Celebrate Freedom & Independence July 4 - Burn Your Flag

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday June 23, 2005 · 5:00 PM PDT

2005/06/23 · 17:00

Okay, it's a little inflamatory, I know. But there is a method to my madness.

The flag is a symbol. It is merely a piece of cloth which represents the freedoms of our nation. We respect the flag because we have the right as Americans to express our outrage, even if that expression is destroying the symbol of our government. Isn't that what all those soldiers fought and died for? Isn't that the truest expression of our belief in the American Way, allowing expression we might find offensive?

Now the "people" who are supposed to represent us are ramming through another try at criminalizing this expression of dissent. They will circumvent the precedents set by SCOTUS with a Constitutional Amendment. It, as ever, will sail through the House and stands a good chance of making it through the process this time. We who value what the flag is supposed to represent should be outraged.

The question we need to ponder is: Isn't the flag only worthy of such respect because it represents the right of unfettered free expression?
(more below the fold) Read More

Teacher Pulls Chair from Boy Not Standing for Nat'l Anthem

PissedOffPollyana

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday February 19, 2005 · 11:03 PM PST

2005/02/19 · 23:03

A teacher in Brick, NJ literally pulled the chair out from under a boy who chose not to stand for the National Anthem. Video of the incident is available at NYC: IndyMedia.

The boy has said he had no political issue with standing but felt it was his right to sit, which of course it is. The teacher, a man named Martel with an obvious anger management problem, did some more yelling and pulled the chair out from under the teenager. A friend in the class caught the exchange on video. The boys say this teacher has been very strict about the anthem and pledge, so they wanted to be prepared should he go over the edge again.

The boy who filmed the incident has been suspended. The teacher? Nothing. Such a good lesson for the kids, huh? Adresses of the school & district in extended diary. I'll be putting together a few words for the fine people at Brick schools, anyone else? Read More

My (Sarcastic) Poem to John Ashcroft

PissedOffPollyana

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday November 09, 2004 · 5:30 PM PST

2004/11/09 · 17:30

In honor of the much-anticipated resignation of John Ashcroft, I thought I'd share this amusing little performance piece from 2003 that always got the crowd rolling.

For months, we got all kinds of hits to it from folks Googling John Ashcroft my hero. They got a bit of a surprise, I'd imagine.

Cheers, Johnny-boy and may a squadron of calico cats chase your extremist, Crisco-blessing ass all the way back to the rock you crawled out from! Read More

For now, isn't it best to NOT frame the voting issue as "Kerry won"?

PissedOffPollyana

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday November 06, 2004 · 6:09 PM PST

2004/11/06 · 18:09

In remembering 2000, it seems like a very good decision for Kerry/Edwards to have conceded when they did. Now the torrent of vote miscount/misentry/tampering can progress as a "comon good" issue, the integrity of future elections. Framed this way, the evidence can mount without turning on the GOP/media machine so adept at "disappearing" inconvenient realities.

If we let investigators with solid evidence lead the way, making it about the voting process, there is less potential for it being written off. They will also have a clearer field to do their work with less struggle against the GOP machine. Once their findings prove just how widespread the problems are, no matter what the cause, we can see to the recounts/revotes that will be necessary for any elected official anywhere to be considered legitimate. In the end, we are far more likely to get rid of corporate ownership of elections and rectify the results of 2004 if we are patient enough to let the pros finish their work and give us the ammo we need to do it. Read More

RSS