NEWS: Teen Jailed for Flag Burning

POLITICS: Teen Jailed for Flag Burning

Andrew Elisha Staley, a Maryville, TN teenager was jailed for nine days after burning an American flag, apparently stolen from his parents' residence on July 4.

Currently, the eighteen year old is awaiting his court date- at which time he'll be on trial for desecrating a venerated object, underage drinking, littering, evading arrest, burning personal property and theft. This case could test a Tennessee state statute that defines flag burning a crime a misdemeanor, punishable by less than a year in jail and up to $2,500 fine. Though flag burning is protected by the First Amendment, prosecutors say Staley has yet to say he was acting on his first amendment rights.

What do his parents have to say about all this?

With all the other charges Staley is facing, the actual flag burning seems to be the least of his troubles.

This line made me snicker.



Regardless, the case is interesting. What do you think about it? I wasn't aware that flag burning was illegal, although I'm a little unclear on the difference between a misdemeanor and a crime under American Law.

I find the kid guilty of being a dumbass. That's about it.

Bingo!

We have 50 state here that all have different laws.
If he didn't burn the flag as a form of free speech then most likely he broke the laws of his state. I can tell his parents are so proud.
What a fucking loser.

That was what I was thinking. He gets drunk, burns a flag for reasons as yet unknown - it seems likely he was just being an ass, else I'd think he'd play the first ammendmant card and claim he was making a statement.

Even so, one night of drunk-getting, flag burning and the horrendous and entirely amoral crime of being a drunk teenager (you guys STILL have that?) shouldn't put him in jail for nine days. Give the kid some community service - two weeks cleaning out sewage should convince him to clean up his act.

[edited because I hate sentences that end with prepositions]

[Edited on Jul 16, 2005 4:42PM]

So essentially, in this case, it's illegal to burn the US flag but it's also illegal to deny someone their right to express themselves by burning said banner? So someone who burns the flag in a manner that doesn't relater to political or artistic expression is a criminal.

That's... messed up.

Burning personal property? Does that cover my charcoal, and like those chilis I fire roasted?

Nick

[Edited on Jul 16, 2005 by The_Incubator]

"This is where the drinking came in. And he's not very good at it,"

The father has clearly failed to pass on his expertise in drinking to his son.

What is this country coming to?

Prepositions just aren't suitable words to end sentences with.

Was the Flag damaged in anyway? Here in Canada burning the flag is the recommended way to dispose of a damaged flag.

Only in TN would they have a dumb law against flag burning.

You realise I now have an internationally approved mandate to hurt you?

i think if i had parents named doc and lisa lee i'd be a lil fucked up too.
but yeah the kid seems like a fucking loser.

ok, this long list of heinous charges are completely bollox. Underage drinking is a normal everyday occurance, In most parts of the world it's perfectly legal to drink at 18, In Ireland, most people start drinking way younger than that.

It doesn't say if he lives at home or not, but if he does, then the charge that he stole the flag is ridiculous, and if his parents allowed that charge to go through, then they are a hundred times more idiotic then their son will ever be, and evading arrest, If you're drunk and a cop starts coming towards you, you're probably gonna run away, that's evading arrest.

If it wasn't for the crazy and Fascist anti flag burning laws, this kid would never have been in court and jail wasting thousands and thousands of dollers in tax payers money and screwing up this guy's life

Basically a Misdemeanor gets you a year or less in prison and a felony gets you a year or more in prison. There are some other differences, but they're not always consistent between states.

The only approved method I know of for disposing of an American flag is the leave it over something you have that people with big guns want to take from you, then leave it there until it is good and incinerated. American's are funny like that.

just send the kid to that new reality tv show... "BRAT CAMP"

sounds to me like he is just a spoiled little rich kid and mommy and daddy couldnt take it much longer because they dont know how to be parents so felt the law would be able to control his dipshit ways....

Come to think of it since they now have "BRAT CAMP" maybe they should also have a camp for those parents who dont know how to raise their "braty and snoby teens"

His dad totally made fun of him.

In the UK it's perfectly legal to drink from the age of *six*. You're not allowed to sell alcohol to someone under the age of 18 (there are some exceptions, younger people can buy a glass of something with a meal).

So, a 14yo drinking lager at home is not criminal.

well in cali you can drink at any age as long as you are under adult supervision but cannot buy alcohol untell you are 21 but I dont know how it is in any other states.... but do know that it is pretty much 21yrs across the board in the states unless you live on a Military base and have a Military ID... it is at that time you can buy alcohol at 18 but only while on base

Not the best argument. Lots of things happen everyday that are less than wonderful.


However, a teenager drinking underage shouldn't be going to prison for it. That's dumb. Once you reach the age of majority, you should be treated as an adult. This law makes no sense to me, and I still don't understand your country.

I'm not getting your point.

Yes it is evading arrest. And people who run away from the police give them a reason to chase them. If you're drunk, doing something illegal and a cop comes towards you your probably going to run away. If I were drunk, and a cop came towards me I'd probably put on my most submissive face and nod and smile.

Lesson children: Picking fights with the police is a bad plan.

Going to prison for nine days isn't really going to fuck up his life, although having a criminal record could make things unpleasant for him. However a nine day prison sentance is daft, and wasteful. Why not force him to do something useful and demoralising, like community service? It's a much better way to cajoule the little idiot to grow up, rather than 'scaring' him with prison.

The kid messed up. That's what kids do, they are stupid. He should get in a little bit of trouble for evading arrest, but nothing on his record.

To many kids are punished these days, without being taught lessons.

[Edited on Jul 16, 2005 by SexyBeast]

I've met that kid before, and his parents. Honestly, he's not the "Top of the smart chain". They live about 10 miles from me.