Whether it’s against the law or not, something within me just absolutely can’t stand the sight of people burning the American flag. It’s an act of aggression towards the country that gave them everything they currently enjoy. Compound that with them carrying out their “activism” on Independence Day, and you have a recipe for jerk of the week.
A man in Virginia thought it would be a brilliant idea to go to his local Wal-Mart, buy an American flag and then proceed to put it on the ground and light it on fire.
You can watch this scumbag in the act below:
I’m not going to use his name in this report, because his name isn’t worth the effort associated with typing — which is very little.
According to WTKR:
Authorities say [the man in question] threw an American flag on the ground, put gas on it, set it on fire and drove away. They say he was yelling while doing so, which reportedly made bystanders "very nervous.”
[The man in question] was arrested for burning an object in a public place with the intent to intimidate. The sheriff's office made it clear that he was not arrested for his First Amendment right to burn the flag.
I can appreciate the sheriff following the law and finding a different legal charge to arrest this dude with. The story becomes at least a little better when you hear of the sheriff not being afraid to voice his displeasure with the action of flag burning.
“The burning of our great American Flag is very offensive to most people including me,” York-Poquoson Sheriff Diggs said, according to a Facebook post. “That being said, the courts have ruled that act alone is an expression of free speech and not per se illegal. This charge is appropriate under the Code of Virginia. It is fortunate that no one was injured today.”
Just as a counter to the scumbag’s actions, here’s an hour of the American flag waving high and proud for all to see: