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Bill: Mordusian Flag Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Democratic Socialist Union
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: April 3317
Description[?]:
| It is decreed that the national flag of Mordusia may be used for the purposes of expressive protesting or as a sign of national pride. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change National policy regarding the desecration of the national flag.
Old value:: The national flag may not be desecrated or used for commercial purposes.
Current: The national flag may not be desecrated or dishonoured.
Proposed: The national flag may not be used for commercial purposes.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 16:46:39, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Democratic Socialist Union | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | The DSU believes it may also be prudent to agree and establish certain cultural norms in regards to flag protocol although this will not be enforced by law it will be followed by those wishing to express public affection towards the state. |
| Date | 17:29:08, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Social Progressive Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | We are opposed to the use of the National flag for commercial purposes. Therefore, we cannot support this act. We would be, however, amenable to alteration of the law with regard to desecration for political reasons, which is perhaps a halfway point between the current law and the suggestion by our esteemed Governing Colleagues. |
| Date | 19:59:15, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Agrarian Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | The national flag stands out as the primary symbol of our Free Republic. Because of that reason, it is the symbol of the liberties, peace and privileges bestowed on a freedom-loving nation. We will not support any law that states one can desecrate or commercialize the icon of liberty. |
| Date | 20:25:59, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Social Progressive Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | Political speech is allowed in this country, and burning the symbol of this country in protest should be permitted. Right now, however, it is illegal to do so. So, we would support a change in the law. It is the content of the action, and not the action itself, which should be protected, and the flag is merely a symbol. I assume we value political liberties over symbols in this country. We ate not THAT iconoclastic yet, are we? |
| Date | 20:56:11, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Agrarian Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | We have laws against false speech in this country as well - clearly we have set limits to "freedom". There's no freedom in murder, there's no freedom in rape - or theft. Freedom ends where the limits of the general good specify. In order to protect the liberties of the Public, all action against the symbols of that liberty should be illegal according to us. Mr. Speaker, I have no problem with people burning my portrait, or books of our Conservative icons. They may do as they please. Yet for us the limit is where the symbol of the Citizenry commences. |
| Date | 22:33:23, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Social Progressive Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | Murder, rape and theft are not human rights. Freedom ends where another's freedoms begin. In other words, we should be free do do what we will so long as other people's freedoms are not infringed upon by use exercising our freedoms. We clearly have a different conception of liberty in society. The CP is on record opposing regulations for companies, allowing them to do whatever they will, and yet would oppose the right of political speech by individuals with their opposition to this bill. If we take that logic out to its extension, the only people who should be free to do anything are those who are well set in this country, while the rest of us would be at their mercy. We understand the streak of elitism runs deep in the CP. And yet, when it comes to expansion of the rights of the average person, there is no time or support for that. If the people truly own this country, they also truly own the symbol of this country. And they can dispose of it how they see fit. If they are not free to burn the National Flag, then they do not own that which it symbolizes. But then again, this is probably not the most appropriate place for this discussion. We assume that the CP, like the NPP, will vote to oppose this particular bill. |
| Date | 22:56:16, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Agrarian Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | We are against the commercialization of the flag as well - no matter how much money the person concerned has. As to the matter of political speech, we do not regard the burning of our national flag, or stepping on it, as an act of political speech - it is an act of vandalism, disrespecting the traditions of our country and the freedom-loving nature of its citizenry. No citizen should be allowed to "own the country" and "dispose" of it. Because that is what the flag stands for --- the sovereigntly of our nation as a Free Republic. They should not be free, in my humble opinion, to burn the flag because they are not free to do away with freedom. Of course, like my colleague remarks, we both disagree with allowing commercialization of the flag and would vote against the present proposal. One last remark: our honored colleagues should not misunderstand our elitist thought. It does not, in the first place, means our Party favors the elite over the lower classes. It primarily means we have accepted the ideology there will always exist an elite according to the Iron law of oligarchy our forefather came up with and that we should try to join and form them instead. |
| Date | 23:08:01, June 08, 2012 CET | From | Democratic Socialist Union | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | After hearing debate from both sides the proposal has been changed to allow the flag for expressive protesting but bans commercialization of the flag. The DSU will leave this for a while longer before taking it to a vote in case any other parties care to weigh in. |
| Date | 00:26:48, June 09, 2012 CET | From | Social Progressive Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | We will support this as revised. |
| Date | 00:27:43, June 09, 2012 CET | From | Social Progressive Party of Mordusia | To | Debating the Mordusian Flag Act |
| Message | And we would like to work with all Parties, at some point, to develop a flag protocol. We second that proposal made by the authors of this bill. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 469 | ||||
| no | Total Seats: 181 | ||||
| abstain |
Total Seats: 100 |
| Random fact: Parties have the ability to endorse another party's candidate for the Head of State election (if there is one). This adds a strategic element to the elections. |
| Random quote: "Difference of religion breeds more quarrels than difference of politics." - Wendell Phillips |