Wow, there are some SERIOUS scumbags in Australia.

[ProblemKinder]

Who pulled your string

I typically don't get involved in such debates (I know little to nothing about law) but I guess I was just getting frustrated as you consistantly proved that you weren't even reading anything CatoRockwell said. Also your style of 'debate' was shockingly immature and I was getting rather jealous that you were getting all of the name calling privilages.

[CatoRockwell]

I'm willing to bet way smarter people then you and I had this debated before it became law. With that said, you understand the purpose of the law but you think it's unconstitutional because it somehow violates the persons freedoms to buy something? Well, I want a Mark 19 and I'm sure Durka Durka over there would love a nuclear war head but guess what, fat chance of that ever happening cause it's against the law to have them. Are our rights being violated? No they're not...Owning something like that is illegal as hell and is also how the government views these medals. Laws are in place for many reasons, more then i can think of and I would really like you to show me where it states in our Constitution that Joe Schmo has a constitutional right to go out and purchase a Medal of Honor at his local Piggly Wiggly. You show me that and I'll concede. Until then, anything you say and have said is moot. How about we toss out the Bill of Rights and see how that plays out.

Assuming politicians are way smarter than us is your first mistake. Your second mistake is thinking the government has the right to restrict my weapons purchasing, they don't, period. They also do not have the right to determine what weapons, or items a foreign national may procure in his own nation. We do not have jurisdiction to police the world. If them procuring a nuke is illegal, how come we have so many of them? And what gives u the right to dictate law to a foreign nation?

But that is a completely different argument. The reason I am for a contract and against a law is the simple fact that the purchaser of said items should not be punished, he didn't make any vow to never sell it, only the seller should be punished for breach of contract. What does the Bill of rights have to do with Medals? Maybe there is an amendment I missed, please enlighten me.

You keep failing to understand the reasoning behind these laws. Laws like desecrating the flag (yes there is a law against burning, mutilating, even pooping on it) or impersonating a government official is a violation because it's a law passed by the people we appointed, our Congressmen and President. In a nutshell, a law is a belief that someone felt very strong about, stood up for the piece of legislation they wrote and got the majorly vote from Congress and the Presidents hancock.

Just because I feel really strongly about someone desecrating the bible does not give me legal authority to control another's actions, if they purchased the item, they may do with it as they please. I understand the reasoning behind these laws. It's called people letting emotion cloud their logic. If someone wants to burn a flag that they purchased/made with their own money, then it is their property. The flag is an inanimate object and has no rights. There are lots of laws that people feel strongly about, thats why our founding fathers so feared Democracy/Mobocracy. They set up a constitution to explicitly list what powers the government had, and I don't see flag burning anywhere in the constitution or bill of rights.

What do I care about the "Majority Vote" The Constitution was supposed to protect us from the mindless mob.

"There is nothing more odious than the majority; for it consists of a few powerful leaders, a certain number of accommodating scoundrels and subservient weaklings, and a mass of men who trudge after them without in the least knowing their own minds." - Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Burning the flag is a violation of our governments rights, the rights of ever service members and every damn red blooded American whether they believe in it or not. It's a federal law that each and everyone of us will abide by or you'll go to jail. If you have a issue with it, you can take it up with your congressmen and see if he'll take on your cause to get it removed.

First off, the Government has no rights. List the "rights" it is entitled to in our constitution or bill of rights. It isn't there. Government is not an agent unto itself, it is a tool, set up to defend the liberties of our people. It has no rights, it only has the ability to be an organized authority acting as an agent on our behalf to defend our freedoms. This means that it can have no power that you or I as an individual have. If we do not have said power, then we cannot ask our government to execute it on our behalf.

If you want to burn an inanimate object, no matter how much I may dislike it, as long as it is on your property and is your property, that is your right as a living being.

I am not arguing about what the law IS, I am arguing about how law should be enacted. So continuing to tell me that something is the LAW as if that were a reason unto itself is meaningless in this type of discussion.

Who are we to say what the government can and can't do with these awards. They're the ones who awarded the service members, they can choose to take any measures they deem fit when protecting said property. Case in point the Oscars. Everyone receiving one of those statues are bound by contract to not sell or give away, if they don't agree, the statue stays in their vault, even if the person won it. Same goes with these medals, they are tracked by The Institute of Heraldry which every medal awarded is put in this huge database.

Actually I think you just made my point for me. Is there a law regarding the oscars? No, a simple contract sufficed. I am agreeing that the military should be able to restrict individuals from selling their medals, I am disagreeing with the concept of making a law to solve the problem, when the existing laws regarding contracts already fit the need.

You are against me just for saying that and who's going to prevent it? You? The military? I seriously doubt you'll like the outcome of that one.

You keep assuming that because I defend someone's right to do something that I myself seek to do the same. You are wrong. Secondly, yes, I believe that if you oppose someone then you need to make an open point of doing so. If someone prancing around in unearned medals was ostracized from his community for such a disrespectful act, you can bet it would keep itself in check pretty well.

I may really get angry when people show disrespect for my religion, but guess what, that doesn't give me a right to go make a law regarding it. So long as they do not prevent me from worshiping as I see fit, or damaging my property, I have no legal right to do anything to them. No offense, but I respect and abhor disrespect towards my God a lot more than I do our troops.

You've shown nothing but disrespect calling these service medals collectors items and memorabilia which we all can see mean nothing to you but mean the world to each and every service member and their families.

But I digress....These memorabilia winners gave you this freedom of speech, gave you the right to have an opinion, gave you everything your enjoy right now, which we all can see you eating up. So you go a head and wipe your back side with these freedoms.

There's nothing sweeter then demeaning those that gave their lives so you can have a better one.

If they had the choice to turn back the clock. I promise you, they wouldn't change a thing.

There ya go. Is that civil enough for you.

You know what? You're right. I'm sorry that the generic word I used offended you, and I will no longer use that word to describe, awards, medals, rank insignia, etc... I was simply seeking to use a single word that would encompass the entire issue. My bad.

If you think I have no respect for our soldiers you are sorely mistaken. While I may disagree with many of the wars we have fought, I have nothing but respect for our soldiers.

Stop pretending like you are the only one here standing up for our troops. I did not once say I endorsed the disrespect of our troops, I did not once say that I did not hold these men in the highest esteem. I simply stated that it is not an issue for Federal Law to decide.

[DevilMan]

BTW, I am a Veteran. And I fully agree with allowing someone the freedom to burn the flag, tear up a bible, desecrate the koran, and anything else they wish to do with THEIR property. If they choose to do this in public where there is a law prohibiting such actions then they get reprimanded for it accordingly.

But telling someone that they can't do it and making it wrong, just because you don't like it isn't the way things work. Of course I'm also a believer that if you don't like the US and don't want to be here and want to burn the flag in proof of your dislike, then you should be ready to pack your bags and be flown to another country on a 1 way ticket with your US citizenship revoked.

DM

[Ando]

You're right...I'm wrong.

Good day to you sir

[ProblemKinder]

You're right...I'm wrong.

Good day to you sir