Keep Free Speach Alive!

[Liberalism]

Contributed by the ACLU

For more than a decade, numerous members of Congress have tried to amend- with seemingly endless resources -the U.S. Constitution to give the government the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag. Civil libertarians have fought back hard, organizing coalitions of veterans, religious leaders and other Americans who believe that such a constitutional amendment would undermine the very principles for which the American flag stands.

General Colin Powell has strongly opposed an amendment prohibiting flag-burning. "The First Amendment exists to insure that freedom of speech and expression applies not just to that with which we agree or disagree, but also that which we find outrageous," he said. "I would not amend that great shield of democracy to hammer a few miscreants. The flag will be flying proudly long after they have slunk away."

Another American hero, Senator John Glenn, warned that those "who died following that banner, did not give up their lives for a red, white and blue piece of cloth. It would be a hollow victory indeed if we preserved the symbol of our freedoms by chipping away at those fundamental freedoms themselves."

While our fight against the proposed amendment has begun to make some headway in recent years, the margin of our victories remain precariously thin. Supporters of the amendment continue to spend millions of dollars on lobbying candidates and members of Congress. This year, the amendment has been introduced in the Senate (SJ Res 4) by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and in the House (HJ Res 4) by Reps. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) and John Murtha (D-PA).

Please urge your senators to oppose SJ Res. 4, a constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the flag.

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I know I will -- I'm ashamed by such a blatant attempt to undermine the very values for which the flag stands. Let them burn our flag; it still stands for freedom and they can't take that away. But passage of a freedom-slashing amendment to the U.S. Constitution such as this will give in to flag-burners' attempts to chip at our so valued and protected liberties by denying the same liberties our flag has long stood for. All freedom-hating citizens of the U.S. that burn our flag will win victory if our 1st Amendment is infringed. Keep free speech alive! Deny passage of this freedom-killing amendment.

[Terwilliger]

1. Damn right...if the Dems don't TURN AROUND their votes

they can expect punishment

[wtmusic]

2. Kepe good speling alive too n/t

x

[caledesi]

3. Speach? Do you mean Impeach? <just curious>