#flag-burning — Public Fediverse posts

"You may recall that Donald Trump and his supporters have insisted that he’s the free speech' President. His first day in office this term, he issued an executive order 'restoring free speech saying that 'no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.'

Well, I’d like to report a federal government officer violating that executive order… in the form of the President of the United States issuing another executive order which tries (weakly) to figure out a way to criminalize the burning of the American flag, which is not something the President can actually do.

(. . .)

He then claims as soon as he signs it, flag burning will stop immediately.

Except, of course, the opposite happened. Later in the day after signing it, an American veteran went in front of the White House in a clear sign of expressive protest, announced he was burning a flag to protest Donald Trump and his signing of the executive order:

(. . .)

And no riot occurred. No violence. No death. But the guy was still arrested for exercising his free speech:

(. . .)

This arrest proves the executive order’s real purpose in real time. There was no 'imminent lawless action.' No 'fighting words.' No riots or violence—just peaceful symbolic speech criticizing the government. Yet the speaker was criminalized anyway, demonstrating that this isn’t about preventing violence or maintaining order. It’s about using state power to silence dissent and punish symbolic speech that criticizes the government.

This is what authoritarianism looks like in practice: using the power of the state to criminalize symbolic criticism of the government while wrapping it in patriotic rhetoric. Trump’s executive order isn’t about protecting the flag—it’s about weaponizing law enforcement against dissent. And the fact that he’s doing this while simultaneously claiming to be the champion of 'free speech' only makes the constitutional violation more brazen.

The Supreme Court got it right in Texas v. Johnson: 'The way to preserve the flag’s special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong.' Trump’s approach does the opposite—it reveals a government so insecure that it must silence its critics rather than answer them."

#trumpregime #flagburning #veterans #freespeech

Levka @[email protected] · 2025-08-27 · 14:30 UTC

"You may recall that Donald Trump and his supporters have insisted that he’s the free speech' President. His first day in office this term, he issued an executive order 'restoring free speech saying that 'no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.'

Well, I’d like to report a federal government officer violating that executive order… in the form of the President of the United States issuing another executive order which tries (weakly) to figure out a way to criminalize the burning of the American flag, which is not something the President can actually do.

(. . .)

He then claims as soon as he signs it, flag burning will stop immediately.

Except, of course, the opposite happened. Later in the day after signing it, an American veteran went in front of the White House in a clear sign of expressive protest, announced he was burning a flag to protest Donald Trump and his signing of the executive order:

(. . .)

And no riot occurred. No violence. No death. But the guy was still arrested for exercising his free speech:

(. . .)

This arrest proves the executive order’s real purpose in real time. There was no 'imminent lawless action.' No 'fighting words.' No riots or violence—just peaceful symbolic speech criticizing the government. Yet the speaker was criminalized anyway, demonstrating that this isn’t about preventing violence or maintaining order. It’s about using state power to silence dissent and punish symbolic speech that criticizes the government.

This is what authoritarianism looks like in practice: using the power of the state to criminalize symbolic criticism of the government while wrapping it in patriotic rhetoric. Trump’s executive order isn’t about protecting the flag—it’s about weaponizing law enforcement against dissent. And the fact that he’s doing this while simultaneously claiming to be the champion of 'free speech' only makes the constitutional violation more brazen.

The Supreme Court got it right in Texas v. Johnson: 'The way to preserve the flag’s special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong.' Trump’s approach does the opposite—it reveals a government so insecure that it must silence its critics rather than answer them."

#trumpregime #flagburning #veterans #freespeech

Levka @[email protected] · 2025-08-27 · 14:30 UTC

"You may recall that Donald Trump and his supporters have insisted that he’s the free speech' President. His first day in office this term, he issued an executive order 'restoring free speech saying that 'no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.'

Well, I’d like to report a federal government officer violating that executive order… in the form of the President of the United States issuing another executive order which tries (weakly) to figure out a way to criminalize the burning of the American flag, which is not something the President can actually do.

(. . .)

He then claims as soon as he signs it, flag burning will stop immediately.

Except, of course, the opposite happened. Later in the day after signing it, an American veteran went in front of the White House in a clear sign of expressive protest, announced he was burning a flag to protest Donald Trump and his signing of the executive order:

(. . .)

And no riot occurred. No violence. No death. But the guy was still arrested for exercising his free speech:

(. . .)

This arrest proves the executive order’s real purpose in real time. There was no 'imminent lawless action.' No 'fighting words.' No riots or violence—just peaceful symbolic speech criticizing the government. Yet the speaker was criminalized anyway, demonstrating that this isn’t about preventing violence or maintaining order. It’s about using state power to silence dissent and punish symbolic speech that criticizes the government.

This is what authoritarianism looks like in practice: using the power of the state to criminalize symbolic criticism of the government while wrapping it in patriotic rhetoric. Trump’s executive order isn’t about protecting the flag—it’s about weaponizing law enforcement against dissent. And the fact that he’s doing this while simultaneously claiming to be the champion of 'free speech' only makes the constitutional violation more brazen.

The Supreme Court got it right in Texas v. Johnson: 'The way to preserve the flag’s special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong.' Trump’s approach does the opposite—it reveals a government so insecure that it must silence its critics rather than answer them."

#trumpregime #flagburning #veterans #freespeech

Levka @[email protected] · 2025-08-27 · 14:30 UTC

"You may recall that Donald Trump and his supporters have insisted that he’s the free speech' President. His first day in office this term, he issued an executive order 'restoring free speech saying that 'no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.'

Well, I’d like to report a federal government officer violating that executive order… in the form of the President of the United States issuing another executive order which tries (weakly) to figure out a way to criminalize the burning of the American flag, which is not something the President can actually do.

(. . .)

He then claims as soon as he signs it, flag burning will stop immediately.

Except, of course, the opposite happened. Later in the day after signing it, an American veteran went in front of the White House in a clear sign of expressive protest, announced he was burning a flag to protest Donald Trump and his signing of the executive order:

(. . .)

And no riot occurred. No violence. No death. But the guy was still arrested for exercising his free speech:

(. . .)

This arrest proves the executive order’s real purpose in real time. There was no 'imminent lawless action.' No 'fighting words.' No riots or violence—just peaceful symbolic speech criticizing the government. Yet the speaker was criminalized anyway, demonstrating that this isn’t about preventing violence or maintaining order. It’s about using state power to silence dissent and punish symbolic speech that criticizes the government.

This is what authoritarianism looks like in practice: using the power of the state to criminalize symbolic criticism of the government while wrapping it in patriotic rhetoric. Trump’s executive order isn’t about protecting the flag—it’s about weaponizing law enforcement against dissent. And the fact that he’s doing this while simultaneously claiming to be the champion of 'free speech' only makes the constitutional violation more brazen.

The Supreme Court got it right in Texas v. Johnson: 'The way to preserve the flag’s special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong.' Trump’s approach does the opposite—it reveals a government so insecure that it must silence its critics rather than answer them."

#trumpregime #flagburning #veterans #freespeech

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2025-08-26 · 22:09 UTC

So, the #FlagBurning stuff is BULLSHIT! #MAGA-types desecrate the #AmericanFlag ALL THE TIME! For instance, you're not supposed to wear the flag on your ass or let it fly in tatters! These idiots don't even follow proper flag protocol!!! How many of them "retire" their flags properly? I learned this stuff in scouts! This is just another excuse to arrest people who #protest!!! Like COMBAT VETERANS!!!

#flagburning #maga #americanflag #protest #criminalizingdissent #crackdown

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2025-08-26 · 22:09 UTC

So, the #FlagBurning stuff is BULLSHIT! #MAGA-types desecrate the #AmericanFlag ALL THE TIME! For instance, you're not supposed to wear the flag on your ass or let it fly in tatters! These idiots don't even follow proper flag protocol!!! How many of them "retire" their flags properly? I learned this stuff in scouts! This is just another excuse to arrest people who #protest!!! Like COMBAT VETERANS!!!

#flagburning #maga #americanflag #protest #criminalizingdissent #crackdown

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2025-08-26 · 22:09 UTC

So, the #FlagBurning stuff is BULLSHIT! #MAGA-types desecrate the #AmericanFlag ALL THE TIME! For instance, you're not supposed to wear the flag on your ass or let it fly in tatters! These idiots don't even follow proper flag protocol!!! How many of them "retire" their flags properly? I learned this stuff in scouts! This is just another excuse to arrest people who #protest!!! Like COMBAT VETERANS!!!

#flagburning #maga #americanflag #protest #criminalizingdissent #crackdown

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2025-08-26 · 22:09 UTC

So, the #FlagBurning stuff is BULLSHIT! #MAGA-types desecrate the #AmericanFlag ALL THE TIME! For instance, you're not supposed to wear the flag on your ass or let it fly in tatters! These idiots don't even follow proper flag protocol!!! How many of them "retire" their flags properly? I learned this stuff in scouts! This is just another excuse to arrest people who #protest!!! Like COMBAT VETERANS!!!

#uspol #crackdown #criminalizingdissent #protest #americanflag #maga

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2025-08-26 · 22:09 UTC

So, the #FlagBurning stuff is BULLSHIT! #MAGA-types desecrate the #AmericanFlag ALL THE TIME! For instance, you're not supposed to wear the flag on your ass or let it fly in tatters! These idiots don't even follow proper flag protocol!!! How many of them "retire" their flags properly? I learned this stuff in scouts! This is just another excuse to arrest people who #protest!!! Like COMBAT VETERANS!!!