Vigilante Vet Sentenced For Desecrating Mexican Flag
Posted on April 6, 2008
Update: Reliapundit takes note of the hypocrisy from the left on this.
FOR THE LEFT, DESECRATING THE AMERICAN FLAG IS FREE SPEECH.
BUT DESECRATING THE MEXICAN FLAG – WHILE IN THE USA – IS A HATE CRIME.
Gateway Pundit has a lot more on this.
Last fall the campus group La Raza flew the The Mexican Flag over the UNM campus for several days–
This symbolizes that a US territory has been taken over.
Air Force veteran Peter Lynch took the flag down after complaining to campus officials and tore it up.
This week he was sentenced.
Peter Lynch received a deferred six-month sentence on supervised probation. He also must perform 48 hours of community service, attend anger management, replace the flag and pay court and probation fees.
In closing arguments Wednesday morning, the defense argued that Peter Lynch’s action should be protected under the first amendment.
The prosecution noted that the flag was not Lynch’s to damage. It said the fact that Lynch admitted to taking the flag down and then destroying it required the jury to return a guilty verdict.
On Tuesday, Lieutenant Pat Davis of the UNM Police Department testified that when Lynch saw the Mexican flag flying without an American flag, he first reported it to the office of UNM’s Dean of Students, then to the Officer of Veteran Affairs, but wasn’t satisfied with the response.
Davis says Lynch, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, then began to take the flag down as others gathered nearby.
“At least one person encouraged him by saying, ‘Yeah, brother, go ahead,’ and ‘Thank you,’ and some other things he heard in the background,†Davis says Lynch explained.
Davis says that Lynch told him he then became emotional and “took the flag in his hands and ripped it in half.â€
UNM ROTC students admit that they had neglected to lower the Mexican banner when they lowered the U.S. flag at sunset last September because they thought a Mexican student organization would do that.
Davis said that Lynch told officers that the lone Mexican flag flying without an U.S. flag “could be perceived as a sign of war or that the territory had been taken over by another country and he felt it was his obligation to remove the flag and enforce that code.â€
Despite the technicalities of the law and justice system on this, a vigilante vet standing up for what is right will be a folk hero to many patriotic Americans. Not everyone, but many.
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, Border Control/Homeland Security, Illegal Activities, News
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19 Responses to “Vigilante Vet Sentenced For Desecrating Mexican Flag”
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This is just wrong. The illegals get away with disgracing the American flag. At least he did not have to serve any jail time. Yes he is a hero.
From what I am reading I can go buy me several mexican flags and destroy them,
just if the flag belongs to someone else I cannot. I am heading to a web site I know
of and will be burning mexican flags in Colorado Springs, and any mexican who does not like it can kiss my _ _ _.
So, just why was a Mexican flag flying on an U.S. campus to begin with? Is the University of NEW Mexico, as opposed to OLD Mexico, where they speak a different language, have a different system of government, etc., now given to flying two different flags? Hmmm… He shouldn’t have been charged. As for the legal comments over there ->, well, is it legal for us to continue to contribute our tax dollars for public universities who fly a foreign flag?
I sure hope he appeals the decision and gets a better jury — one that will obey themselves and not the slimy prosecutors. As he pointed out, this is a clear act of war.
From US Code:
International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
What happened to the “Hispanics” (illegal alien Mexicans) who took down a few US flags back in the spring of 2006 and 2007?
Apparently another attack of Conservative Rational Thought Disorder, exacerbated by an outbreak of Conservative Reading Comprehension Disorder among the readers of this blog.
As the news story itself explains, the flag had nothing to do with Mexican citizens, let alone “illegals”. It was raised by . . . the ROTC, as part of some sort of ceremony, who then failed to take it down due to a misunderstanding. You’re welcome to try to withhold your tax dollars from institutions that fly foreign flags, but you’ll have to explain to the ROTC yourself why you hate them so.
Also, it is not a “clear act of war” to raise a flag. I don’t know why you think the ROTC was declaring war on the United States, but it isn’t so, and simply raising a foreign flag does not by itself constitute war. Furthermore, the ROTC (or, in fact, any local group) is not in a position to “declare war” on the United States on behalf of Mexico.
And, finally, note that no US flag was “disgraced”, nor was any other flag flown above it. A different flag was flown at a time when the US flag had been taken down – again, by mistake – but, to the extent that that is a violation of the non-criminal stautes in the Flag Code to begin with (apparently, it isn’t), it is different from the act of damaging the US flag itself.
Finally, yes, as one of you appears to have dimly grasped, his conviction had nothing to do with flags as such, the Flag Code, or the respective honors of the United States or Mexico. He was convicted of destroying someone else’s property – which he was, in fact, guilty of doing. Even if you don’t like what someone else is doing with their property, and even if that is illegal (which this wasn’t), you aren’t allowed to confiscate and destroy it. He did that, and now has to make restitution. It’s called justice.
Please, for your own sakes: (1) learn to read, and (2) calm down.
A ham-fisted posting from a liberal career grad-student douche.
The issue is not flag degradation, tool.
He was taking a stand, Fatty. It’s that simple.
Perhaps if you left your dorm room and did something meaningful with your life (besides advocating for government health care) you might understand why passions are inflamed in New Mexico.
Oh, and here’s one other point. Regardless of what you accomplish for the rest of your life, you never had the balls to serve your country like the vet who ripped down the Mexican flag.
Yet another case of a career academician with grand opinions but no spine.
(1) We have nom problem reading (2) we can spot blow-hard cowards a mile away.
Hmmm . . . I must have been confused into thinking you were all commenting on the issue of flags when I read your comments about “disgracing the American flag . . . buy me several mexican flags and destroy them . . . burning mexican flags. . . a Mexican flag flying on an U.S. campus . . . universities who fly a foreign flag . . . forbids the display of the flag . . . took down a few US flags”, and the like. That and the complete absence of comments about “taking a stand” just befuddled me.
Note as well, however, that it is just as illegal to destroy other people’s property in order to “take a stand” as it is to do so just by being a jingoistic moron. And what stand, exactly, was this hero taking? He wanted to whip the ROTC into planning their ceremonies better? Or – one hopes – he intended an ironic statement on the stupidity of jumping to racist assumptions by attacking a Mexican political symbol in protest of an innocent mistake made by an American military training unit?
And your remarks – entirely directed at “illegals” and “disgracing the American flag”, directly appended to an article which stated explicitly that the incident was not the result of any Mexican person and was not intended disrespectfully – I presume they were ironic also? I mean, you claim you can read but your remarks are factually incompatible with the text you think you are responding to. You weren’t serious, right?
Sadly, it’s true, I’ve never had the balls to commit petty vandalism against the wrong person in response to a meaningless incident that inflamed my idiotic belligerence. But there’s time. Thanks for the advice . . . and the object lesson.
See The Proper Display of the Mexican Flag on American Soil
Oh, and the post also suggests that until the 4th of July is honored in Mexico as it is here, Cinco de Mayo celebrations should be limited to MEXICO.
Instead, the Fifth of May should be set aside as “Show Mexico the (DIS)Respect it Deserves Day” (as in, NO respect whatsoever for a nation committed to the encouraging its citizens to defy, violate, DISRESPECT our borders and our laws and the support of outright and literal alien invasion of the U.S.).
BTW, the idiot comment that some people view the actions of Peter Lynch as “racist” can only come from
1. Idiots who do not know what “race” means when referring to humans
2. Liars who know but simply want to tar someone’s actions with a despicable lie
3. Outright damned (I use the term in its theological sense here) evil liars who are attempting to make language into nonsense and destroy all reason.
(Hint: “Mexican” is not a race of human.) Any assertion or charge of racism or tarring someone with the “racist” brush for taking exception to the flying–alone!–of a foreign country’s flag above State property in an American state is an assertion against fact, an asertion of an outright lie, a typical, whining, hate crime in and of itself: hate for truth, hate for justice, hate for… the American way. (Where’s Superman when you need him? *heh*)
More from such reality-based fantasists is no doubt in the offing.
Kevin,
Thanks for clearing that up for those of us with educations that did not come from liberal schools. In other words, we know why the guy was found guilty.
We expect fairness here and that means when the Mexicans take down flags that do not belong to them and destroy them, we want them prosecuted as well.
And since you are all about the rule of law, how about we arrest all the illegal trash breaking our laws by entering our country?
Just a thought…
Our Flag has gone the way of the Christian Religion. Punishment is there to protect everyone else. They say Our Flag and the Christian Faith is so strong and that it belongs to so many – that these parts of our heart don’t need to be defended?!? We must, however, acquiesce to all other countries and their chosen religions?! Who’s country are we living in anyway?
I’ll “ditto” Big Dog!
Veteran here.
I served in the Navy United States of America; not the United States of Mexico. Our Flag is a Symbol of the freedom we all enjoy. Flying the Mexican flag in place of the US flag a symbol as well. One I am unwilling to accept.
He did what any true American should have done, and it’s a disgrace that he has been punished for his Patriotic actions. Shame on the UNM Police for not acting first, and shame on the UNM for allowing the Mexican flag to be flown in the first place.
at no point in the story did they say the “ROTC” raised the flag.
the very first line says “Last fall the campus group La Raza flew the The Mexican Flag over the UNM campus for several days–”
It does say that the ROTC assumed that the mexicans that put up their flag would take it down. they didn’t so a patriot did it for them.
also like how the vet is demonized by the headline as a vigilante, didn’t read the part where he hurt or attacked anyone.
When someone says their vote doesn’t count, this is another perfect example of why we need, MUST, vote to keep these fools out of office. The prosecutor should have had the sense not to take this case forward and should be removed when up for re-election. And I too will be more than willing to purchase some Mexican flags and torch them in prime locations in So. California. This country has turned upside down!
Note to Kevin T Keith:
US Code, Title 4, states, in part, “No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the
flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof:”
“…or in place of…”
Leaving the flag of Mexico flying in the absence of the US flag is flying it in place of the US flag. Protocol forbids the lowering of the US flag before all others on US soil. The ROTC command for UNM should be disciplined, and their charges properly schooled in their duties as regards the flag.
They should not have lowered the US flag until the flag belonging to La Raza had been lowered. If necessary, it was the duty of the ROTC personnel to either lower the La Raza flag themselves, or provide overnight lighting for the US flag.
As a veteran, I vividly remember the instruction we were given regarding finding a foreign flag flying on US soil. It was to be removed, at all costs, with extreme prejudice, and the parties responsible were to be dealt with in the same manner, the soil retaken.
Given the ever increasing number of Mexican flags flying in the southwestern states combined with the oft stated Aztlan goal of La Raza, his training, and the oath he swore, I believe he showed restraint in first attempting to alert civilian and military authorities to the breech, before taking matters into his well trained and intentioned hands.
His destruction of the flag is obviously a result of mitigating circumstances, and could easily be forgiven. Unfortunately, someone determined that an example needed to be made of him, so the next person who considered the use of moral righteousness in the face of intolerance might think twice.
As for your assertions that others need to learn to read, might I suggest it is a case of pot, kettle, black?
Dr. John:
Thanks for your quotation from the non-criminal and unenforceable Flag Code. You will note, if you try carefully, that nothing in it contradicts anything in my comments above.
Whether or not the ROTC should have handled the flags differently, it was their mistake, not that of any other group, as many commenters claimed. It was also inadvertent, not an act of disrespect, as was claimed, and it was not a “hate crime” or charged as one, as the original post claimed.
My point was merely to correct the almost-unrelieved factual errors in the post and comments. Your citation from the Flag Code was interesting . . . to you . . . but has nothing to do with the content of the original post, the many erroneous comments it attracted, or my corrections of them. Do keep trying, however.
Whether the Mexican flag left flying was a mistake or not, removal by the vet is justified, especially since no one else would take action. He really shouldn’t have torn the flag up though, he should have burned it. Wonder what would happen if we flew a (lone) American flag at a university in Mexico?
Desecrating a U.S. Flag=Free Speech
But tearing down a mexican flag= Hate crime and you must go to jail for it
This is an outrage
“Your citation from the Flag Code was interesting . . . to you . . . but has nothing to do with the content of the original post, the many erroneous comments it attracted, or my corrections of them. Do keep trying, however.â€
Dr John Identified himself as a vet. Therefore, your comment is patronizing and disrespectful to not only Dr John, but to me and every other vet who has commented in this thread. It is as disrespectful as flying a flag of another country without the US flag present.
I for one found the reminder quiet interesting, as the flag means more to than just a symbol of freedom. It is a reminder of all that has been sacrificed for this country. And as far as I’m concerned, the only place a foreign flag ought to be flown on CONUS soil is on the property of a foreign embassy, and then ONLY below the Stars and Stripes.
Have we completely lost all sense of Honor and Patriotism?!