I don't know if I want to spend 200 on a Kerry book or 2,000 on a Bush dinner. Decisions decisions. I feel for Demcrats having to defend this guy Kerry as much as Republicans defending Bush and his Mexican ally policies.

Gawd, are we there yet? And how the hell did we get here anyway?

I got to go study the deeper government issue of Janet Jacksons superbowl appearance and baseball players on steroids now.

Didn't John Lennon say something about no problems, only solutions? Maybe I can read the kerry book WHILE I eat a Bush dinner, aha.

The money spent for Kerry's book at this point doesn't actually go to Kerry, since it's out of print. 100% of the money, minus shipping and posting costs, goes to the owner of the book. You want to be upset at someone, be upset at them.

Cheers

Please do not send me any more of your useless crap!

I have no idea what you are referring to Katie, I do not know you and have not sent you anything that I can recall. GCJ

a flag flying upside down means that the nation it represents is under distress. It isn't something that means that he's being ugly towards the nation or disrespectful.
Flying a flag upside down is actually listed under flag ettiquite. "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." (http://www.anchorflagandflagpole.com/etiquette.htm) The Vietnam War as viewed by Kerry and the Vietam Vetrans Against the War would have definently consituted displaying the flag as a signal of "dire distress." Was not our country in distress in this period of time? Extreme danger to the lives of our troops for certain.

If you want to get angry at someone for misusing the American Flag, look at Kid Rock at the last Superbowl in Fall '03. He cut a slit in the American Flag to put his head through so he could wear it. It was totally disrespectful and flies right in the face of flag ettiquite "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery." (http://www.anchorflagandflagpole.com/etiquette.htm) also, by cutting a hole in the American Flag, Kid Rock has desecrated the symbol of our union, and by law should be fined and/or imprisoned:

"700. Desecration of the flag of the United States; penalties

(a)(1) Whoever knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor
or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
(2) This subsection does not prohibit any conduct consisting of the disposal of a flag when it
has become worn or soiled.
( As used in this section, the term 'flag of the United States' means any flag of the United
States, or any part thereof, made of any substance, of any size, in a form that is commonly
displayed. " (http://www.anchorflagandflagpole.com/etiquette.htm)

So before making rash comments, I suggest you do a little homework, or at least support your argument better. Any questions or comments can be directed to my email address: jessieklemcke@hotmail.com

Same with all those people who have American flag boxers, shirts, or ant other garment that has the American flag.

Also, the only respectful way to get rid of a flag that has been used and is in need of retirement is by burning, there is no official ceremony for burning the flag.

Cheers

Amazing thread this.

Author: I have witnessed *spectacularly unimportant thing compared to other things* and hate presidential candidate K for it.
Respons A: Here is proof that *spectacularly unimportant thing compared to other things* doesn't actually exist.
Author: My own ideas are more true than proof.
Respons B: Here's presidential candidate K looking like the Tower of Pisa, which basically proves that even if he looks dodgy and ready to fall, he will actually be a standup guy for many years to come. Wait, is that what I wanted to bring across?

Political debate at its' best.

No, he just looks like the darn thing.

Has anyone here watched the American President staring Michael Douglas and Annette Benning?

There's a particularly apt speach in it where the president has to justify his girlfriend bein gin a photo with an American flag burning. He turns on his opponents and points out that the first amendment for freedom of speach also provided the freedom to burn the american flag. American democracy is about the right to burn that flag as much as it's about the symbolism of that flag.

It's about time people stop being offended by flags and look beyond the symbolism at the point being made. America pulled out of Vietnam because of the distress felt by the American people against this war. An upside down american flag is a perfect symbol of this distress. You can rightly be offended that people were distressed, but to get offended by this symbol is to be offended that someone used their freedom of speech. Either you believe in the first amendment or you don't. Which is it to be?

Paul.

Paul:
This has been broken down into a simple first amendment right to burn a flag issue and that is farthest from reality. This is about making a mockery of the US flag in a scene designed to denigrate and diminish the memory of the heroes who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.
You can’t marginalize this as some benign flag burning issue. Bottom line: Kerry intentionally staged a photographed scene of soldiers mocking other soldiers, and not just any soldiers, but the soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.

The Marines who rose that flag created one of the most defining moments of our nation’s history. We could have lost that war. The images of marines on Iwo Jima will live forever as proof of American determination to survive against the ferocity of imperial Japan. The determination of those marines on Iwo Jima will survive forever because it defined American greatness.

So is it being disrespectful if a person puts an upside down postage stamp with a flag on it (on purpose?) on a snail mail letter? Because I have received those once or twice myself~I just figured the sender was: A. Very absent minded. B. Quite clever and ironic. C. A highly frustrated stamp collector.

~MadPoet

I think that when they wrote the 1st Amendment they weren't planning on flag burning, or radio stars who people term 'shock-jocks.' That doesn't mean, however, that we can just ignore the 1st Amendment. That's the beauty of this country, because we can form our own opinions, we can write and say what we feel. Do I enjoy flag burning? No, I find it disrespectful for the thousands of people who have willingly sacrificed themselves for the glory of our nation. Does that mean I think that it should be disallowed? No, because it's protected under the first amendment.

OH, and BulbousHead, Bush didn't have enough hours under his belt to go to Vietnam, AND he was trained on obsolete equipment. He actually requested to be shipped over there. It was Kerry who was hanging with the Commies after he left the military.

He actually requested to be shipped over there

Can you point me to a source for this? I tried, and failed, to find a reliable source confirming this.