutional rights. Doing so just means you are crapping on the Constitution to punish someone for burning a flag, which just seems worse to me.

Or do folks just believe in and defend our rights when they agree with them? The post commander said that guy would never disrespect the flag again. But.... what about the post commander himself, who spit on all the flag symbolizes?

I'll be gentle, because it is possible that you misunderstood what happened. This guy tore down a special flag from a VFW, cut the rope on the flag pole, and then burned it. That is destruction of property. Yes, it can be considered free speech, but only if its your property and your flag IMHO.

 

[ATF Consumer]

I'll be gentle, because it is possible that you misunderstood what happened. This guy tore down a special flag from a VFW, cut the rope on the flag pole, and then burned it. That is destruction of property. Yes, it can be considered free speech, but only if its your property and your flag IMHO.

Point being...no matter what the circumstances are behind the "value" of the flag, it does not justify taking the law into your own hands and dishing out punishment.

 

[Benny]

Point being...no matter what the circumstances are behind the "value" of the flag, it does not justify taking the law into your own hands and dishing out punishment.

One of the options given were being turned over to the police...The Dbag in question chose to be taped to a chair for 6 hours...He wasn't forced to; I'd say there is a HUUUUUGE difference.

 

[Griffeycom]

If this was his own flag I would be pretty pissed that this happened to him, but since he tore down someone else's flag and burnt it I don't feel that bad for him, though I think he should have been turned over to the police.

 

[Cygnus]

Great story!

Best of all he chose that rather than face the police for a property crime or be man enough to duke it out.

While I would agree he has a first ammendment right to burn a flag, he would have to burn one that he purchased.

The one he burned was someone else's proprtety and had "sentimental value"

If it was his choice and no violence was involved the VFW guys are in the clear. Hope they videotaped his choice so he can't try and sue....

On a personal note I think the guy's an A-hole!

 

[Bill of Rights]

I'll add my voice. Burning the flag, while not my preferred method of expression, is still his right. The article title is sensationalized; it's not the fact that he burned the flag that got him punished, it is the fact that he was caught burning someone else's property.
For those who say police should have been called, that was an option given to the criminal vandal. I see the similarity between this and a thief being given the option to pay for and return the property he stole and being told that he was never again welcome on the premises or possibly the old saw about a diner without sufficient funds to pay for his meal being made to wash dishes.

I see it as a good thing to keep unnecessary cases out of the "system", rather than just make more work for a prosecutor and a public defender... and I too would have preferred to see the [strike]worthless piece of[/strike] ....*ahem* "individual" .... get his backside kicked and then handed to him.

Youtube that sucker. It'll be viral in minutes.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Jay]

Burning the US Flag is his right, as deemed by the SCOTUS.

HOWEVER..... the scumbag entered private property (the VFW Hall's property), mis-appropriated private property (the VFW's Flag), then destroyed that Flag. According to some little turds, I may be an "old timer" but if you try those actions at my house, being duct-taped to a flagpole, will be a walk in the park. I'm all for the First Amendment, but on my property, I dictate how it's excersized. If you don't like it, don't show up.

Deal with it.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Burning the US Flag is his right, as deemed by the SCOTUS.

HOWEVER..... the scumbag entered private property (the VFW Hall's property), mis-appropriated private property (the VFW's Flag), then destroyed that Flag. According to some little turds, I may be an "old timer" but if you try those actions at my house, being duct-taped to a flagpole, will be a walk in the park. I'm all for the First Amendment, but on my property, I dictate how it's excersized. If you don't like it, don't show up.

Deal with it.

The First Amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It does not protect you from the consequences of your speech or indeed, of the exercise of any rights. Concomitant with the exercise of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, for example, is the responsibility to use those arms with due regard for the rights of others and not cause harm to those not threatening you.
The Bill of Rights and the Constitution of which it is a part protect us only from prior restraint by law (and only Federal law at that, unless otherwise specified) on the exercise of those rights.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

People...

The Amendments to the Constitution are specifically enumerated rights that we have that the GOVERNMENT cannot take away from us (whether they do is another argument).

Constitutionally protected rights don't mean squat when it's individual vs. individual.

The Government did not take action upon this person.

Therefore, this is NOT a First Amendment issue.

It's a private property being destroyed issue.

Now, the manner to which the owner of said flag acted is another manner all together (battery and kidnapping, anyone?).

-J-

 

[Jay]

Point being...no matter what the circumstances are behind the "value" of the flag, it does not justify taking the law into your own hands and dishing out punishment.

Excellent example of the 1st Amendment....... HOWEVER...

This example does NOT include trespass, vandalism, theft, or destruction of private property.....

....NONE of which are protected by the 1st amendment. the concept doesn't rerquire a Masters Degree to understand, does it.... ??

 

[Mr. Habib]

I don't get the free speech argument. He didn't do this to express his political beliefs or to make a statement. He did this because he was throwing a tantrum because he didn't get served in their bar. This was a simple act of vandalism.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I totally agree with what they did. I'm a veteran myself, and I have high respect for our National Ensign. Pissed off, or not he should have never burnt the flag. Anyone who does so, should be sent to the Middle East in my eyes. The flag stands for freedom, not Government and politics. Just because someone disagrees with our political woes, as I do. Does not give them that right. My . Yes I know not in this case. Either way, If I see someone burn a flag I'll constitute my rights to mess them up a bit.