People took to social media to voice their concerns. Martinez said he tore down the flag that had been hanging from the United Church of Christ in Ames and burned it because he opposes homosexuality.”Īs already stated, Martinez clearly committed a crime when he stole the rainbow flag from the Ames United Church of Christ and set fire to it outside the Dangerous Curves Gentleman’s Club, but the sentencing of 15 years has sparked a broader debate on whether or not the government overreached, especially in light of the fact that burning the American flag is now considered protected speech. “The sentences are to be served consecutively, Story County court records show,” continued the Associated Press. In fact, the burning of an American flag may even be quite lucrative, as in the case of Revolutionary Communist.
While burning a gay pride flag is a hate crime, burning an American flag is free speech.
For the hate crime of burning an LGBT rainbow pride flag, Martinez received a full 15 years. Individuals across America are being charged and convicted with hate crimes for burning the rainbow flag, which represents gay pride.
For the crime of harassment, he received just 30 days. “A man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for burning an LGBTQ flag that was flying at a church in central Iowa,” reports the Associated Press.įor the crime of reckless use of explosives or fire, 30-year-old Adolfo Martinez received one year in prison. Anybody who steals someone else’s private property and then burns it to smoldering ash deserves some kind of punishment under the law, but do they deserve a full 16 years in prison if this act of vandalism is charged as a “hate crime?” One Iowa man now finds himself at the center of that controversial question.