The constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration failed in the Senate when it was one vote short of the support it needed in order to be sent to the states for ratification today. Opponents of the amendment argued that such a ban would violate the First Amendment right to free speech.
The Senate also rejected a proposal put forth by Dick Durbin, an assistant Democratic leader from Illinois. That proposal would have made it illegal for people to damage the U.S. flag on federal land or with the intent of breaching the peace or intimidation. It also would have prohibited unapproved demonstrations at military funerals.
My question is this --
Where is the line to be drawn?
Is there a compromise -- between defending the constitutional right of protesters to use the flag in nonviolent speech -- and keeping those same protestors from desecrating the flag that so many of our men and women have fought and died under?
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2 comments:
sadly i don't know if there is a compromise... freedom of speech protects the hate mongers... but it is so sad to see people disrespectful of the flag whose freedoms they take for granted.
I think that it is bad for people to spit on the flag and stand on it and burn it but I also try to understand that those people have rights. I don't agree with their actions. I think they should be banned from it.
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