June 27, 2006
Flag Burning
I was very relieved to read earlier today that the United States Senate failed to ratify a constitutional amendment that would have made "desecration of the American flag," meaning flag burning, a criminal act. This amendment would have overturned a 1989 Supreme Court ruling stating that burning the flag was a political statement protected by free speech, and failed by one vote.
The first and foremost reason I am against this amendment is because this is a freedom of speech issue and I do not want my government altering the rights set forth in the First Amendment. I realize that flag burning is offensive to many, but we've all seen things in our lives that were offensive and survived. In fact, I would argue that seeing such things made us stronger and more capable of living in a world where people never agree on anything to begin with.
If the freedom of speech argument is not good enough for you then consider this: the amendment is currently against guidelines of the current United States Flag Code which gives rules on the proper care and display of the flag. The Code says many things we tend to ignore, such as not using it for advertising purposes and never putting it on athletic uniforms, but most noteworthy for this argument is what it says in section 8, part k:
The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
The guideline makes perfect sense because it would be disrespectful to have the symbol of the United States end up dirtied in a landfill. As a result of this guideline, groups like the American Legion and the Boy Scouts of America burn several thousand flags a year so that they're properly disposed of in a manner fitting to Old Glory. So based on this logic what on Earth would you do with an old flag if you're not allowed to burn it?
The late Supreme Court Justice William Brennan noted in the flag burning case of 1989 that "we do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that this cherished emblem represents." Well said, sir. It is unfortunate that the majority of the United States Senate did not listen to your words.
June 26, 2006
Blogroll
I'm spending the night testing out this blog and such, and I finally figured out how to do a Blogroll! Yay! Now all I need to figure out is how to get the links to the side of the page and I will feel like I've accomplished something.
Meanwhile, here's the explanation to who's on the Blogroll right now. Keep in mind that I'm pretty new to this, but when it comes to writing and such less is more, right? In alphabetical order...
Bad Astronomy Blog This blog is run by Phil Plait, aka the Bad Astronomer, who manages a great website debunking various bits of astronomical pseudoscience. Phil was also kind enough to put up with a younger version of me a few years ago on his message board, hence letting me learn how to politely debate scientific issues- a skill for which I am in his debt.
Cosmic Variance Managed by five physicists, this blog is arguably the biggest physics-oriented blog currently out there. They are an interesting bunch, and make me smile.
Mano Singham's Web Journal Professor Singham is a professor here at Case Western Reserve who used to teach introductory physics but has since moved onto administration. He still teaches a freshman seminar course, however, and has interesting things to say on his blog.
The Phantom Professor The Professor was originally an anonymous adjunct at SMU down in the South, but garnered some national attention last year when she was fired for blogging hilarious (but none too flattering) stories about her work. Her blog since has had cool things like free writing lessons and links to her other work, so I make a point to stop by often.
Universe Today Not really a blog as much as a news service for astronomical topics that's updated daily, and hence a great resource! I also have written for UT once or twice, which I'm quite proud of.
My Name is Yvette
My name is Yvette. More specifically it's Yvette Cendes if you want to be exact about things, but I've never met another Yvette so my first name is good enough for my purposes. I'm from Pittsburgh but live in Cleveland, which didn't mesh well when the topic of American football is raised, but otherwise it's been great. I think both places are pretty and nice, really, because no one told me I was supposed to hate them until it was too late. A lot of things in my life are like that.
My name is Yvette. I have wanted to be a scientist since I was thirteen years old, and now I spend most all my time as an undergraduate studying physics. I have my first real physics job this summer in a High Energy Astrophysics laboratory on campus, which means I can make my work sound a lot more complicated and difficult than it really is. It's fun. I also write a lot, most importantly a webzine called Politically Incorrect. It's been going on for over three years now, and it's one of my proudest achievements.
My name is Yvette. I like a lot of things that don't seem to go well together to others, like stars and Dvorak, poetry and my bicycle, but in my mind they've always blended together perfectly. My brother and sister once spent a half hour arguing over if I was an introvert and an extrovert to no success, so I suppose the answer on that will have to wait. I don't thing the answer matters that much anyway.
My name is Yvette. I think that this world of ours is a beautiful place, full of excitement and mystery, and I am determined to take advantage of what I can. The Earth is below me, the Skies are above me, the Universe is ahead of me- I am ready!