Vet Sentenced For Desecrating Mexican Flag

[Soldier4Christ]

Vet Sentenced For Desecrating Mexican Flag

FOR THE LEFT, DESECRATING THE AMERICAN FLAG IS FREE SPEECH.
BUT DESECRATING THE MEXICAN FLAG - WHILE IN THE USA - IS A HATE CRIME.

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.”

    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.”

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.

[Soldier4Christ]

I strongly dislike and object to the word "vigilante" in reference to the Veteran. He is a Veteran and a Patriot that understood the full meaning of that flag being placed there. It was a declaration of war, not by Mexico, but at least by that group La Raza) of which the majority are illegal aliens to begin with. I do recognize this Veteran as being a hero and I know that I would be standing with him had I seen that flag flying there in that manner. To do anything else is nothing more than slapping all Veterans, especially those that have sacrificed so much for this country.

[nChrist]

I strongly dislike and object to the word "vigilante" in reference to the Veteran. He is a Veteran and a Patriot that understood the full meaning of that flag being placed there. It was a declaration of war, not by Mexico, but at least by that group La Raza) of which the majority are illegal aliens to begin with. I do recognize this Veteran as being a hero and I know that I would be standing with him had I seen that flag flying there in that manner. To do anything else is nothing more than slapping all Veterans, especially those that have sacrificed so much for this country.

Brother, I agree with you 100%. This case should be appealed. I'd also like to know why MORE RESPECT is demanded for a Mexican Flag than an American Flag. I remember going to demonstrations as a police officer where we were ordered to do nothing while American Flags were being desecrated in a large variety of ways. There had been a court decision that basically said "Do What You Want" to the American Flag in the name of free speech. By the way, I think this court decision is a GROSS ERROR for the same reason why you can't yell "FIRE!" in a crowded movie theater. People are likely to be hurt, AND they usually ARE HURT in ridiculous demonstrations where the American Flag is disrespected. Regarding respect for the Mexican Flag, that's Mexico's problem where violations occur on their soil. Regarding potential violations on American soil, the Mexican Flag certainly can't DEMAND more respect than the American Flag. SO, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS DISRESPECT FOR ANY FLAG UNLESS THEY WANT TO START RESPECTING THE AMERICAN FLAG AGAIN ACCORDING TO LAW! Respect for the American Flag comes FIRST in this country. If there is NO RESPECT for the American Flag in this country, THERE IS NO RESPECT FOR ANY FLAG!

[Brother Jerry]

I agree completely.

I did have some questions however.....

He was charged on the grounds that the flag was not his.  Correct?
Who's was it? 
Did they come to claim it? 
Did they press charges?
Did they get permission to put it up in the first place?
What is the school rulings on their flags?

What I see at worst case scenario is that his actions were against the school.  So is the school pressing tresspassing charges or anything like that?

This whole thing stinks IMO. 

[Soldier4Christ]

I did have some questions however.....

He was charged on the grounds that the flag was not his.  Correct? Yep.

Who's was it?  An on campus student group of La Raza called “El Centro de la Raza”
Did they come to claim it?  Yep

Did they press charges?  They simply made a complaint to the campus dean. The dean did the rest.

Did they get permission to put it up in the first place? The Mexican flag had been raised with administration permission for a campus event, and it later came out the U. S. flag was missing because of a communication breakdown involving UNM ROTC cadets. The La Raza group and campus administration  told the ROTC cadets they couldn't put it up because of the event. Later it was called a "miscommunication with UNM ROTC cadets"

What is the school rulings on their flags? Apparently anything they want it to be as it doesn't appear there is anything in writing on it as of the time of this incident.

What I see at worst case scenario is that his actions were against the school.  So is the school pressing tresspassing charges or anything like that?   Nope. He had permission for being on campus as a volunteer for the Airforce ROTC on campus.

This whole thing stinks IMO.  Big time.

[nChrist]

YES - This whole thing does stink. I could see making him pay for the flag - or at the worst a misdemeanor charge of "Destruction of Property". However, the charge was Desecration of a Mexican Flag. This should NOT be possible!