On May 29, 1777 Betsy Ross was paid a large sum of money by the Pennsylvania State Navy Board to make the first American flag, which was officially approved on June 14, 1777. They had her make the flag to represent the new Union of the thirteen original states. The flag had stars arranged in a circle, representing that all colonies were equal. The American flag Is a symbol of freedom and justice that has been around for over 225 years. Even through wars and times of peace and harmony, the American flag has given assurance to all American citizens. The white shown on the flag represents purity and innocence. The blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice, and the red represents hardiness and valor. This flag represents all of the people who have died while fighting for the freedom of the United States. Although most people respect and love America there are some people who don't understand the true value of America’s freedom that our democracy has provided.
Activist Gregory Lee Johnson was the first man to burn the American flag during a protest outside of the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas in 1984. At the time Johnson was burning the flag in a disrespectful manner. In the Case Texas versus Gregory Lee Johnson, Johnson was fined $2,000 and sentenced to one year in jail according to Texas’s laws at the time. As of June 21, 1989 the deeply divided United States Supreme Court justified the right of the protesters to burn the American flag as an expression of the first amendment.
Burning the American flag, in my opinion, should be illegal in the United States. Instead of retiring the flag respectfully it has been exploited by those who have chosen to disrespect it. The American flag has a specific meaning that is not subject to opinion. Its purpose is to represent the freedoms of all Americans, taking that out of context and reading our own personal beliefs into the real meaning in order to protest something that is not reasonable or respectful. I believe the Flag of our freedom should not be protested, but respected by all people.
Do you think it should be illegal to burn the American flag and if so what should the punishment be?
Replies
I agree that fines should be in place.
I think that burning the flag should be illegeal. The flag represent the freedom that our country has earned over the decades. Burning the American Flag is a sign as disrespect to the country and the people that have faught and earned the flag for the country. A punishment should be a big fine that people should have to pay if they burn the flag.
I agree and with jail time and fines there will probaly be less people likely to do it.
I think that burning the flag should be illegal. The flag represents the freedom that you are given living in the U.S. making Burning the flag legal is showing that it is ok to disrespect the people that built this country and have given us freedom. I think the punishment should be a big fine or even jail time.
I agree because if a big fine or jail time was set it will become less likely for people to do it again.
I personally think that it is very disrespectful to burn the flag. Nobody should be burning the flag just for fun. Overtime, flags get ware and tared. When that happens they throw it away. Some people burn their trash. If that is the situation, then I think its okay. Other than that there really isn't a reson to burn the flag. It should be illegal if people do it with no reson.
I agree, most people today just do it for fun its just like spitting in all of the vetrans faces.
I agree. I think that burning the American Flag should be illegal in all states. All people should know that it is disrespectful and unlawful to burn something that symbolizes the freedoms that men and women worked hard for. I think that the punishment for burning a flag should be 6 months in prison. The person that commits this crime will be taught the history behind the flag so he or she will not commit the same crime again.
I agree that if we punish people now it will become less likely more people will do it in the future.
I don't think that burning the American flag should be illegal, but I do think that it would be ok to make it illegal with a punishment of a small fine. I believe this because even though it is highly disrespectful to the people who have fought and died for our country and freedom, the Bill of Rights protects our right to peacefully protest. Burning the American flag would technically fall under peacefully protesting, not to mention there are no victims and it endangers nobody. I do also believe that a small fine for burning the flag would be alright because it would affect almost nobody.
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
-
8
of 12 Next