Recently in Borger TX, the Boy Scouts laid out flags in observance of Columbus Day, and that evening, a whole bunch of flags were stolen and burned.
Now................yeah, I do support free speech in every form that you can imagine as long as it is not violent. Why? Because I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the USA every time I enlisted/reenlisted in the Navy, and I take that oath seriously.
However................................
If you wish to express your displeasure with this country, do it so that everyone knows it was you that instituted the protest. Don't do it anonymously, or do it via vandalism by stealing flags belonging to someone else. If you want to burn a flag, do it, but be there when people see it so they can know what you are protesting. If you do it anonymously, then people not only don't know why you did it, but they don't know who it was protesting.
If you can't take responsibility for your free speech and have to do it in the shadows, it's no longer free speech, it is simply vandalism.
And, I don't support vandalism. I hope whoever did this is caught and brought up on charges.
Police: American flags put out for Columbus Day in Borger found burned
BORGER, Texas (KVII) — Several American flags that were put out in observance of Columbus Day by a Boy Scout troop where found burned Monday morning.
According to a Facebook post, the flags were found on Yows Street in Borger. The post states that $150 worth of flags put out by Boy Scout Troop 507 were burned.
"To me the biggest thing is it's showing disrespect for the flag," said Jim Stark, Boy Scout Troop 507 flag coordinator. "This is not a representation of Borger, Texas in my opinion. I've lived here my whole life and to me this is not what Borger, Texas is about."
Every holiday, troop 507 puts American Flags outside of businesses.
The post was shared by the Hutchinson County Sheriff's Office. They asked residents to help the Borger Police Department identify the vandals responsible for burning the flags.
"There are ways to make statements when you believe in something or not," said Capt. Brandon Strope, Assistant Police Chief for the Borger Police Department." I believe that this is a very immature way to make a statement, no matter the age of the offenders. Political differences aside in this country, there's a lot of people who died and gave their life and parts of their life and came back from wars going back generations and that flag means a lot to them."
Now................yeah, I do support free speech in every form that you can imagine as long as it is not violent. Why? Because I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the USA every time I enlisted/reenlisted in the Navy, and I take that oath seriously.
However................................
If you wish to express your displeasure with this country, do it so that everyone knows it was you that instituted the protest. Don't do it anonymously, or do it via vandalism by stealing flags belonging to someone else. If you want to burn a flag, do it, but be there when people see it so they can know what you are protesting. If you do it anonymously, then people not only don't know why you did it, but they don't know who it was protesting.
If you can't take responsibility for your free speech and have to do it in the shadows, it's no longer free speech, it is simply vandalism.
And, I don't support vandalism. I hope whoever did this is caught and brought up on charges.
Police: American flags put out for Columbus Day in Borger found burned
BORGER, Texas (KVII) — Several American flags that were put out in observance of Columbus Day by a Boy Scout troop where found burned Monday morning.
According to a Facebook post, the flags were found on Yows Street in Borger. The post states that $150 worth of flags put out by Boy Scout Troop 507 were burned.
"To me the biggest thing is it's showing disrespect for the flag," said Jim Stark, Boy Scout Troop 507 flag coordinator. "This is not a representation of Borger, Texas in my opinion. I've lived here my whole life and to me this is not what Borger, Texas is about."
Every holiday, troop 507 puts American Flags outside of businesses.
The post was shared by the Hutchinson County Sheriff's Office. They asked residents to help the Borger Police Department identify the vandals responsible for burning the flags.
"There are ways to make statements when you believe in something or not," said Capt. Brandon Strope, Assistant Police Chief for the Borger Police Department." I believe that this is a very immature way to make a statement, no matter the age of the offenders. Political differences aside in this country, there's a lot of people who died and gave their life and parts of their life and came back from wars going back generations and that flag means a lot to them."
