logomancer | Feb. 9th, 2004

To get this out of the way: The Princeton trip was good. We placed fifth overall, I believe. I answered, insanely early, a question on C++ inheritance. 'Course, McQuain would've strangled me if I didn't, but...

Anyway, I met Dennis Kucinich tonight (WARNING: 2*10^6 pixels inside). He was very good. A great speaker. I like him. Sadly, I didn't get to ask a question that I've been meaning to ask him for about six months now:

Congressman Kucinich, I am troubled by the fact that you have voted consistently for a constitutional amendment banning flag burning with no apparent thought to the protection of civil liberties. Are you still in favor of a constitutional amendment banning flag burning, and do you plan to pursue the adoption of such an amendment if elected?

I wish I could've gotten an answer to it. The Internet has nothing on it. Kucinich's website doesn't talk about it. Nobody's talking, and I wanted his answer to it -- in person, where he couldn't ignore me. The people organizing his visit told me to email him about it. Of course, email can be ignored, and I have heard that it has (I can't give you a link on this, however). This will haunt me throughout November unless he gives an answer, which I don't think he will. I mean, if he's willing to ban a form of political speech, what other speech is he willing to ban? Hell, it doesn't even have to be about that -- how would one dispose of the flag properly? I'm an Eagle Scout, and I was always told that if a flag gets tattered and dirty beyond repair, you burn it. But I guess nobody in Congress was paying attention during that part of Boy Scouts.

Anyway, that was my visit, and at least I got to hear him speak. I also met some really hyper girls -- I think they were shills for Kucinich or something. They were a hoot. Anyway, I better get back to work, as I've been slacking for the past few days and really need to get some work done.