Pass an anti-flag burning amendment.

Look, it pisses me off when I hear about people burning our flag. In fact, it pisses me off when people don’t bother standing for the National Anthem at baseball games--I don’t understand why they can’t even stop their beer and hot dog purchasing frenzy for that single minute of their lives.

I fully believe that we should teach our children patriotism by teaching them respect for those institutions and symbols that mark us as Americans. Not blind patriotism, but the kind of love of country that leads you constantly wanting to help your country be a better place and a force for good in the world.

But there doesn’t need to be a law or amendment made that criminalizes the burning of the American flag. Firstly, it is a wildly rare occasion that a flag is burned here in the US, and I’m betting that occurrences rise because it gives the act more meaning when it is criminalized. Secondly, it is, to me, a manner of protected political “speech.” That is, it certainly makes a political statement.

I hope the amendment again fails in the Senate, not because I want to see people burning flags, but because this is an unnecessary political intrusion.

Andy has more.