Kenzie Mason Hooks English 9 26 January 2017 Star Spangled Banter When the American flag is distressed and unfit for formal display, it is appropriate to dispose of it in a manner of stateliness as said in the United States Flag Code. The most frequent and fitting method to doing away with the flag is burning it. This simple statement is very broad and is easily misinterpreted. The first amendment of the United States Constitution protects this traditional way of expressing respect to the Star Spangled Banner. Several citizens of the United States believe that desecration of the flag is qualified as a form of breach of peace. Many americans believe that burning the American flag is constitutionally proofed by the first amendment and is …show more content…
New York case, the Supreme Court decided that New York and any other state were not justified to charge someone for speaking negatively about the flag. In addition, in a precedent case in 1969, the Supreme Court of Brandenburg v. Ohio ruled that even though Brandenburg was a member of the Klu Klux Klan, he was able to present a speech at a rally. Granted, the first amendments forbids speech it is primarily spoken to encourage or commence any type of crime. In like manner, in Texas v. Johnson, though burning the flag was impressed as disrespectful to some people, no laws or amendments were corrupted. In 1943, a precedent court case Brown v. Board of Education allowed students to not salute the flag. Many people believe that if the argument is that desecration of the flag is ruining a national symbol, not saluting the flag is of the same disrespect. Precedent court cases have all stayed on the same line of judgement to say that it is constitutional for desecration of the flag to fall under symbolic …show more content…
This topic is of great importance because, as the United State, we are fighting an unsolvable issue of misinterpretation. There is no correct answer to this, but rather highly supported opinions. As Texas v. Johnson and precedent court cases show, decisions made on this subject are never going to please everyone. If desecration of the American flag were to become an illegal act, a great amount of citizens believe that an abundance of people would begin to act out in anger, and in violation of their constitutional rights. Therefore, many americans believe and support the right that is proofed in Supreme Court cases and in the Constitution’s first amendment, to desecrate the American
Should someone be locked up for burning the American Flag? Yes, because the American represents unity and freedom between all 50 states. Most of the U.S. may have become emotional, because of what happened to the flag. Desecrating an American Flag was a criminal offense in Texas, as it was under federal law and in 48 of the 50 states. Johnson was arrested and charged with violating the flag.
Summary of the case In 1989 Congress passed the Flag Protection Act, which made it clear that any individual who “knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or the ground, or tramples upon” an American Flag can be prosecuted (get a fine or risk jail for year). The Act was passed after Supreme Court had made a law, which said that all flag destruction was forbidden. The law violated the 1st Amendment about free expression. Congress found a solution by passing the Flag Protection Act.
The colors red, white, and blue all have a great significance in America; hence it represents Old Glory and symbolize the liberties of the nation. All, in which, with blood, tears, and sweat were fought for. However, when it comes to burning the flag, is it considered a sign of disrespect and hatred towards all the sedulous founding fathers that brought upon this nation? “Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and right to petition” are all part to the First Amendment to the part of the United States Constitution and the United States Bill of Rights. Therefore, when mentioning the burning of the American flag, the action is fully supported under freedom of speech and expression.
Some people think the Confederate Flag is racist. Many people believe that the flag stands for an ugly time in our history because the flag was made during a time where people owned slaves and how the black people were unfairly treated. Many years have been passed on but till this day there are many emotions spreading just like wild fire. Another piece of evidence is that even in the year 2015, by displaying the flag everyone knows it means hostility, which means someone may not be showing an act of kindness which in this case it may offend many people due to its background history. So if the flag were to be displayed many people can take it to offense and may not show any respect of what this flag has done and is.
American flags should not be destroyed for absolutely anything! A protest or just a dislike towards the flag does not give someone the right to harm a flag in any way, shape or form. This shows that you do not respect the flag, the soldiers that fought for it or this country. As the author of The American Flag Stands for Tolerance states, the flag is a symbol for this country, it is an icon. The American flag stands for all of the people that fought in the wars and battles to protect us.
A public flag burning in protest of a recently enacted law is protected by the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause. The desecration of flag burning is idiomatic to the 21st century. Flag burning became an issue in the U.S. after the Civil War and since that time has had a drastic history. "Congress passed the Federal Flag Desecration Law in 1968" (Head, 2017). The law banned all exhibition of abhorrence against the flag.
As I recited the pledge of allegiance every day in school, I never really took into consideration what the United States stands for to me. I never acknowledged how much the flag means to our country. The United States flag is a symbol of freedom to all who live here. It shows how we are free to do what we please.
I understand the whole military thing and about respect, but honestly would you want to represent a flag that represents a country who don’t respect African Americans and people of color? Or would want to represent a country who is ok with cops beating on people because of a pigment of skin? People want to separate everyone by calling them Blacks or Whites or whatever, but there is only one race and that is the human race and we are all apart of it. According to the 1st Amendment, it states “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech.” What this means is that really no one can really care about what you do because it is your belief and they have to respect that, that is your right that you have.
Plus, in 1969, they made it a law that makes burning an american flag illegal and will not be tolerated. They could go to jail for burning the American flag, but they still do it and they still go unpunished. Why would we ever burn our flag? What did it do, It's not threatening your family, It's just waving around in the wind helplessly.
In addition – what would count as a flag? Would my textbook, with a flag on page 702, have to be ceremonially buried in order to be destroyed? Would I not be able to throw away my old t-shirt with the flag on it? Would a burning building with a flag in every room make the owner liable for the loss to his country? If I had an image of the flag on my computer, would I have to leave it there permanently, or if I cleared off my hard drive would I be prosecuted?
It is for those ideas that we stand for the flag and it's accompanied anthem. Not only should you stand for respect for your
The flag represents freedom and justice and those who are being oppressed feel as though these certain rights are being taken away and that is why it is okay for someone to kneel during the National Anthem. While many people believe that kneeling during the National Anthem is wrong and is disrespectful to the country’s ideals, what many Americans do not realize is that if they look past their beliefs and try
Different groups in the past have burned the American flag in their protests to show how they feel. An example would be the black lives matter protests that took place in Ferguson Missouri and the Baltimore riots. These groups were voicing their opinions but it’s not ok to burn the American flag. Some protesters have even done it right in front of the
The law states that is freedom of speech to burn our American Flag, but how is stomping and burning the symbol of this nation where our freedom of speech should be. Most do it out of anger toward our country, but why do they have to take such drastic measures to show their anger. Wattad stated” grant the flag special respect.” ( 1, 2008) It's not saying take away freedom of speech just grant something that represents what our soldiers are fighting for special respect.
If Donald Trump had his way “People who burn the flag should have their citizenship revoked or spend a year in jail.” The flag of the United States of America represents freedom. Burning the flag is a sign of disrespect to the country and to the people who served and died trying to protect it. Just because people have a right of free speech don't not mean they have the right to burn the United States Flag.