Certainly.
I don’t believe that a flag is something that can be “desecrated”, first off. It’s an object, it’s merely a symbol. Some people put the flag ahead of what it stands for.
Also, he is autographing something-he is adding something personal to these flags for someone. Rather than just handing them a generic flag.
That’s not a desecration, in my mind. I don’t like Bush, but I think it’s a good thing for him to do for people.
You cannot desecrate a flag. You can desecrate a church, you can desecrate an altar, you can desecrate a sacrament. But not a flag.
All this shows is his ignorance of the rules. I personally find the rules about the flag utter foolishness, and hope this is a step towards the country agreeing with me. I have no idea if he’s ever stated an opinion on flag burning, but if he has then he should know these rules.
Hey, did you know that this handbasket has a sandwich in it?
I’m sure he didn’t know what he was doing, he was asked to do this, and probably thought it was a good thing. I like the guys decisions, but I’ll be the first to admit he’s a little absent minded.
This, however I don’t think is an issue. If he had wiped his ass on it and spit in the face of a soldier, sure, call him names and impeach him. All it will amount to is ammo for democrats/liberals to attack him, they know he loves his country and his military, but they’re sore about the “stolen election,” and the war in Iraq.
Hmm. So the consensus is that this is a non-issue, unless and until he comes out in favor of an anti-flag burning amendment? If he does, and opponents point to this as hypocrisy, do they have a case? Why or why not?
Look, this clearly violates the rules for proper flag display and handling. But it’s hardly a big deal. I doubt Bush gave it much thought – some folks in the audience shoved the flags they were given his way and asked for an autograph, so he obliged. I doubt that even if Bush had a Boy Scout’s knowledge of flag ettiquette that those rules would have crossed his mind – signing those flags is the kind of spur of the moment thing that one does without a second thought.
It’s not disrespectful; hypocritical maybe.
More than anything else it perfectly illustrates a problem of a flag burning amendment. One person’s honoring the flag is another person’s desecration of it
Kimstu
Actually they do count as American flags at least based on the wording of prior laws.
I would say they do not, but the opponents will insist they do, and the followers of that party will agree, thus is politics =). All Bush has to say was that it was a mistake made out of ignorance for flag etiquette, or something similar after a PR guy spins it. And honestly, the U.S. flag is fairly easy to desecrate (IE: Hanging your flag on a clothesline the wrong way, crossing the flag with another flag with the staff behind the other flags, and on the wrong side, etc.), so I think he’ll be fine.
I think this might be a good place to look 
That’s cute, you guys are still angry about the Clinton thing?
Actually, I more pissed about the war thing. Is that as cute?
Not everything put up at www.dailykos.com needs to be posted here Reeder.
It is, but this is in the context of impeachment.
I agree this is a trivial issue, but George II has come out in favor of a flag-burning amendment and it was one of his dad’s biggest pet issues. So it makes him a hypocrite. Not an impeachable offense, but he’s already committed enough of those to keep us busy.
Yeah, I’m sure you would have been just as happy with a Clinton autograph as a Bush doodle, right Monty?
As someone who thinks the whole “let’s pass an amendment so people can’t burn the flag” business is so much bullstuff, I don’t have any problems with Bush scribbling on Old Glory.
I will, however, tuck this incident away for safekeeping the next time Yet Another Flag-Burning Thread™ pops up and some overzealous jingoist starts shouting about how the flag is a sacred icon that can never ever ever ever never be defiled.
So signing your name on something means that you are defiling it?
Do you realize how stupid this kind of Bush-bashing idiocy sounds?
Every time I think you can’t get any more petty and mindlessly hateful, you prove me wrong.
Regards,
Shodan
Shodan’s right! With the record of misfeasance, malfeasance, and bass-ackwards feasance, this is like hassling Jeffrey Dahmer about table manners.
We got lots bigger ammo than this.
This is it ? If the liberal left were bankrupt of any substantive arguments against the incumbent, I wouldn’t suggest this as an approach to undermine the president. A liberal talking about desecrating the flag to a conservative audience . . I don’t know wheth3r to laugh of cry . . .
In the present circumstances and with the range of barn doors currently available to shoot at, this is just, I’m sorry, a pathetic judgement by the OP.
My suggestion; get a grip and get back to the substantives