With the election right around the corner, some Oklahoma politicians are turning to tried and true methods to get free media publicity and, in the process, help galvanize their deranged followers and backward thinking base.
For example, Oklahoma State Rep. Justin Humphrey – the good ole boy from over yonder in southeastern Oklahoma who claims China invented the Coronavirus to kill fat Americans – went full 1980s-rewind on us and claimed he’s going to introduce a law that would make burning the American flag illegal.
Here are the details via an Aaron Brildork article with News 9:
A state lawmaker is working on legislation that would make burning the American flag illegal.
State Representative JJ Humphrey (R) Public Safety Committee Chair, said he wants to pass legislation outlawing the burning of the American Flag, unless it’s being done to retire the flag.
He’s also looking at legislation that would make flag burning inciting a riot or arson.
“Burning the flag is protected under the first amendment. So, you got to get creative on what we can do. So again, I’ve looked at is it arson when you are burning something out on the street? I think that it is.” Humphrey said.
Boy, isn’t that the quintessential Derplahoma lawmaker statement?
“Golly shucks! The symbolic, victimless action that I don’t personally like or endorse, and therefore want to strictly prohibit, is clearly protected by the same Constitution that I unconditionally praise and worship! I guess that means we better get creative on what we can do to violate human rights!
Unfortunately for Justin, it looks like his efforts to ban flag burning may be a colossal waste of time.
First of all, the judicial system has a pretty good eye when it comes to striking down creative efforts to suppress Americans’ rights to freedom of speech and expression. Back in the late 1980s, the US Supreme Court struck down multiple efforts by states and Congress to prohibit and enforce flag burning.
In addition to that, it looks like Oklahoma already has an unenforceable law in our statutes that prohibits flag burning. Check this out:
A. Any person who shall contemptuously or maliciously tear down, burn, trample upon, mutilate, deface, defile, defy, treat with indignity, wantonly destroy, or cast contempt, either by word or act, upon any flag, standard, colors or ensign of the United States of America, shall be guilty of a felony.
B. The word “defile” as used in this section shall include public conduct which brings shame or disgrace upon any flag of the United States by its use for unpatriotic or profane purpose.
C. The terms “flag”, “standard”, “colors”, or “ensign” of the United States as used in this section shall include any picture, representation or part thereof which an average person would believe, upon seeing and without deliberation, to represent the flag, standard, colors or ensign of the United States of America.
Listen, I know Derplahoman lawmakers like to waste taxpayers’ time and money with unconstitutional legislation, but can’t they at least come up with a new issue that isn’t already an unconstitutional law? That’s just lazy.
https://youtu.be/pSANTRnEBgg
“The Simpsons” said it best…
The Repugnantcans don’t have a lot of imagination, and they obviously won’t read anything substantive like history or science. They project unto others their own inner-darkness. I’d feel sorry for them if they weren’t obliterating everything. The weird thing is, being that most identity as Christian, and the church is suffering attrition, why don’t they rethink their own church model (like actually focusing on the Gospels), rather than attributing it to a decline in family-values from the rise in liberalism — Especially since they’re the bootstrap party, and if your individual life sucks, it’s on you. Wait, it’s just more projection. Doh!
Since this dirtbag is figuratively burning the Constitution can he be charged with arson?
I wouldn’t be surprised if what he’d REALLY like is to make desecration of the Confederate flag a capitol offence.
offense
OFFENSE = USA version, OFFENCE = Commonwealth English version…
…no offense.
Is it only a coincidence that so many of our politico bozos have their glamour shots taken wearing a cowboy hat and a bolo tie? Or are they sending a not-so-subliminal message to their target audience?
.
Is there any nation on Earth besides the USA that makes such a fetish over its national flag? Probably not. Here is what one brilliant writer thinks of this nonsense:
(Oops – paywall. Google flag fetish hitchens and read it at wsj.com)
Self-professed, perfunctory patriotism (and its close cousin, self-professed perfunctory piety) don’t fool anyone who isn’t already in Humphry’s tiny state of mind. Your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore.
A thought experiment: under Humphrey’s proposed “arson” law, would I be arrested if I burn an ISIS flag in the town square down there in Humphrey’s Little Dixie metropolis of Lane, OK?
Points for John Prine reference.
He got his publicity. Mission accomplished.
Sometime back, the Irish singer Sinead O’Conner caused giant outrage when she ripped up a photo of the pope on SNL.
We’d laugh at people who would produce a voodoo doll in our likeness, then stick pins in it, and utter strange incantations designed to “curse” us. But tear up a photo of some guy, and people react as if the actual guy is being torn in half.
If I tear up a drawing of your house, that’s not the same as driving a bulldozer into your house.
As this relates to the flag: no matter what it “represents” or “symbolizes”, the flag is just A PIECE OF CLOTH. Burning it does nothing—for the person burning it, or to the nation it’s supposed to represent.
For more info on this subject, go to YouTube and search “Bill Hicks: Freedom to Burn the Flag.” It will cost you about 1 1/4 minute of your time and will explain the situation much better than I can.
Just remember: the map is not the territory, the menu is not the meal, and the flag is not the country.
And the guy in the funny hat is not the spokesman for Jesus.
I am.
I have more than one funny hat. I can put one on and when I do everything I say regarding wombs, zygotes and fetuses has far more weight than what you say.
But you just don’t have the bow tie. Sorry.
dammit
Bill Hicks reference! Well played, well played. Oh what he would have to say now.
You have to admit it’s a far greater tool than God if you want to invade Iraq.
This is why Sinead O’Connor ripped up the Pope’s picture:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sinead-oconnor-tears-up-photo-of-pope-john-paul-snl
Can’t say I blame her, and as a former Catholic schoolboy myself, the photo-rippin’ didn’t annoy me one bit.
I was a bit startled at the outrage over the photo-rippin’ though, seeing as how it was just…a PHOTO.
Probably like I was a bit startled at the (faux) outrage over Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem.
In retrospect, we can see that both CK and Sinead had good points to make. The world just wasn’t ready to listen yet.
One really doesn’t even need a photo. Ask John Lennon.
yeah at the time thought she just wanted to be able to eat a cheeseburger on Friday
“I’m a supporter of the Second Amendment. When you see me with a gun, folks, I’ll be climbing in and out of a deer stand or a turkey blind, not prancing around on a stage in a cowboy suit,” – Sen. Doug Jones
I’d be more impressed if they started protesting the 3rd Amendment…..how many of you had to Google that one?
….”O’er the land of heart disease, and the home of the Tastee Freez”!
Would be astonished whether this stiff ever proclaimed a creative thought.
How do these people get in office? We would be better off just leaving the spot empty. I would like a law that states if the person elected turns out to be an idiot they can be burned out of their office.
Never forget this is the prick that considers pregnant women “hosts.” I tend to stay far far away from small country towns … guess I’ll have to add Lane, OK to that list.
Yawn…Supreme Court has already ruled…..oh hell. Where’s my corndogs?