French parliament makes it illegal to boo France's national anthem or insult the flag

[YogsVR4]

Bizzare. I can understand being proud and standing up for your countries symbols, but this is nuts.

http://news.findlaw.com/ap_stories/i...160001_03.html

PARIS (AP) - The French parliament adopted a tough new anti-crime law Thursday that makes it illegal to boo France's national anthem and widens police powers against prostitution, loiterers and beggars.

The new law is the centerpiece of the center-right government's campaign to combat rising crime and the brainchild of Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. President Jaques Chirac has 15 days to sign the measure into law, which is considered a formality.

Opinion polls show that the majority of French support Sarkozy's vision for a safer France, but the law has been heavily criticized as repressive by politicians on the left, human rights groups and civic associations.

Sarkozy said the new law would be reassessed in a year to see if it needed fine-tuning.

"If, in a year, it seems that the desired results have not been achieved, we will have to dispose of all vanity and immediately modify what we need to," he said.

The law makes "passive solicitation" by prostitutes - a vaguely defined term based on "their dress or their attitude" - punishable by two months in prison and a fine of about $4,000.

"Aggressive" beggars and squatters, both in rural camps and urban buildings, will also face fines and jail terms. Vehicles parked illegally at camps can also be seized.

Another provision makes it a criminal offense to insult the French flag or the Marseillaise, the French national anthem. Violators could face fines of $8,100 and six months in prison.

Last May, Chirac stormed out of a soccer stadium in suburban Paris after some fans booed during the national anthem before a France-Algeria match.

Sarkozy has defended his law as necessary to "guarantee the security of the French people," and said it addresses the concerns of French citizens who feel ignored by an inattentive government.

[YogsVR4]

I am surprised by the lack of comments. It it had been the US doing this, it probably would have caused a riot in here.

[inferno]

I certainly agree.

[Jay!]

[note to self]don't move to france[/note to self]

I have a tendency to 'boo' things.

Otherwise, that all sounds like crap. "Guarantee the security of the French people."

[Cbass]

They are most definately being tough on crime, maybe too tough.

Let's not forget, the US passed laws along those lines a LONG time ago.

http://www.treefort.org/~rgrogan/web/flaglaw.htm#173

Hey Yogi, doesn't this contradict your early statement that France is a socialist country?

Originally posted by YogsVR4

The new law is the centerpiece of the center-right government's campaign to combat rising crime and the brainchild of Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. President Jaques Chirac has 15 days to sign the measure into law, which is considered a formality.

[inferno]

Originally posted by Cbass
They are most definately being tough on crime, maybe too tough.

Let's not forget, the US passed laws along those lines a LONG time ago.

http://www.treefort.org/~rgrogan/web/flaglaw.htm#173

Those laws, as you stated, were passed a LONG time ago and are not enforced except possibly in some little tiny towns in the middle of nowhere. As Yogs posted earlier, there are a lot of laws that were placed on the books years ago that are rarely enforced, if ever. This is another story...a law which is currently going to go into effect soon and will be strictly enforced.

[YogsVR4]

Originally posted by Cbass
They are most definately being tough on crime, maybe too tough.

Let's not forget, the US passed laws along those lines a LONG time ago.

http://www.treefort.org/~rgrogan/web/flaglaw.htm#173

Hey Yogi, doesn't this contradict your early statement that France is a socialist country?

I will say I overstated the case. France is becoming more socialistic (this law being another example) but it is not a pure socialists country - at least not yet.

btw - I guessed wrong. I figured it would be someone else who would be the first to say the equivalent of "yeah - but the US did such and such..."

[Cbass]

Originally posted by YogsVR4
I am surprised by the lack of comments. It it had been the US doing this, it probably would have caused a riot in here.

I was pointing out how the US DID do this. The US even has laws about what other flags can be flown next to the stars and stripes, and the sole flag that can be flown higher than it.

God help the soldier who lets the flag touch the ground, they do get time in the stockade.

[inferno]

I say again, those laws were made a long time ago and not all of them are enforced...they have moved more into the area of tradition than actual law.

[taranaki]

Originally posted by YogsVR4
I am surprised by the lack of comments. It it had been the US doing this, it probably would have caused a riot in here.

Doubt it.What the U.S. does in its own backyard is of little consequence to the rest of the world. We just tend to get a little bit edgy when your president wants to start invading other countries without the multi-lateral support of the United Nations Security Council,that's all.

[Stefanel1]

France is maybe one of the most tolerant country in the world (much much more than the US !). And it has been sometimes too tolerant. Indeed, when I heard at a soccer match (on TV) some people whistling the Marseillaise (national sing), I have been sick. Worse : Chirac was there and said nothing !
There has been many problems in the "difficult" suburbs of the big french cities (Nice, Paris, Marseilles, Lyon, etc.) : cars burning, agressions, theft, and more. And that's why people didn't vote to show their anger, and worse, some poeple voted for Le Pen (extrem right).
Then Chirac was hopefully re-elected with more than 82%.
But he and his government had to do some things. If not, we risked to have a second "21st April" (when Le Pen passed to the second tour). So they make laws, and they must do this. But of course, it's only laws, we've to see if it will be applicated.
And in the USA, you have for long, laws worse than that as Cbass said well.

PS : Yog, France is not a socialistic country, and do you think it would be so powerfull if it was actually socialist ????????!!!!!!

[YogsVR4]

Originally posted by Stefanel1

And in the USA, you have for long, laws worse than that as Cbass said well.

CBass is about as anti-American as someone can be. However, please tell me the laws that are being enforced that are so much worse. Once again I can chuckle how anytime someone points out something stupid with another country - people here twist it around to point to bad mouth the US.

[Stefanel1]

I don't know if Cbass is actually anti American, you could say he's realist, but for sure, you're a little bit nationalist......

[Steel]

woah, that's a shot, yogs, and a low one at that. You should probably watch your wording a little more carefully.

[Cbass]

Originally posted by YogsVR4


CBass is about as anti-American as someone can be. However, please tell me the laws that are being enforced that are so much worse. Once again I can chuckle how anytime someone points out something stupid with another country - people here twist it around to point to bad mouth the US.

Well you mock France for their laws, when the US has the exact same set of laws, and has had them much longers.

As for my feelings towards the US, you are misinformed. I have many American friends, and I am by no means biased against them in any way.

Just because I believe that your political system is awful, and that I abhor US foreign policy does not mean that I am anti-American.