Flag Desecration.....should it be outlawed?

[Tango]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Where in there does it say burning a flag is speech?

Going out chanting and carrying around signs is speech, but I wouldn't consider burning the flag.

Of course one way to settle it is to make it illegal to start a fire in the city limits.

[Shuckins]

Classify it as hate speech...deliberately designed to provoke the patriotic demographic groups and incite them to violent reactions.  We've been traveling down THAT slippery slope for some time now.

[Maverick]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Where in there does it say burning a flag is speech?

Going out chanting and carrying around signs is speech, but I wouldn't consider burning the flag.

Of course one way to settle it is to make it illegal to start a fire in the city limits.

Yup and I bet when you get arrested for your weekend BBQ you'll be totally understanding about it.

[AWMac]

I get to exercise my means of free speech also right?  What goes around, comes around.

Get off yer arse America.  Take yer Country back!

Mac

[john9001]

some people look for hard solutions, i look for easy solutions.

a new law, "all US flags shall be made of Nomex."

[lazs2]

I still have never seen how the physical act of burning a flag is protected under free speech.

That would mean that burning an effigy of a negro who was lynched would be protected to right?  the "N... ooooooooowwwweee" word.. 

I agree that some acts and speech can be considered to be causing a riot.. I also don't think that any modern city, and face it, flag burners are city folk, no modern city allows you to set fire to anything in public.

I think that most of the flag burners can think of lots of free speech bans that they are comfortable with.. and mostly.. just words.

The hypocracy is the real deal.

lazs

[Yeager]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Where in there does it say burning a flag is speech?

It has been determined by finding of fact that the national flag is among other things,a political expression, therefore destroying that flag is considered an act of political speech.

I support having the right to burn the flag.

[Chairboy]

So Lazs, before you need to go get that chip surgically removed from your shoulder, would you clarify something?  It sounds as if you're in favor of outlawing this as a 'tit for tat' because the law prevents something you like.  This sounds as if you're less interested in the Constitution than you are in spiting someone.  A true patriot would support the right to burn the flag while working to change the injustice they saw instead of trying to drag everyone down with them.

What are your priorities?

[Shuffler]

The low life from that church are nothing but terrorist operating under the giuse of religion. Anyone who desecrates the Flag should be locked up or shot period. Anyone who condones burning the Flag should leave the country. There are just some things you do not do.

[Chairboy]

Shuffler: Any other parts of the Constitution you think should be thrown out?

[Shuffler]

Burning the Flag is NOT protected by the constitution.

[Yeager]

Burning the Flag is NOT protected by the constitution.

No, but freedom of speech is.  Burning the flag in protest of the government, within the context of peaceful dissent, must be protected as free speech or our free country drops another notch into a great has been of a nation.

[Shuffler]

No, but freedom of speech is.  Burning the flag in protest of the government, within the context of peaceful dissent, must be protected as free speech or our free country drops another notch into a great has been of a nation.

You have to draw the line. Burning the Flag in no way protests the government. The Flag is a symbol of the United States..... to desecrate it means you are against all freedoms and unity that the United States stands for.
In fact it makes the culprit a traitor to the US.

[midnight Target]

Defining what is "speech" kinda defeats the purpose behind making it free doesn't it?

[Rolex]

Somewhere in the world, a group of Muslims might be talking about this thread, saying things like:

"Only extremists would advocate violence and death to someone desecrating a piece of colored cloth."

"Yeah! They shouldn't be so sensitive about symbols."

"Hey, we should all get together and flush their flags down toilets just to teach them a lesson! Damn baseballcapheads!"

"Har har!"

"Yeah! I support the Dutch burning US flags just to get a rise outta them!"

If burning a flag is a defense for violence, does it matter who or what that flag represents? Are state flags burnable? How about city flags?