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Iowa man sentenced to 16 years in prison for burning an LGBT flag! Thoughts? (Page 2)
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Congratulations Iowa you life under tyranny. Likely unconstitutional so i assume it would be appealed if fought.
Just read the comments and i was quick to judge. Charge him the appropriate fine for destruction of private property.
That's definitely a way too harsh punishment for just burning a flag. Yes he should be punished, but not that way
Yet the LGBTHDTVLMNOP, can burn my flag and that is just a political statement. Who decides this shit?
He sounds like an asshole, but a 16 year conviction for being an asshole is just absurd. Pretty sure it's legal in U. S. to burn the American flag, yet it's illegal to burn a flag that (loosely) represents a small subset of the population? Bizarre.
Wait, wtf? It's legal to burn an American flag, but not the alphabet mafia's?
Pretty much, YES
🤡🌎
That judge is a sodomite. it's a case of tyranny plain and simple.
And so are the jurors.
Our government has become insane. Basically that is theft. However, since the value of the flag is considerably less than $100, it does not rise to the level of a felony. A fine would be appropriate and certainly not more than 30 days in prison.
"Hate crimes" are ridiculous and dangerous. He stole and destroyed someone's property, and should simply be charged and punished for that act. I don't see how the motivation makes a difference.
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7f8ba105-06b3-4a5e-a138-737dc3149ce3
Fuck no this is crazy although i don't have anything against anyone and it is wrong what he did. i doubt jail time is the answer for this. it seems now a days the system wants to put you in jail for anything instead of other alternatives that would benefit everyone like counselling or fines
I think it's funny that he gets 15 years for burning a flag but someone who ran over 3 children only gets 4. Really shows how our justice system works
It's really exaggerated, I don't know why those lgtbsggruofkwp ifiots get that much attention
Lol it's bullshit, distraction of property at best, I hope he appeals..
Seems like overkill, unless there was some language that directly incited violence against the gays.
And another insane case that will make people go more to the right. Look at the Tories success a week ago. People are tired of that left-wing insanity.
you can burn an entire nations flag and nothing happens but you burn a lgbt flag and you go to prison for 16 years xD yeah seems fair.
1 year yes. 16 years no. People get less time for rape!! Sometimes I think justice systems have wrong priorities.
Is this a joke? I can't believe this is happening.
I wish it was, but it wasn't
Neither can I
Crazy people
.. And Hilary Clinton is NOT IN JAIL, WHY? xx
Why would anyone steal a flag just to burn it? I think 16 years is a bit tough.
16 years is very extreme for just burning a flag. Child molesters, rapists and other more serious crimes often get little to no sentence at all.
It's crap and yet antifa traitors of this great nation can burn our flag or beat a gay reporter or push a little old Jewish lady and nothing happens to them makes me sick and pissed off it's time for Americans real Americans to give them justice
Wowww I can understand destruction of property, but the devil is a lie he will kill anyone to make an example, it started after killing jesus
People get almost no time for burning either the state or American flag. This is way overboard!!
Fuck em, that's free speech my friend, he may have took it to far but seriously fuck that shit
Yet thousands of liberal fuck heads burn the American Flag with no jail time but that's not considered a hate crime as they're clearly showing their hatred for America. That dude should've pissed on that flag while he was at it.
This isn't a liberal thing... this is a stupid judge thing... I think it should be illegal to burn the American flag... but it's also unnecessary to burn the gay flag. . Like what's the point in being nasty to people?
Some people hide their hatred in the name of protest just like Black Lives Matter do when they were marching and screaming "what do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them? Right now". That man obviously should have just said something to the church and not take matters into his own hands but 16 years is way too extreme especially for a gay flag. That was not a hate crime as he didn't attack an individual but straight up vandalism.
15 years is too much.
I agree
For burning a flag
ANTIFA and illegal aliens can burn the American flag but he gets 16 years for this? Definitely bullshit.
Dumb and over the top
I think a day maximum would be reasonable
Imagine you burn a flag in front of your mum and she puts in the basement prison for 26year
Like no, the reasonable punishment is a slap or a day in prison
What the fuck
Did he also burn the guy holding the flag? That would make sense.
Lock people up for nothing serious. America is out to jail everyone.
while it was wrong to burn our flag, the sentence was extreme
Yet it's ok to burn the American Flag? He shouldn't even be in jail for that.
This is one of those morally questionable but definitely not a crime moments.
Yes cause he went to a property stole a flag and burned it to me it’s a hate crime.
Then burning the American flag by that logic is a hate crime... If you disagree with that you're a hypocrite..
It was on a church ground it was stolen off the ground.
Plus isn’t that what they do to flag when is old.
I think it's only a hate crime if you assault someone
And when they put swastikas on synagogues it’s considered hate crime.
I know but, as someone said, crime is crime. The fuck does it matter what the motive is?
You shouldn't get extra time just because it was motivated by bigotry.
So they should burn old lesbians then?
@Daniela1982 Who's talking about burning people?
No, it's theft and no different than someone stealing an Amazon package off your porch. No one gets 16 years for that.
Not saying I agree with what he did but 15 years that's just ridiculous
Liberals love putting poc men in jail. Hed have gotten less for beating his wife
Lol what a joke. This demonstrates what the dominant ideology in the USA is.
In fairness he did more than just burning a flag. Having said that a 16-year prison sentence is just insane. Don't they have sentencing guidelines in the US?
He stole and destroyed property. Yes that should be punished but 16 years is cruel and unusual punishment.
If burning of a flag is so bad I'd like to see those same rules apply to antifa
If it's :freedom of speech to burn the US flag, then it's "freedom of speech" to burn ANY flag.
read and understand this question to figure out what this country will be with the democrats in control.
Trump 2020
Of course I posted this before reading beenee’s mho. Point is same, however
It's too much for a relatively non violent crime. People do worse and get less time.
That's a ridiculous amount of time.
The drinking water should be carefully tested before anymore people go to court!!!
should be protected speech
I agree. He just burned a flag. He didn't harm anyone.
One of his charges was "harassment", but there was no evidence in the article of this alleged harassment.
This is petty theft, destruction of property and causing a fire hazard at most
agreed
Absolutely, positively, absurd. This is such a miscarriage of justice.
This is a ridiculous situation. This judge should be disbarred.
For negligent arson? Yes. This asshole has no regard for life. Just his stupid religious beliefs.
I agree with the ruling.
Actually, I believe that religious fanatics should simply just be put to death, but this is good enough.
How is he a religious fanatic?
Because, he is?
He proudly proclaimed so, showed zero remorse, indicated that he will continue his crusade against "heathens" and has previously threatened to burn that whole strip club down.
In his own words:
"'It is my honor, it is written, it is a judgement and it is written to execute vengeance on the heathen and punishments upon the people. "
"It was an honor to do that, it's a blessing from the Lord to be able to stand for his word firmly against all odds plain and simple."
He admitted to a reporter that the incident was about homosexuality and claimed he had no regrets.
Asked if he planned to fight the charges he replied: 'No, I'm guilty, I'm guilty as charged, I say it live. Knowingly, willingly and intentionally did I do that.
He added: 'I burned down their pride, plain and simple.' He further claimed that 'even non-believers' would agree on this matter. I don't need weapons, I have the spirit of god on my side Bro.'
Why would he burn the strip club down? It wasn't a gay strip club
EXACTLY! He doesn't need weapons. So no one is is danger.
Because he is a religious fanatic who doesn't like there being a strip club in his town?
Who knows.
Clearly, he targeted that venue for a reason.
He was kicked out of the strip club first correct?
16 years is a lot, i would say less time
That is fukn stupid... but i hoyts ask what the other two felonies were?
Well, if it was an American flag, shouldn't he go to jail, too?
The dude should be a fucking hero
I mean come on 16 years is the guy black?
Why am I not surprised
Honestly, with the direction this country is heading, neither am I
16 years is extreme for burning a flag.
Do stupid things you get punished.
Have male on male butt sex, and be prepared to have people hate you
People gonna hate no matter what you do.
Gay people ain't going to jail for being gay. Idiots like this are.
So at the end of the day who won this battle?😂
And for the next 16 years he can remember his hate put him there while gay people are free to do what they want
People have a right to hate whoever they want, as long as they aren't committing violence against them
No, he will remember that PC culture put him there
Ooh i know. His hatred of booty sex will get him 16 years of unwanted booty sex.😂😂
Who knows he may end up liking it. This could completely change his whole outlook on life
I believe it is time for the boogaloo.
I don't know what that is
That's harsh
LGBT people are a protected species in this country
Or you know, the arson involved which could have burned down a building.
And yes he was motivated by hatw, thus a hate crime
If arson isn't a crime anymore then you inform Walpole State penn so my mom's cousin Vinnie can get out of prison to go do more crimes
But the building didn't burn, did it?
Well obviously if you're committing a crime against someone it's because you hate them
To me, a crime is a crime and I don't see why it's considered worse just because it's motivated by bigotry.
Glad I don’t live in Iowa
But do you think 16 years is too much?
Time at all is too much. It’s a flag.
Yeah, he didn't physically harm anyone, so i don't understand how it's a hate crime
But LGBT people are a protected species now.
@Zeuss i think it comes off as threatening maybe?
@leahzrc Then they can hire security and file a restraining order
@Zeuss you know or they could feel safe and not have to go through all that trouble because of the wrongs of others
What I want to know is, how the hell is burning a damn flag justified by 16 years in prison? Seriously? I’ve seen people do far worse to those same groups of people, and got away with a lesser sentence.
Well it's threatening in a sense and 16 years is a long time but I didn't have anything to do with the guys sentence...
I’m not insinuating you did. But even threateningly, how would a 16 year sentence be justified? For burning colored cloth? That’s insane.
I don't know ask someone else
I’m asking a question to anyone, you’re just the only one to respond to them.