This topic has caused me great internal debat. On one hand, one of the things that makes America great is her ability to absorb insults like flag burning. This is the one and only country that allows for political freedom of speech. If we start to outlaw facets of the freedom of speech, we will soon loose them all. (Jeez, aren't we under seige enough already?)
On the other hand, as a vet, the son of a vet and the grandson of a vet, I can't help but feel a great insult when I see a bunch of mutants burning the flag. Emotionally, I see it as an insult to me, my father, uncles and all the others who stood up to be counted.
If the burning of a flag is a TRUE political statemnent, then the right must be protected.
Yet, I believe that those who burn the flag do not have the mental capacity to formulate an intelligent political aurguments, so they resort to theatrics. The burning of the flag is meant as an insult and to cause mental and emotional hurt to the citizens of this nation. Thereby, the act of flag burning becomes a hate crime. Therefore I reserve the right to make a political/ethical statement of my own and punch them square in the mouth. (done it once, and may have to do it again.)
Joe
Tucson, Arizona Territory