When I was reading my AP U.S. Government Blog the other day, I came upon an article that struck me as interesting. It was on the topic of Constitutional Amendments, and was a NY Times article focusing on a 2006 Senate vote on flag burning. It aimed to make illegal the burning or desecration of the American flag. The motion had already passed in the House multiple times, and needed a two/thirds vote to pass into the next stage of amending the constitution, ratification by state legislatures. The motion failed to pass by one vote.
As I was reading this article, I could only think about my point of view, my ideas about this topic. To make illegal the burning of the flag is to take away a basic right, the freedom of speech. Do I believe that burning the flag is right? No, I don't, and I would never do anything myself to desecrate the everlasting symbol of our country. Unfortunately, all people don't feel the way I do. And that is their right.
The first amendment of the Bill of Rights gives people a right to free speech, and flag-burning is a symbol of this freedom. It is a physical representation of protest against the government, and making any form of governmental protest illegal immediately sends our country down a path towards oppression and dictatorship. It is a small step, true, but a step in that direction nonetheless.
Would I burn a flag? No, I wouldn't. Do I have an inherent dislike of people who do. Yes, I do. Despite my distaste for such blatant anti-patriotism (personally I feel they should get out of our country if they feel that way), that doesn't change the fact that in this country, you have a right to feel the way you feel, and to express that feeling. When we take that right away, the truly "free" United States will cease to exist. Thanks for reading.
-Mike Olson
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