BURNING or otherwise defaming the American Flag is NOT an act of “free speech”. There is NOTHING about “free expression” in the Constitution. The Flag does NOT represent the government of America, it represents the PEOPLE of America. In the 1989 Court Decision, Justice Rehnquist DISSENTED from the majority opinion. He was an OUTSTANDING conservative jurist. ANOTHER justice, I think it was Stevens, a LIBERAL, ALSO dissented.
And I would most certainly strongly dissent anyone stupid enough to try and disgrace our flag in my presence.
This has got to stop. Respect starts at home and this idiocy has gone quite far enough.
NO freedom is absolute - as the libs are so often eager to point out.
Trump is RIGHT.
Overreaction
The two judges were in the minority no matter what you think of them.
Free expression os freedom of speech. Speech is expression. It includes writing, demonstrating, wearing slogans, and burning flags because it includes POLITICAL PROTEST> Critiquing the government is the foundational point of free speech in the first amendment.
There is and should not be a law rating RESPECT> Yes we should;d all respect the flag, but people have the right to be disrespectful if they have the right to protest politics.
There is no reason except for some idea in your head why this “has got to stop.”
No one is arguing that the freedom is absolute. If you burn down a building using a burning flag that would be actionable by the criminal justice system. You are exaggerating.
Trump needs to show some understanding of the constitution on this matter and not just throw raw meat to the masses..
I agree.
“There is NOTHING about “free expression” in the Constitution.”
Gee whiz, there is nothing about the internet in the Constitution either, I guess the government can shut down any website they don’t like. Right?
I cannot agree.
If the government can tell you that you cannot burn a flag (or desecrate it in other ways), then they can tell you cannot read a book or you cannot say something “hateful”, or that you have to bake a cake with a motif that goes against your religion, etc.
Be careful what you ask for.
You cannot piecemeal 1A. That is how we have gotten the infringements to our 1A rights we have gotten so far and it is how there will be more in the future.