Illegal Bush Action of the Day

[yendi]

The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

That's the law, folks (US Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Sec. 8 (g), to be exact). And of all the laws that Bush supposedly protects, you'd think that the ones about flags and patriotism would be amongst the few he'd consider sacred.

And yet:

(for those who want to make sure the pic's not out of context, here's the story.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Thanks for finding the code snippet. :)

[yendi]

I had help from Tom Tomorrow (http://www.livejournal.com/users/modrnwrld_blog/236879.html).

[dwivian]

Some people are so full of themselves they forget basic rules of conduct....

"Sign a flag? Sure! It must be okay, because I'm the President, and it looks patriotic!"

Stupid git....

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Hang a flag on my car until it's faded and tattered? Sure! I'm patriotic!

[dwivian]

I have stopped people with tattered remains of their flags on their cars and offered to take them away for disposal (something I do with an organization I'm in). Most have NO idea how stupid it looks, or how unAmerican it is....

Some, however, get offended that I'd point it out. To them, I usually end up saying "I'm ashamed to think you might be a citizen." That of course earns me no points, but at least tells them what I think about it.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I learned the flag code in primary school, but I think not everyone does, especially anymore, and I don't pretend to believe folks even in my generation were paying attention in school.

[t3knomanser.livejournal.com]

I learned it in boy scouts. And wait till my boyscout buddies hear about this one...

[xforge.livejournal.com]

Personally I think it ought to be illegal to make flags out of cheapass polyurethane and stick them on cheapass plastic clip-spikes so they can flap on cars 'til they're disgusting rags.

(And I'm a Libertarian!!)

[xforge.livejournal.com]

Until? I was under the impression they CAME that way. (eyeroll)

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

Personally I've never understood why burning a flag is desecration but making it into a bikini (or a t-shirt or a bandana) is acceptable. Of course...I'm willing to bet that if I burn a flag bandana on the courthouse steps everyone will pitch a fit just the same as if I burned a real flag. It's only a symbol when they want it to be a symbol.

[branwynelf.livejournal.com]

I had that same discussion up in Canada this year. People were walking around the capital using the flag as a cape, wrap-around skirts, and strapless shirts. Not stuff made into those, or those with the flag on them, but actual flags being used as such.

We had a debate on whether that showed the person's love and devotion to their country and the flag that represented it, or whether it showed disrespect to the symbol of the country. I could see it both ways ... still not totally sure how I feel about it.

My father is definitely on the "disrespect" side ... he doesn't even think flags should be printed on tshirts or whatever, so I guess that's where some of my opinion on that side comes from, but then I also think that one should be allowed to burn a flag or boo an anthem to show displeasure with what those thing stand for - part of freedom of speech and all.

So ... I dunno ... but yah you're right, those who complain about flag burning, etc., only see the flag as a sacred symbol when it's convenient to them.

[lonesomenumber1]

When you're busy trampling the Constitution it's hard to keep track of the little things.

[branwynelf.livejournal.com]

Nicely put!

[redcrowstudio.livejournal.com]

Why does he hate America?

[two-star.livejournal.com]

Frankly, if he's breaking any law, the law would seem to be unconstitutional. (Or more likely in this case, not be carrying any force against those who break it.)

As I care quite a bit more about that constitution than I do about what happens to rectangles with a certain configuration of stars and stripes, I support Mr. Bush's right to express himself in this manner, even as I find it mildly tacky and hypocritical.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

The flag code is not, IIRC, actually law.

[digitaldevil.livejournal.com]

Granted, I don't think this is an impeachable action, but come on man! Use your brain! You're writing on an American flag!!! This is why I vote my conscious and not who I think will win.

[cyclometh.livejournal.com]

Technically, it's not a violation of the law. The Flag Code is a law, but you can't break it, because it only says the flag "should not" be or "should" be treated in a certain fashion or with certain ceremonies.

It doesn't say it must be. Nor does it provide any penalties even if you could violate a statute that only says you should do something, not that you must do something.

Further, Section 10 of the Us Flag Code (Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 10) says that the President can change the rules and customs of the Flag Code any time he wants, by simple proclamation.

So not only did he not break the law, if he really wanted to, he could add a codicil to the Flag Code that said it was permissible for the President to sign flags. I doubt he'll do that, however. :)

As I said to someone else, none of this means it wasn't a crass, disrespectful, and totally immoral thing to do (and I personally hope he gets strung up in the press and the Op-Ed pieces for this). It just means that it wasn't illegal.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

But he won't. No one will even make much of a fuss other than on the Web.

[dwivian]

Was reading the code on the handling of the flag, and came across something interesting --

The Commander In Chief is allowed to modify the rules at any time, just by setting forth a proclamation - and this was done some time ago. It is standard practice for Presidents to sign the flag, and has been done for quite some time (Clinton used to do it when visiting Labor Unions).

I didn't know that.....thanks for putting this up, so that we could see how stupid our Presidents have been for a while, and so that I'd do a little research and learn something.