Teenage Flag Burner Visits Kokoda (3 Viewers)

[tommykins]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21501509-5006009,00.html?from=public_rss


As some of you may remember, a teenager of Middle-Eastern descent (is this politically correct enough Exphate?) was convicted for vandalism (as far as I can see it) for burning the Australian flag stolen from his local RSL. As a result, he was facing court with the RSL as the prosecutors. Rather than making him pay a fine, the RSL decided to allow him to go through a path of redemption to learn to appreciate Australia and what not. Recently he's visited the Kokoda track and on numerous television news shows has explained that he is a changed man.

Although I'd like to give evyerone a second chance, being in the teenage age bracket will cause you to say whatever you want to get out of trouble. And as much as I'd love to believe that he has changed his ways, there's always a little amount of doubt in my head, but if he has, kudos to him, and I hope he's able to help his other friends to learn to appreciate Australia and be glad that he is himself, an Australian.

Discuss.

 

[Josie]

Doing that is a lot more likely to make him know why what he did was wrong, rather than other punishments.
And I'd say even if he's not changed to the extent he says he is, I think it would probably be hard to visit Kokoda and walk along part of it without feeling something.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Hey where'd that ANZAC Day thread go? Valid points were raised in that thread.

But uh, as for the punishment, it seems kinda odd to me. I guess that so long as he's learned his lesson.

 

[jemsta]

surely one thinks he has learnt his lesson
kokoda track isnt an easy trek, and since so many aussies died there, then you would have to feel some sort of emotion walking it
if they said he's changed then good on him

 

[Sparcod]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21501509-5006009,00.html?from=public_rss


As some of you may remember, a teenager of Middle-Eastern descent (is this politically correct enough Exphate?) was convicted for vandalism (as far as I can see it) for burning the Australian flag stolen from his local RSL. As a result, he was facing court with the RSL as the prosecutors. Rather than making him pay a fine, the RSL decided to allow him to go through a path of redemption to learn to appreciate Australia and what not. Recently he's visited the Kokoda track and on numerous television news shows has explained that he is a changed man.

Although I'd like to give evyerone a second chance, being in the teenage age bracket will cause you to say whatever you want to get out of trouble. And as much as I'd love to believe that he has changed his ways, there's always a little amount of doubt in my head, but if he has, kudos to him, and I hope he's able to help his other friends to learn to appreciate Australia and be glad that he is himself, an Australian.

Discuss.

Yeah, it's about time he realises that he IS an Australian. What kind of a jerk would burn a flag anyways. It was a waste of one precious match!

As jemsta said, Kokoda is quite interesting and touching and I'd actually like to go there one day. It's really physically challenging not only because of its length but also because it's hot and steamy over there and there's tropical diseases such as malaria to watch out for. I'm so curious.

No, I wouldn't burn the Aussie flag in order to get myself there.

 

[S1M0]

Thats a pretty smart punishment to give, too bad it probably won't work. Then again, community sevice or a fine just makes it worse...

 

[TwoNiner]

I think sticking him in Abu Graihb and letting the marines rape his arse raw would've been a more fitting punishment for the crime. Should've been charged with treason too...

 

[pete_mate]

so he gets a free trip to indonesia as part of his "punishment" ? wha?

 

[xXeMoxXxCoRexX]

so he gets a free trip to indonesia as part of his "punishment" ? wha?

That's what I was thinking; I've always wanted to walk Kokoda, but I looked it up a while ago and it's fairly expensive. Might have to pinch a flag.

 

[breaking]

on numerous television news shows has explained that he is a changed man.

Bullshit.

 

[_dhj_]

Oh my gawd who cares about the flag burner... either fine him or lock him up for theft and vandalism. This whole attempt at re-education is going too far

 

[HotShot]

Oh my gawd who cares about the flag burner... either fine him or lock him up for theft and vandalism. This whole attempt at re-education is going too far

I thought he was teenager? I thought teenager were meant to vandalise shit - at least some shit. oh well.. just cause he was middle - eastern appearance.

 

[wuddie]

dude, locking him up or making him pay for a fine is only going make him more rebellious. i reckon the kakoda trail idea is great, as long as this trip doesn't come out of the taxpayers' pockets.

 

[YankeeChica]

I think he did it to get his 5 minutes of fame on TV news.

 

[chip]

I thought he was teenager? I thought teenager were meant to vandalise shit - at least some shit. oh well.. just cause he was middle - eastern appearance.

vandalising shit and burning the Australian Flag are two different things completly. No one is meant to burn their countries flag.....

 

[bshoc]

He should be walking back and forth in a cell, not a symbolic section of road walked by people this human of piece of shit would not be good enough as a human dartboard for.

And yet this guy gets a free trip to visit a place that would mean something genuine to tens of thousands of australian youth who actually appreciate the ANZACS and what they did.

This is a bloody disgrace.

 

[bshoc]

I thought he was teenager? I thought teenager were meant to vandalise shit - at least some shit. oh well.. just cause he was middle - eastern appearance.

Only middle eastern teenagers ...

 

[ur_inner_child]

I'd rather this re-education than some punishment, especially considering he's just a teenager.

 

[munchybuddy]

Good that they made him do that instead of Community Service or pay a fine. That way he might learn to respect Australia and the Flag, rather than make him more spiteful towards the country.

Kudoes to the RSL for having this made his punishment rather than the forementioned.

EDIT: I STILL DISAGREE WITH LABELLING HIM AS "A LEBANESE TEENAGER".

Ditto- all the way

 

[tommykins]

I'm sorry, i did re-edit it. But I wanted to put "lebanese" in because that's what made the hype, the fact that he was a foreigner race living in Australia. Was in no way meant to be offensive.