An Explanation of Why Flag Burning Shouldn't be Illegal; from Someone, Who Hates Seeing It

Let’s start this by saying one thing. People shouldn’t burn flags. It’s wrong, offensive and disrespectful. In that same logic, people shouldn’t label each other, or call millennials snowflakes. By now, everyone has seen the video of the Fed-Ex guy taking the burning flag off of the protestors. He has become a celebrity and a hero to many patriots across the nation. With all the hysteria and protests going on, people are calling for the passing of a law to make it illegal to burn the flag in protest. This movement has gained so much support, citing disrespect for the military and the nation as their main reasons. I have one thing to say to those people in support of this movement. Think before you talk, you don’t know what you are saying. Calling for a ban on flag burning represents a fundamental lack of understanding for the values of democracy and the United States Constitution.

America is a country based on freedom, and everyone can agree with that. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights lists, in plain English, what those rights are. One of which is the freedom of speech, which includes written, verbal, and symbolic forms. Guess what? Flag burning is a part of that. Differing and unpopular opinions are what creates the strength of democracy. Look back into our history, and you will see that the popular opinion was not always the correct one, slavery would be the best example. Now this issue seems a little more black and white, then some other debated issues, where people may differ. Obviously, flag burning is wrong and anyone can agree it should be stopped, right? Wrong, the right to burn the flag is essential to our freedom. In a country that promotes the right to free speech, there will sometimes be opinions that are completely appalling, which are vitally essential to the life of a democracy. We need to hear those opinions. We need to see these acts, because it affirms our beliefs and unites people against it. Perhaps, it makes us think about what the flag stands for and what the values of the Constitution are.

It is understandable that some would get offended by this. People may know people, who have passed in a war, or may just feel strongly about the military. I hate flag burning as much as anyone. My grandfather engrained the belief that the flag was a great thing that stood for something more than just people, but it is important to look past emotion and see the truth. The flag is just a symbol made of polyester and cotton. The object itself is not important, what it represents is. The flag represents the values that our country is founded on and what we should be trying to live every day. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press and assembly, are all things we hold dear. The flag is a symbol of those things, and it would be contradictory to ban the use of that flag in expression of those rights. To ban flag burning would go against everything it stands for and completely delegitimize our values. So we have a choice to make: do we allow for the destruction of our beliefs or the destruction of a piece of cloth.