I may disagree with George Bush when he defaces the US flag but I will defend to the death his right to do so.

Ok I admit it. I lied. I won't defend to the death George Bush's right to deface the US flag. Maybe Voltaire would, but it's easy for him since he's dead already.
If the Flag Burning (and defacing) amendment is ratified, I will go on living. What I will do is publicly wear my US flag bathing suit in public in the USA as an act of civil disobediance. And yes I really did wear my US flag tie to work to celebrate the US non loss against Italy, and, no, I did not promise that I wouldn't take it off one second after arriving at my office.


The flag signing incident is not just, as John notes, an opportunity for great guerrilla theater in the US senate "The Democrats need to offer an amendment to the "flag burning amendment" that says that writing on the flag is also illegal." although I expect pigs to fly before a Democratic Senator has the guts to propose the amendment.

It is a clear case in which we have to decide between respect for the flag and the law on the one hand and respect for the constitution on the other. It is a no brainer. George Bush has every right to autograph the flag and the so called law which says he can be sent to jail for 30 days for doing so is unconstitutional and thus mere ink on paper.

But also it is the millionth sign that there is something seriously wrong with Bush and his fans. It's not that he and his fans think of it as just a bit of cloth (as honestly I do). They think it is sacred and therefore worthy of bearing Bush's signature. For the President to Autograph the flag for someone who takes it seriously, is to place the President on the same level as The Republic. No republican would tolerate such an act. I wonder if there are any republican Republicans left.