Friday, July 22, 2005
Senator Wayne Allard (R Colo.) on Flag Burning
Shortly after posting my thoughts about the pending anti flag-burning legislation, (June 23, below), I sent similar letters to my congressman (Joel Hefley), and both senators, (Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar). To his credit, Senator Allard is the only one of them who actually replied to my letter. To his discredit, he completely overlooked, although I'm sure he did not miss my point: The American flag is a symbol of freedom; and that if we take away the freedom it represents, the flag is just a rag.
I guess I should cut the senator some slack. He doesn't know any better. Before becoming a U.S. senator, he was a veterinarian, practicing his noble craft on the desolate plains of northern Colorado, where there live very few green things (making a lot of the locals not-so-regular guys), and a lot of very bored people who spend their cold, lonely nights BS'ing about God, Gays and Guns. I also would bet that his veterinary studies earned him a double PhD in Bovine Scatology.
(That reminds me of a point that I'll rant another time: We often hear legislators complaining about all of the lawyers in the Legislature. When Pete Coors ran for Senate in 2004, a primary plank in his platform was that he wasn't a lawyer. I don't believe that one must have a Law degree to serve in Congress, but I do believe that a profound ignorance of and a lack of respect for our legal process is in large part the reason why so many senators and congressmen come up with so many harebrained laws, many of which end up being "de-legislated from the bench." Why do you think they call them legislators, anyway?)
Here's Senator Allard's response to what I had believed to be my thoughtful appeal for him to stop this ridiculous exercise of panderbation:
"Thank you for your letter regarding an amendment to prohibit desecration of the flag. The American flag is a great symbol of this nation, and it should be regarded with highest honors.
The American Flag represents all that is good and just in this nation. In the past few years, 49 states have passed memorializing resolutions that ask Congress to give states the opportunity to ratify an amendment to the Constitution protecting the flag. This is well over the three-fourths majority needed for ratification and clearly demonstrates the popularity of protecting the American Flag.
I am proud to state that I am one of the original Cosponsors of S.J.RES.12, a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. S.J.RES.12 was introduced on April 14, 2005 Senator Orrin Hatch, and was referred to the Judiciary Committee where it awaits further action.
Thank you for writing to share your concerns. I look forward to hearing from you again. If you would like more information on issues important to Colorado and the nation, please log on to my website at http://allard.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
A Wayne Allard
United States Senator
WA:SM "
###
Well, Senator... If three-fourths of the states approve, would you support an amendment to imprison anyone who refuses to salute the flag? Maybe we could have an amendment that would extend Bill-of-Rights protections only to Christians. How about an amendment to lock up all of the homos, or to burn witches? And what should The Majority do about all of those nasty people (including Yours Truly), who dare to question the wisdom of our illustrious Supreme Leader?
To quote nearly everyone's dear old Mom, "If everybody was jumping off of a bridge, would you follow?" And have you never heard of "the Tyranny of the Majority?"
I'll soon be writing to you again, Senator, to once again ask you to stop wasting your time and our tax money on this flag-burning nonsense. I'll be asking you to get busy "forming a more perfect Union, establishing Justice, insuring domestic Tranquility, providing for the common defence, promoting the general Welfare, and securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." Isn't that what you are sworn to do?
JJ
I guess I should cut the senator some slack. He doesn't know any better. Before becoming a U.S. senator, he was a veterinarian, practicing his noble craft on the desolate plains of northern Colorado, where there live very few green things (making a lot of the locals not-so-regular guys), and a lot of very bored people who spend their cold, lonely nights BS'ing about God, Gays and Guns. I also would bet that his veterinary studies earned him a double PhD in Bovine Scatology.
(That reminds me of a point that I'll rant another time: We often hear legislators complaining about all of the lawyers in the Legislature. When Pete Coors ran for Senate in 2004, a primary plank in his platform was that he wasn't a lawyer. I don't believe that one must have a Law degree to serve in Congress, but I do believe that a profound ignorance of and a lack of respect for our legal process is in large part the reason why so many senators and congressmen come up with so many harebrained laws, many of which end up being "de-legislated from the bench." Why do you think they call them legislators, anyway?)
Here's Senator Allard's response to what I had believed to be my thoughtful appeal for him to stop this ridiculous exercise of panderbation:
"Thank you for your letter regarding an amendment to prohibit desecration of the flag. The American flag is a great symbol of this nation, and it should be regarded with highest honors.
The American Flag represents all that is good and just in this nation. In the past few years, 49 states have passed memorializing resolutions that ask Congress to give states the opportunity to ratify an amendment to the Constitution protecting the flag. This is well over the three-fourths majority needed for ratification and clearly demonstrates the popularity of protecting the American Flag.
I am proud to state that I am one of the original Cosponsors of S.J.RES.12, a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. S.J.RES.12 was introduced on April 14, 2005 Senator Orrin Hatch, and was referred to the Judiciary Committee where it awaits further action.
Thank you for writing to share your concerns. I look forward to hearing from you again. If you would like more information on issues important to Colorado and the nation, please log on to my website at http://allard.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
A Wayne Allard
United States Senator
WA:SM "
###
Well, Senator... If three-fourths of the states approve, would you support an amendment to imprison anyone who refuses to salute the flag? Maybe we could have an amendment that would extend Bill-of-Rights protections only to Christians. How about an amendment to lock up all of the homos, or to burn witches? And what should The Majority do about all of those nasty people (including Yours Truly), who dare to question the wisdom of our illustrious Supreme Leader?
To quote nearly everyone's dear old Mom, "If everybody was jumping off of a bridge, would you follow?" And have you never heard of "the Tyranny of the Majority?"
I'll soon be writing to you again, Senator, to once again ask you to stop wasting your time and our tax money on this flag-burning nonsense. I'll be asking you to get busy "forming a more perfect Union, establishing Justice, insuring domestic Tranquility, providing for the common defence, promoting the general Welfare, and securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." Isn't that what you are sworn to do?
JJ
