Minutes of the DLS: March 31, 2005

We started off the meeting with Committee Reports. During finance committee reports, it was noted by Mr. Elliott that most academics are just whores, and then by Miss McFarland that whores are special.
Mr. Theiss then rose to ward us away from his younger sister at the upcoming non-Demosthenian party, and then to urge us to pass the consitution. The resolution was passed 18/2, and it was noted that Mr. Theiss’s work, and everyone else’s is appreciated.

Mr. Theiss then rose to rabidly put down the judges who awarded the victory at the intersociety debate because “I’m making sure everyone knows I’m ok with it.”

Miss Brown then rose to question the logic of talking about how we’re great even though we lost and urged us to accept our faults because we’re all here to become better speakers.

In new business Mr. Theiss presented
BIR, The European Union should maintain the arms embargo on China.

After a desperate attempt for quorum, the resolution was tabled, and we moved into a new resolution, presented by Mr. Elliott:
BIR: The desecration of the American flag should be illegal,

Mr. Trivedi rose to claim that it could be a symbol of patriotism, and shouldn’t be illegal, ending his speech with an impassioned, “You don’t own patriotism!”

Mr. Martinson suggested that it is American to be un-American, but thought people should burn the Constitution, rather than the flag.

Miss Brown said that burning a flag is a form of treason that does not express free speech, but rather says, “Screw free speech.”

Mr. Weiss pointed out that an upside down flag is a sign of distress, and burning the flag could be saying that the America I love is in distress.

“Is there an ideal that cannot be questioned?” pondered Mr. Hansen, claiming that the U.S. has dishonored the principles on which it was founded.

Mr. Williamson read the national anthem and reminded us that the flag has seen more fire, the fire of battle and war, than any of us have ever known.

Mr. Misztal decried the aesthetic appeal of the flag and compared it to the Soviet flag, which soldiers also died for.

Miss Keyes-Blumer said that she did not like the word “subversive.”

After a short recess, to calm raging emotions, Mr. Addison rose to remind us that the most important movements in our nation’s history, civil rights and women’s rights did not burn flags, and this earned them respect.

Mr. Fleishman brought up the Confederacy, according to the acting secretary, to his own speech’s demise.

Mr. Theiss claimed that people burn flags out of weakness and fear or only as a publicity stunt.

Mr. Duffy rose to say that flag burners are scumbags, and that there could be no sane reason for burning a flag.

Mr. Lewis recalled a time he burned a Santa Claus PEZ dispenser to protest the current administration—his parents. Sometimes you must do something drastic to draw attention to your plight.

Mr. Burkhart brought up the movie Glory, saying that despite all that the flag represents, free speech is important.

Miss Averitt said simply that flag burning is tacky and accomplishes nothing.

Mr. Ballard pointed out that veterans are more hurt by the disrespect of protestors than by the war.

I then rose to say that based on the types of speech our Constitution forbids, flag burning should be legal.

Mr. Addison then rose again to argue his point by referencing court cases that prohibit flag desecration.

Finally, the question was called, and the resolution failed, 6/8 among members and 0/4 among guests.

Mr. Williams then rose with a lighter topic, Cochlear implants.

Mr. Weiss said that a society that promises to embrace diversity but is not willing to accept the deaf is hypocritical.

Mr. Theiss compared the resolution to dead languages, claiming that they should stay dead because the sole purpose of language is to communicate.

Mr. Williamson said that disabilities give the disabled abilities, after all, Beethoven did it.

Miss Hoekstra opposed the resolution because Cochlear implants cannot bring full hearing to the deaf, and thus these people are a part of neither world.

Miss Keyes-Blumer said that the decision should be up to individuals alone, because when languages or cultures are lost something important is gone forever.

After Miss Wilkinson’s critic’s report, we adjourned to Little Italy.