Is showing the Burning of the Constitution Sacrilege in a Commercial?

[Lord Xar]

I am in the midst of creating a TV Commercial. I need some feedback on the following.

The beginning of the clips has the following.. (its a liberty ad btw)

Opening scene opens with the Constitution Burning, and the American Seal (see freedom to fascism scene....)

Over that something like this for a voice-over:
"Our constitution is being assailed from all sides by the very politicians sworn to uphold it...." and then a text overlay.. like "Save our Constitution" etc..

Anyways.

DO you think this is Sacriledge or a powerful message?

this is used to denote it is being attacked... and it must be restored:
http://www.mmashirts.com/burning.jpg

Please keep in mind that the alternative would to add "patriotic themes in the opening scenes... washington, signers of delcaration etc.." etc.. with talking about the constution being assailed...

the idea is..
1. you tie a negative voice over with a negative image
2. you tie a negative voice over with the 'how we need to remember.." positive image.

My idea is that we see starving african babies on tv, bodies of dead children or soldiers to oppose the war... etc.. so emotion is powerful... BUT, the idea of a burning constitution could turn people off as sacriledge....

SO that is the poll.

[richard1984]

I think that if the politicians can ignore it, then you can symbolically burn it to make a point in support of the Constitution.

[libertythor]

Not if it is presented in the right context. Sounbite 1: The Patriot Act (match lights) Soundbite 2: The undeclared war in Iraq (Constitution lit) etc

If done with care, there won't be any problems.

[jblosser]

People barely even recognize it, I doubt they'll care. Don't burn a flag, though.

Maybe the ad could end with it being visibly restored somehow?

[libertythor]

Yes. The ad has to end on a positive note. Start neutral; show the negative; and end with the positive.

[Lord Xar]

the flow is this..

burning constitution
beuatiful shot of the statue of liberty
ron paul
intact flag and constitution..

so.. in effect..

neg
pos
pos
pos

[born2drv]

i don't think so... if the purpose of the commercial is to show you're trying to save the constitution and not destroy it.

[V-rod]

Many Americans do NOT believe that the constitution is eroding.
Would be good to give an example or two of current erosions in the constitution and how our America could be unrecognizable in two or three generations.

[richard1984]

Many Americans do NOT believe that the constitution is eroding.
Would be good to give an example or two of current erosions in the constitution and how our America could be unrecognizable in two or three generations.

Of course, those same Americans probably don't know anything about the Constitution.... :(

[Lord Xar]

Many Americans do NOT believe that the constitution is eroding.
Would be good to give an example or two of current erosions in the constitution and how our America could be unrecognizable in two or three generations.

good point

[theseus51]

There was once a commercial I saw, and it showed the constitution. Then they showed things like "patriot act" and they crossed off the 4th amendment and 1st amendment, then they showed some presidential exec order, and crossed off something else. I think you can show "pre-emptive war" and cross off the part about congress declaring war. Like just show a hand, with a big black marker.

[ronpaulhawaii]

50-50.

Wow, great thinking.

Could this be an RP ad with-out RP? Just a wake up call with no declared agenda?

Working in my pub at the moment (had to get out), distracted and there is alot in what you propose.

Careful thought will make either way good. Passion is magnetic.

much aloha

m

[LibertyEagle]

There was once a commercial I saw, and it showed the constitution. Then they showed things like "patriot act" and they crossed off the 4th amendment and 1st amendment, then they showed some presidential exec order, and crossed off something else. I think you can show "pre-emptive war" and cross off the part about congress declaring war. Like just show a hand, with a big black marker.

Olbermann had a segment much like that.

[LibertyEagle]

Many Americans do NOT believe that the constitution is eroding.
Would be good to give an example or two of current erosions in the constitution and how our America could be unrecognizable in two or three generations.

It's almost like we need a series of ads that highlight a few of the things passed such as the Patriot Act and Military Commissions Act and what they do and what parts of the Constitution they attempt to nullify. You know... much like what the FreedomWorks people are doing, but instead of propaganda, these would be factual.

[Mordechai Vanunu]

I voted no. In a time where the constitution is being metaphorically shredded, that imagery would be perfectly appropriate.

[theseus51]

Olbermann had a segment much like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3AuPf3uXaI

Yeah. It wasn't the one I was thinking of, but it's similar.

[wgadget]

Sounds like a great idea, as usual, Lord Xar.

Just hope some other candidate doesn't try to latch onto it.

[BillyDkid]

I have to add, you are not burning the Constitution. Your are burning a replica of it. and the Constitution itself is not sacred, per se', it is the ideas embodied by it that are sacred. I do believe great sacrilege has been done to the Constitution by the George Bush administration. In burning the Constitution as in a commercial you are helping to save it.

[Proemio]

I have to add, you are not burning the Constitution. Your are burning a replica of it. and the Constitution itself is not sacred, per se', it is the ideas embodied by it that are sacred. I do believe great sacrilege has been done to the Constitution by the George Bush administration. In burning the Constitution as in a commercial you are helping to save it.

Could not say it better.

I'd add: Never be timid with the truth.

[MsDoodahs]

"If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag....wash it."

I haven't had any coffee yet, so maybe burning the Constitution in the ad wouldn't get as bad a reaction as I first thought...

My initial thought was 'yikes, bad idea bad idea'

[Mr. White]

Hey Xar, I can't see the commercial, but my advice is to put something behind the burnt Constiution that the viwer will associate with it. Ie. Constiution burns away to be replaced with the words 'Patriot Act'. If you don't associate it with something RP opposes in an equally as visceral nature, you'll lose the effect.

[quickmike]

I say do it. The idea of the burning constitution in the commercial is to show that the government ignores it. If a big stink is made over this, that can only mean more exposure, which is a good thing.

Do it and dont worry about it.

[Bryan]

Many Americans do NOT believe that the constitution is eroding.
I agree with this because they still see that we have three branches of government, elections, and things just seem to be running normally. I try to avoid saying things like "the constitution is gone". What is really eroding is the Bill of Rights- that is something you can give examples of. (Habeas corpus being the exception being the only right granted in the Constitution).

[speciallyblend]

why not have a hospital scene... right and in panic mode paramedics are coming in the hospital with the constitution on a strecther, and ron paul is like whats the status, its dying, and show all these stamps on it like the patriot act, habeus corpus, gun control, and hav ron paul get the heart beepers things, and try to revive him, and at the end it fades to black, BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP......
you can save the constituion vote ron paul 2008 .com

This has to be a commercial,i like the idea as well

[ronpaulyourmom]

I don't know if its just me but I never really cared about the constitution being assailed. It must be the anarchist in me...

I really think that most people, especially ones on the left, need to be approached purely on the foundation of issues and ideas.

[PennCustom4RP]

ttt

[slantedview]

It's definately a powerful message, and is NOT the same as, say, burning the flag.

I say go for it!

[CodeMonkey]

Maybe show it burning as the voice over talks about the problems in the country then when you start talking about Ron Paul and his ideas, the burning reverses until the Constitution is whole again. That way we see that previous politicians have been destroying it, but RP will restore it. Or do the same thing but instead of flames it could be blowing away in little pieces by the wind, like it is being 'eroded.'

[Lord Xar]

no, its a "still" of the constitution........ONLY the flame is animated..

[PennCustom4RP]

ttt

[AdamT]

Burning the Constitution: I think Americans need to see this image. Might make them think for once.

[libertarian4321]

I am in the midst of creating a TV Commercial. I need some feedback on the following.

The beginning of the clips has the following.. (its a liberty ad btw)

Opening scene opens with the Constitution Burning, and the American Seal (see freedom to fascism scene....)

Over that something like this for a voice-over:
"Our constitution is being assailed from all sides by the very politicians sworn to uphold it...." and then a text overlay.. like "Save our Constitution" etc..

Anyways.

DO you think this is Sacriledge or a powerful message?

this is used to denote it is being attacked... and it must be restored:
http://www.mmashirts.com/burning.jpg

Please keep in mind that the alternative would to add "patriotic themes in the opening scenes... washington, signers of delcaration etc.." etc.. with talking about the constution being assailed...

the idea is..
1. you tie a negative voice over with a negative image
2. you tie a negative voice over with the 'how we need to remember.." positive image.

My idea is that we see starving african babies on tv, bodies of dead children or soldiers to oppose the war... etc.. so emotion is powerful... BUT, the idea of a burning constitution could turn people off as sacriledge....

SO that is the poll.

I don't see it as a problem.

Congress and the President crap all over the Constitution every day, and no one says a thing...