Should flag desecration be illegal?

Depends what you consider desecration, what about stars and stripes swimsuits, confederate flag guitars etc?

...it's as much an expression of freedom of speech as anything...besides, it's just a piece of cloth; patriotism is in the heart, not on a piece of cloth...

hell yes i posted no because i thought it said should it be legal my bad

Of course not. And it isn't. Free expression is American.

Oh, no - time for the loser Republicans to pull this old, old bullsh*t out of the fascist bag of tricks - make 'em vote against protecting the flag! Yeah, that'll get the yahoos riled up!

Another sign of republican desperation. Appeal to ignorance and psuedo-patriotism.

If you feel it necessary to desecrate the flag, please take it to the Country of your choice (somewhere other than the US), burn it there and request citizenship.

yes, unless your are getting rid of a old flag properly

Just no.

No, even if I think it's a crass thing it may be necessary to make your point or reinforce it. Afterall we did the same thing to the Britts in the Revolutionary War. It's also a victimless crime if the flag is theirs. If they stole it thats another issue.

As much as it saddens me (as a vet) to see someone do harm to the US flag it terrifies more to think that such displays of "free speech" maybe halted. The 1st amendment is not there to protect what we admire but what we detest.... Besides its kind of funny when the plastic material in teh fabric of most commercial flags flares up and catches teh idiots hair on fire too. (oh that was sooo wrong of me to say)

Freedom of Speech. There was a Supreme Court case regarding this, actually. Texas v. Johnson.

Source: http://www.oyez.org/cases/198...

Freedom of speech.

That would be contrary to the first amendment freedom of speech. Far better to burn a flag than say kill a doctor just because he performs abortions.

I am 100% against flag burning, but if that person is not hurting anyone, I find no reason to make it illegal.

It's a protected right so it would be stripping yet another right from Americans.

It is a very visible display of treason. What else do you need?

I am more afraid of people who burn the constitution than any flag.

Treason is by law in America almost impossible to convict. The founders made it that way on purpose.

despite what the person's cause is for burning a flag, to make it illegal would be an infringement of the first amendment. What seems worse? taking away The Constitutional rights of people expressing themselves or letting them burn flags? Flags are made in abundance and can always be reproduced. The Constitution can't be reproduced and the flag means nothing without The Constitution.

I thought it was.

This Flag is to honor and Bled and Died so we can be Free
Do not dishonor the memories of those who Died including our founding fathers who wanted this country to be as a Beacon of Freedom
if you wish to protest and exercise your Right to free speech
there is more productive way than Burning the American Flag

if your upset at a Corporation Burn the Flag of that Corporation

So do you feel like you should be in some kind of trouble for the flag in your picture?

Great Star Flag" which was flown at the U.S. Capitol Building in 1818

Oh... I had no idea. I've only seen the one that is everywhere now. And this one.

Both Flags are beautiful

People who burn the flag need mental help, not jail.

where did i say they should go to jail?

Nowhere. Sorry. I guess when you said that it should be illegal, I thought that you wanted them to be in jail. I am sorry for the misunderstanding.

May Gaea smile upon you Blessed be

Thank you. God bless.

flags should be made of asbestos

Because then who decides what "desecration" is? I've seen people write poems to their loved ones that they lost in a war in the red & white stripes of the flag. Should that be illegal? I live in indian country where people put their fallen chiefs on the front of their flags so it looks like a background. Should that be illegal? Whenever I have one, I always hang my flag on my front porch upside down because I have lost fatih in the government. Should that be illegal? I don't think so. I live in America, & in America we have the right to speak freely. It is not "The right to say whatever you want so long as it doesn't offend anybody." and people who are voting yes to this question are ultimately voting to change that right!

This flag represents the men and women that have fought for our freedom and all the hardships this country has gone through while growing. It's beyond disrespectful in my eyes to do anything other than fly the flag as it should be done. When you disrespect the flag you are also disrespecting everyone that has fought for that flag.

Absolutely

Very tough call. I suppose it comes down do whether or not it is better to protect a person's right to express their views or to protect American dignity and pride. Each person must have inalienable rights, or no one can. That being said, you have to protect a person's right to speak first, but you can charge them with public disturbance later. The famous French Writer Voltaire once said "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

Thank you sir. I also had a tough time deciding.

Men (and women) fought and died for their country and the right to fly the flag of whatever country that may be. it is a mark of total disrepect to those who made that sacrifice to defile or desecrate that flag -in any way.

to my knowledge, it is and always has been.

individual should be considered a traitor to our country....,,
and most countries have specific ways to deal with traitors..

If you own the flag you are desecrating, it's your right. But, just because you have the right to do something doesn't make it a good idea.