Baldasaro: Burn the flag, go to jail (for littering)
Within hours of today’s provocative pronouncement by Pres.-elect Donald Trump that flag burning should be illegal, one of his most vocal Granite State supporters responded with his own unique perspective on the controversy.
In an early morning tweet, state Rep. Al Baldasaro expressed his view that the Constitutionally-protected speech is illegal without a government-issued permit. “Burning flag is Freedom of Speech,” he tweeted, “but burning is illegal without burn permit in cities & [litter].”
Baldasaro, a Trump adviser and co-chair of the New Hampshire Veterans for Trump Coalition, first suggested last month that officials should prosecute flag burners for violating city ordinances.
In an appearance on “Rock, Paper, Hand Grenades,” an online interview show hosted by Rep. Gary Hopper (R-Weare) and Matt Connarton, the Londonderry Republican described himself as a constitutionalist and acknowledged flag burning is symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.
Nevertheless, he said, the “idiots” and “non-patriots” who exercise this right should be arrested – for littering and burning without a permit.
“I understand freedom of speech,” Baldasaro said, “but there’s laws that say you need a burn permit when you’re in the city streets. It’s litter if the flag burns and blows in other areas. Why aren’t they charging them with those charges? I bet you after you start fining people they’ll stop burning flags.”
Baldasaro insisted that requiring protesters to obtain a permit before burning a flag would not infringe upon their rights. “We’re a nation of laws,” he said. “If you want burn a flag, go get a burn permit.”
“I respect your right to burn the flag,” he continued. “I don’t like it, but that’s your right. But what I’m saying is that in order to put a stop to these idiots, these non-patriots, then there’s laws on the books for litter and also for burning without a permit and I think police need to put violations on them.”