Last week, the House of Representatives approved a Constitutional amendment giving itself the right to ban flag burning. This is the latest of a string of attempts to change the Constitution after the Supreme Court decided in 1989 that flag burning was protected expression, but this is the first time that it may actually pass the Senate as well. The thought that this may eventually become part of the Constitution appalls me.
The proposed amendment broadly allows for banning “desecration” of the flag. What exactly is desecration, though? It is the act of removing the sacredness from an object held in high regard. While the bill’s sponsors want to prevent this violation, I can think of no greater desecration to the flag than this proposed amendment.
A flag is a piece of cloth, plain and simple. It only takes on meaning when it is regarded as a symbol of our country and what we value. One of our most cherished rights is that which allows us to speak our mind and criticize our government. What makes us American is our respect for the freedom of expression of others, even if we dislike what they are saying or doing. It was for this right that the Revolutionary War was fought, it was this right that was enshrined in our Constitution as the first article of the Bill of Rights, and it is this right that the flag is a symbol of. Those who burn flags do so because they want to show that they disagree with what the country is doing in their name. They are exercising their right to express their discontent.
This is not to say that I approve of flag-burning. I have never been touched or angered by seeing someone burn a flag, whether the person is an American or a foreigner, because I think it is a poor way to express your point. By burning flags, these people show either that they do not have the mental capacity to make their case and defend it, or that their opinion is so unfounded that they can not defend it. Making that point, however, it is still a liberty afforded to all Americans. By taking away this right, we are starting to dismantle that which the flag stands for. The revered part of the flag is the liberty it represents, and by removing that liberty we are desecrating the flag in a way that should anger every American.
For over two centuries now, our country has been making significant progress toward protecting the rights of its citizens. There have been missteps along the way, but we have been making progress all along, realizing our mistakes and growing as a nation. Now we seem to be falling backwards. Two Constitutional amendments have been at the fore of public discussion of late: this one, and one banning gay marriage. Both would be inappropriate limits on the freedoms of others, and coincide with intrusions on personal privacy in the name of security. We are becoming a nation that is accustomed to limiting or taking away the rights of others, and this is a dangerous path to tread.
