I’m conservative, and I’ve stated that Bush shouldn’t have done it.
Must be hard getting into corners, painting with that big of a brush.
Oh, is that the point of the OP? Really?
For heaven’s sake, why didn’t he just say so, then?
Well, in that case, my rebuttal is different: as a conservative, I think it was a foolish and disrespectful thing for the President to do.
- Rick
I think he was trying in his own less-than-coherent way when he said
Sorry, I have not been lurking, I have been driving home from the nation’s Capitol. The article that inspired my OP was published by the Washington Post, written by Dana Milbank, Tuesday, August 26, 2003, page A-11. Col. 1-3. My apologies for not citing, even in IMHO that was bad form.
Yes, Bricker. Brilliant as always. That is what I was trying to say. My apologies.
Why didn’t I just say so? I was giving every Doper credit for having the brains to understand the intent of my O.P. Please accept my apologies. Next time, I will attempt to be much more lucid for those who didn’t quite get it . M’kay? 
Revtim, believe it or not, I happen to agree with you. If you can burn it, you can autograph it. ( Both activities horrify me to no end, but that’s a personal feeling- that’s why this is in IMHO, not G.Q. ) That was not the point of my O.P. My point was to point out the simple irrefutable fact that he did it. Yes, Big Ole Steve, I believe your cite from Snopes. There is no enforcement portion to the Flag Code.
Um. He’s supposedly the leader of the Nation. Apparently leading by example isn’t any more in vogue with the Republicans than it was with the Democrats. :rolleyes:
Personally, I think a little flag desecration is an excellent example by which to lead. Don’t get me wrong, I like our flag just fine, but people who worship it as inviolate just annoy the fuck out of me. It’s just a piece of cloth, folks.
I didn’t read all of this but when this first happened, the story I read also pointed out that the President can change the code any time he wants.
Am I correct in deducing from the above info that the flag code is not criminal code? Am I correct in figuring that it is not rule of law?
It is not criminal, apparantly, merely a codification of custom.
Should I bother to point out that until at least the 1860s, candidates often had nformation about themselves on flags?
Complete hijack this - but it’s lucky Brits share this attitude otherwise there’d be nothing for football fans to take to stadia over here!! Come to think of it, that’s about the only place you see ordinary people with St George/St Andrew crosses or the Union Jack. Perhaps we are a little more secure in our own identity… 
this post was written with more than a little tongue in cheek
Nixon wasn’t charged by the grand jury. They named him as an “unindicted co-conspirator”. Jaworksi apparently had serious doubts that a sitting President could be indicted. He preferred to give the jury the option of naming Nixon as a co-conspirator, but not indicting, because it gave him leverage in any negotiations with the President, and also because it strengthened his case for subpoenas of the presidential tapes. (I’m relying on The Final Days for this info; could dig out the cites if you wish.)
Whoops. Meant “named as an unindicted co-consprator”, not “charged as an unnamed co-consprator.” Heh.
Bush did not violate the law. The “flag codes” are guidelines and standards, not punishable laws. Even burning the flag is not punishable (in fact, the flag code recommends this as the official, proper way to dispose of an old, ragged american flag). You can write on a flag all day long, in public, in front of the press, and not so much as be charged with a crime. Not even fined. The flag code itself says nothing herein is a crime to be punished if violated.
Now, Clinton, on the other hand, bought a cuban cigar (a Bolivar Corona Extra, if I remember correctly) at a London airport while president. This is illegal for a US Citizen to do. He did it in front of the press, and a few media outlets reported it. Of course, no liberals called for his prosecution or impeachment. Of course, no conservatives are calling for bush to even so much as apologize for not following the US flag code. While it’s not punishable law, I do think the president of the united states should know how our country properly treats the flag. He knows how our country properly acknowledge our official national monotheistic god… so the least he can do is not write all over the flag.
Regardless of the fact that what you’re quoting is not the Federal Criminal Code, but the Code of the United States, transgression against which there is no penalty for… I draw your attention to a quote from the same title you noted:
“The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.”
Did it not occur to you that every fat housewife with a “God Bless the USA” shirt, or any of the morons who put Stars and Stripes bumper stickers on their cars post-9/11 has so far gone unprosecuted?
I was under the impression that those were images of the flag, and not actual flags themselves. One of us is mistaken. It isn’t me.
The worst this could get anyone is a stern finger shaking from their local Boy Scout leader. If that.
It did not occur to me for the same reason that Fred has stated above. They are images of the flag, they are not flags of our nation. When the Innagural is over every 4 years, it is fair to say that there is a LOT of red, white and blue bunting in this country that is disposed of. I think it’s also fair to say that nobody thinks that the disposers of said bunting need to haul tens of thousands of dumpsters’ worth of “flags” down to the American Legion Hall so that they all can be burned in a proper ceremony.
This was a flag. To all appearances- and I did note the photograph documenting said act- it was not a t-shirt or bumper sticker. It was a small hand-held flag.
This is kind of interesting. Are posters here finding it more palatable because it’s G.W? Because it’s a small flag, and therefore a small transgression? (sic)? Because nothing obscene was written upon said flag?
If this act is of no consequence at all, then why does the Code I quoted in my O.P. even exist? Why don’t all of the Dopers who feel it’s completely fine for G.W. to have done this, get a writing campaign up to have that part of the Code completely eliminated?
Put your money where your mouth is. God knows we’ve got an attorney or two on the Boards who just delight in taking on my every written word. Go for it ! See how far you get. Or, are you only insistent that G.W. really didn’t do much wrong, here in the safety and anonymity of a message board?
He violated a Federal Code, and is seemingly oblivious to what anyone thinks. It seems to me that this is happening because it’s G.W. By amazing co-inkydink, we are all presented with a fairly parallel situation down in the great state of Alabama. It took a Supreme Court Justice or two from that state and a lot of finger-pointing and righteous indignations, and in the end a 5,000 lb block of Ten Commandments was removed from public view. Why? Because it violated the Law.
I don’t think a Congressional vote of censure is out of line here. A public and on the record acknowledgement that something wrong took place, and our President did it, and our Congress doesn’t approve. Our People don’t approve.
At least, this Person doesn’t.
No, you are incorrect. As was cited earlier, it happened with Clinton, and nobody, Left or Right, cared then either.
It is a triviality. Everybody understands that there was no intent to desecrate.
A Congressional vote of censure for this? Let’s not be petty.
Regards,
Shodan
Duly noted. As stated above, I don’t approve either.
If you read the posts above, you’ll find that there are no criminal charges to be filed, since this wasn’t a violation of criminal code. Your OP is in error on that point.
If you think a congressional censure is in order, call your representative. If you want to complain to the White House directly, send them an email. or letter.
Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is, and send letters to people who matter, rather than an anonymous message board?
What makes you think I won’t? However, I am comfortable bringing up this topic on the SDMB as well.
True, my O.P. was in error. It is not a Law, it’s a Federal Code with no criminal component. I stand corrected and thank those Dopers who offered the corrections for all to learn by.