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  • MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 2006 11:00 PM

Nevada Town Bans Foreign Flags

Submitted by legionnaire

Edited by legionnaire

Tags: Nevada, flag, ban, free speech

It's time to chalk another mark in the "what were they thinking?" column. Apparently the city of Pahrump, Nevada has banned flying the flags of other countries unless the US flag is flown above it.

The town council voted last week, 3-2, to approve an ordinance that makes it illegal to display a foreign flag -- unless an American flag is flown above it. Scofflaws face a $50 fine and 30 hours of community service.

Pahrump resident Michael Miraglia proposed the ban because, he said, he got upset when he saw immigrant activists marching through U.S. cities last spring, waving Mexican flags. Mr. Miraglia told USA Today that he was especially miffed that "we had Mexican restaurants closed that day."


Shocking news - intolerant imbeciles hate Mexicans! But apparently still like their food, as the chief instigator complained that Mexican restaurants were not open earlier this year during the massive demonstrations in favor of immigrant rights, many of whose participants were of Mexican origin. And so the town council patriotically decided that the best way to celebrate true American values was to stomp on the free speech of residents by preventing them from flying the flag of another country.

Granted, it is considered to be in poor taste to fly any flag higher than the American flag. But if we were allowed to legislate taste you can bet that our representatives in Washington would look a lot different than they do. And it's difficult to imagine the same kind of uproar stemming from the public display of an Irish or British flag being shown. It's another excuse to enact racist laws targeting a specific population in the guise of patriotism. It would seem to me that the most patriotic way to treat immigrants would be to make them feel welcome so that they would choose to fly the American flag as their own.

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SmooshFacedLion

SmooshFacedLion

Houston, TX
April 2003

NOV 20, 2006 11:05 PM

Isn't Pahrump where all those wholesome American brothels are?

cato

cato

I'm lost
November 2005

NOV 20, 2006 11:14 PM

Volokh had an interesting post about this. One of his observations:

This is one of the rare ordinances that not only violates the Court's First Amendment precedents, but actually violates the very first Supreme Court decision to hold that a law facially violated free speech, Stromberg v. California (1931). Stromberg held that people have a constitutional right to fly a red flag as a symbol of anarchism. It's hard to see why one wouldn't have an equal right to fly a foreign flag, as a symbol of affection for or even loyalty to that country. And of course Stromberg, while old, is hardly obsolete: It's been reaffirmed and broadened since 1931. That's a mighty strong constitutional tide that Pahrump is swimming against.


link

_kungfoo_

_kungfoo_

Los Angeles, CA
April 2005

NOV 20, 2006 11:20 PM

You know, I was listening to Jed the Fish, a DJ for KROQ in LA awhile back. He brought up an interesting topic. How far does the right have to push us as Americans before we get totally fed up and start over. He suggested we might not learn our lesson until we have the most right-leaning, neo-conservative, asshole president ever. Sort of like Bush on crack. Outlawing freedom that even the so-called "America lovers" (i.e. Fox News viewers), enjoy. So far right, banning most if not all civil liberties and provoking another country into a major conflict with us (i.e. a real war, nuclear war even).

I mean, banning foreign flag doesn't seem anywhere close to that scenario, but is that not the track we're heading down as a nation?

dustbuster

dustbuster

San Francisco, CA
OLD SKOOL

NOV 20, 2006 11:43 PM

The most appropriate response to this would be sustained, widespread mockery.

At last, our nation is safe.

Aaron

Aaron

Shakopee, MN
July 2004

NOV 20, 2006 11:48 PM

Never heard of this town until last week on Studio 60, John Goodman is the judge there.

SomethingStupid

SomethingStupid

North Hollywood, CA
March 2004

NOV 20, 2006 11:48 PM

And here I thought Studio 60 made Pahrump, Nevada up.

SomethingStupid

SomethingStupid

North Hollywood, CA
March 2004

NOV 20, 2006 11:49 PM

AaronB said:
Never heard of this town until last week on Studio 60, John Goodman is the judge there.


You just had to beat me.

s5

s5

San Francisco, CA
OLD SKOOL

NOV 21, 2006 12:12 AM

Does reading the Constitution aloud to the town council over and over again over a stretch of 30 hours count as community service?

Subrosa

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA
July 2004

NOV 21, 2006 12:13 AM

Hysterical. Truly.

Bev_Antain

Bev_Antain

Italy
February 2004

NOV 21, 2006 03:17 AM

what where they thinking when they called the town Pahrump? Sounds like a farting sound

R0nin

R0nin

Chicago, IL
October 2005

NOV 21, 2006 03:25 AM

s5 said:
Does reading the Constitution aloud to the town council over and over again over a stretch of 30 hours count as community service?



Pretty soon they'll start locking you up for that as well!

sick

sick

Minneapolis, MN
June 2003

NOV 21, 2006 05:42 AM


Granted, it is considered to be in poor taste to fly any flag higher than the American flag. But if we were allowed to legislate taste you can bet that our representatives in Washington would look a lot different than they do.



Actually, it's not just in poor taste; it actually is against the law (4USC7):

Of course, though it's federal law, there's no penalty, and it's unenforceable. First Amendment and all that. The parts in question also apply only when the US flag is flown with other flags, which isn't the case here. As far as I know, it doesn't say you can't fly any flag you want.

dem_z

dem_z

United Kingdom
June 2004

NOV 21, 2006 07:10 AM

Are there any restrictions about which flags you can fly under the US flag? It's not legal in the UK to own certain flags because of terror laws. (eg: Hamas).

It'd be odd if people were free to fly Nazi flags so long as they're under the US flag.

Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

NOV 21, 2006 08:11 AM

dem_z said:
Are there any restrictions about which flags you can fly under the US flag? It's not legal in the UK to own certain flags because of terror laws. (eg: Hamas).

It'd be odd if people were free to fly Nazi flags so long as they're under the US flag.


This is America - where we are free to profess our love and admiration for all things idiotic, stupid, and offensive in a peaceful manner. Afterall, but for this principle, UpTight would not be a "politics editor" at SG.

Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

NOV 21, 2006 08:11 AM

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