The US Senate Just Voted Underwhelmingly Against Ahanging The US Consitution

Only 66 Senators voted in favor of tampering with the first amendment to remove my constitutional right to burn the US flag. I am delighted that 34 Senators are willing to risk the anger of voters who care more about the symbol of freedom than freedom itself. I'm sure many of the spineless 66 agree with me, but decided that it was politically safer to show disrespect for the bill of rights. It can't be an accident that the amendment was exactly one vote short.

Of course the issue is a symbolic issue both ways. US democracy functioned before the supreme court decided that the first amendment protected the right to burn the flag.

update: This is even better news. Most US citizens care more about freedom than the symbol of freedom.
It is not do so well at the moment, but today's vote is enough to make me wear my US flag tie again. I believe in freedom of the press even for the idiot who wrote the headline

"Poll results show support for Iraq pullout, flag-burning amendment"

Which implies "Poll results show support for ... flag-burning amendment"

When the polled people said

Do you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment that would allow Congress and state governments to make it illegal to burn the American flag?

Results based on 484 national adults in Form A:
Date asked Yes, amended No, not No opinion
June 23-25, 2006 45 54 2

Some people feel that the U.S. Constitution should be amended to make it illegal to burn or desecrate the American flag as a form of political dissent. Others say that the U.S. Constitution should not be amended to specifically prohibit flag burning or desecration. Do you think the U.S. Constitution should or should not be amended to prohibit burning or desecrating the American flag?

Results based on 516 national adults in Form B:
Date asked Yes, amended No, not No opinion
June 23-25, 2006 45 54 2

I'm so happy that I am going to wear my US flag tie long enough that more than one person is going to actually see it this time.


Alan has left a new comment on your post "6/28/2006 03:54:00 AM":

I think the USA Today article got the first poll wrong, although the headline got it right. According to Gallup, a majority supported the version of the amendment which would authorize Congress or the state legislatures to ban flag-burning, although they opposed putting the ban itself into the constitution. http://poll.gallup.com/content/?ci=23524