Nev. town to fine for foreign flags

[Desertdog]

Nev. town to fine for foreign flags
By William M. Welch
USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061116/1a_offlede16_dom.art.htm

The Nevada town of Pahrump is taking a stand not just against illegal immigrants but flags they may bring with them.

The elected town board in the remote Mojave Desert community voted 3-2 on Tuesday to enact an ordinance making it illegal to fly a foreign nation's flag by itself.

Flying another country's flag, whether it is a British Union Jack or the flag of Mexico, is punishable by a $50 fine and 30 hours' community service, unless it is flown below an American flag.

Old Glory is sovereign, says Paul Willis, a retired carpenter and board member. You can't fly any other nation's flag higher than the American flag.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the flag restriction violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech.

There's no doubt about it, says Lisa Rasmussen, a board member of the Nevada ACLU. People have a right, as much as we don't like it, to fly & any flag they wish.

Pahrump is a rural fast-growing town of 33,000 about 60 miles west of Las Vegas. It is part of sprawling Nye County, home of the closest legal brothels to Las Vegas.

The law passed as part of a package of measures that also declared English the official language of Pahrump and denies town benefits to illegal immigrants.

We don't have any benefits, town manager David Richards says. If we ever have any, they'll be denied to illegal immigrants.

Supporters say the law is a stand on principle and doubts anyone will be arrested for violating it.

I can't conceive of there being anyone cited for it, said board Chairman Richard Billman, who voted against the ordinance.

The ordinance's sponsor, Michael Miraglia, a retired Illinois state worker, said the flag restriction was a reaction to nationwide demonstrations in May against a crackdown on illegal immigration. He said he didn't like seeing protesters waving Mexican flags and demanding immigrants not go to work that day.

In Pahrump, we had Mexican restaurants closed that day, he complained. Only one restaurant stayed open.

Rasmussen said the ACLU would probably take legal action against the town.

People are nuts out there, she says. Totally nuts.

[charby]

so its no longer f the police, its f the ACLU. Of course its been that way since the ACLU started.

hee hee

-C

[The Rabbi]

That measure won't last 5 minutes in court.  Heck, I'd run up the Israeli flag over the skull and bones on top of the American flag just to be a test case.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Not sure the anti-foreign flag law is a good idea.  But this...

The law passed as part of a package of measures that also declared English the official language of Pahrump and denies town benefits to illegal immigrants.

We don't have any benefits, town manager David Richards says. If we ever have any, they'll be denied to illegal immigrants.

...is a brilliant idea.  Why on earth don't other communities deny public benefits to illegals???

[Oleg Volk]

Rabbi,

That's what I was thinking -- but you beat me to it!

[Eleven Mike]

Why on earth don't other communities deny public benefits to illegals???

Why on earth don't other communities deny public benefits???

[Desertdog]

Why on earth don't other communities deny public benefits???

There is the possability that most cities do not give benifits to the local population.  I know of Federal paid benifits and State paid benifits, but City paid benifits to the populations???  Especially as small of town as Pahrump.

[Eleven Mike]

I suppose you're right.  I was just thinking that having no benefits at all would be better than only giving them to legal folks.  The latter would seem pretty obvious, the former would be truly wise.