Pro Flag Desecration Essays - Civil Disobedience, Flag Desecration

Flags are potent and provocative symbols and their desecration, through burning or destroying in other ways, can cause controversy and offense. Both the act of flag desecration and the legal implications of that act have been variously defined by governments around the world. In the United States, burning a flag as a way of registering protest against the government's actions or policies is legal, although it remains a polarizing issue. Proponents of free speech argue that burning the flag in public should be protected under the First Amendment as an exercise of an individual's civil liberties. Although free speech advocates recognize the potency of the flag's symbolism, they accept flag burning as an acceptable means to express dissatisfaction with government policies or actions, and to call attention to them. In essence, their view is that when the nation's ideals are desecrated through inept policies or unjust actions, desecrating the flag is an equivalent form of protest. Over the years, there have been numerous efforts to ban the burning of the American flag and other forms of desecration. Those who support a ban of flag desecration note that flag burning demonstrates a troubling decline in respect for the ideals and history that the flag represents. Further, this group states that it is offensive to members of the armed forces who risk and sometimes sacrifice their lives for those ideals. Therefore, opponents argue, it is not free expression that needs to be protected, but the ideals that the flag represents. Understanding the Discussion Civil Liberties: Freedoms which protect citizens from government interference. Civil liberties include the freedoms of speech, expression, and the press. Desecration: The violation of something considered sacred or hallowed. First Amendment: The First Amendment to the US Constitution reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." The First Amendment has been used as the legal framework for cases involving flag burning in the US. Symbol: A sign that represents an idea or concept. The US flag is a symbol, which represents different concepts for different people. For example, some may view the flag as a symbol of freedom, while others may see it as a symbol of oppression. History