Doc Staley said his son has been "floundering around" since dropping out of high school. "This is where the drinking came in. And he's not very good at it," the father said.

I'd agree that the kid obviously isn't good at it! I don't know if his family thinks the courts should pity him because he's a drunk dropout that can't control himself. I know I wouldn't. Maybe they should see this kid as a potential danger to society and lock him up for a few months to help him sober up. It doesn't sound like he'd be missing anything.

While I would have to say the actual act of burning a flag is protected in this country, the fact that it was someone else's flag which he first stole, then destroyed should be enough to get him in some serious trouble.

My one thought for you foobies to ponder: If I go to my neighbors house, steal some sacred to them (lets say a cross), or some other religous symbol and burn it, would that not almost be border line hate crime? Even if I did it just for something to do or if I was just simply drunk you know there would be a huge controversy. I'm sure there are some who would make the same argument that the flag is as important to them as a cross is to others.

18 is old enough to vote,old enough to be drafted and die, it's old enough to drink. evading arrest shouldn't be a crime unless there's a warrant or the police can prove you were caught in the act. apparently there was a warrant. littering in this case is questionable. flag ashes? beer can? burning a flag is free speech. so the only crime in my eyes was he stole someone's flag. charge him and make him pay for another flag. all this other crap is excessive abuse of power and a waste of taxpayer money. maybe paying a fine and buying a flag will give him inclination to get a job. then he can buy his own flag to burn. hell, i woulda bought him a flag to burn. being a freeloader isn't illegal if you got friends or family ignorant enough to support you. oh yeah, how hard up was the reporter for this story?

You realize of course that US government documents say the proper way of destroying a tattered and old flag is of course by burning it. So perhaps he was just expressing his outrage at the treatment of this particular flag? {erha[s he was ashamed of his neighbor's treatment of the flag he had to get drunk in order to work up the courage to do something about it? Often times when I see someone flying a flag, they are doing so improperly because they do not now there are laws governing when, where and how it is displayed. Also according to the same us government document you're supposed to take it down at dusk and fly it during daylight hours. Same thing if it rains -- take it down. Perhaps it was raining? ;-)

Were I his lawyer, I'd say what I just said above and let the judge decide my client's fate.

[link]

-Laz

Were I his lawyer, I'd say what I just said above and let the judge decide my client's fate.

Yeah... well, I think it's going to be a jury if he doesn't go for a plea bargain, and I'm pretty sure they're not gonna buy it...

locking up people for drug offences doesn't work, it's a social problem

You are supposed to cut the stars away from the stripes first though. And don't burn other peoples unless they ask you too.

What's your suggestion?

put as many drugs as you can think of in a big barn and say to junkies... look you wanna go kill your self, go for it, have as much as you want. However if you want help and you want to stop using then we will offer you all the support avalible (both medical and psychological).

Seriously though locking them up doesn't solve the problem does it? It just takes it a way for a short time before the whole cycle starts again. Without sounding like a hippy, and realising the difficulties, regulisation (sp?) would solve quite a few problems imo.

when you have a cop,d.a.,or other public servant living in your neighborhood and they use their power against you over a neighborhood dispute. {i.e. protruding shrubery,property line disputes , animal issues,flagpoles, and poor taste in porch furniture} 85% of homes in america have gardening supplies which, is probable cause to suspect you of growing marijuana under the laws of the war on drugs and war on terror. [ suspicion of drug use or manufacture is classified as terrorism under the patriot act]you also have the chemicals in your home to make crystal meth if you own cleaning chemicals and over the counter sinus medication. this happens everyday in america if you know where to look for the news.

you are correct on flag etiquette but, the d.a. will say that, he shouldn't have taken the law into his own hands and should have called the proper authorities to have his neighbors door kicked in and after a flash bang grenade was used to kill the family pet and terrorize the children, the neighbor would've been forcefully subdued with a taser or glock 9mm. depends if the neighbor is in posession of tv remote upon entry. this would have allowed authorities to confiscate the flag as evidence and search the home,computer and financial records to determine if it would be profitable to confiscate the property under the patriot act for acts of treason .

Dude, get over it.

Post a forum or write a story about your feelings towards the goverment and your fucking postage scale and Gro lamps. I think most of us are sick of your thread jacking ramblings.

And PS, most people who have 300 packs of SIN-U-DRIP with pseudoephedrine do not have a really really bad head cold.

Idiot.

Obviously stealing somebodys property and destroying it is a crime, but whats with Tennessee having a law against burning flags? If Tennessee wants to keep its little statute they should just try the teenager for all those real laws he broke and not bother with a flag burning charge. Doing so is like handing him an excuse to go all the way to the supreme court fighting it.

Send photos to the hotties section!

I don't care who this bastard is but he deserves to be put in jail for not respecting the great Republic. Some people can't appreciate the fact they live in the greatest country in history of man kind.