Things that make you go... Hmm

Isn't it curious that the only honorable means to respectfully "retire" a damaged American flag is not to bury, discard, nor recycle it but to burn it? That's right.

Yet there are self-proclaimed 'patriots' who figuratively wrap themselves in that flag and aim to amend America's most fundamental legal document in order to forbid the burning of that flag by protesters, a right of expression which is protected by that very same document.

What exactly is the difference between the "respectful" burners and the "protest" burners? The result is the same - ashes where a flag used to be. The only difference is what they are thinking while they burn the flag and the statement they intend to make?

So what are the "patriots" trying to accomplish? To restrict public speech? To police our private thoughts?

What kind of government punishes its citizens for unacceptable statements and unacceptable thoughts? Sounds more like fascism, doesn't it? And I seem to recall us going to war with a couple countries like that.

Hmm.