The U.S. Flag Burning By T.S. Khanna, November 30, 2016

Foundation For Better Government,

The U.S. Flag Burning

By T.S. Khanna, November 30, 2016

Should burning or disgracing the US Flag be permitted under the Constitution?  This has been a burning question in the American mind for quite sometime.

Let us first see what the Flag means to America.  The Flag is much more than an assembly of stars and stripes in red, blue, and white colors.  It is a silent but eloquent sound of what America stands for.  It represents one nation under God, indivisible…. It reps Americans as one people dedicated to fulfill the dream of freedom God has placed in every human heart.  It symbolizes the American sense of purpose and the spirit to pursue that purpose.  It is a symbol of hope for the humanity.

The Flag reps the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution-the Bill of Rights.  It reps the echoes of the American struggle since the 1770s that made this country the greatest ever in the human history.  It symbolizes the pride and power of America.

The Flag is a symbol of opportunities that America provides for everyone.  It is an assurance to every American that his/her origin matters little in comparison to the destination he/she chooses and pursues.  For every American, it is a symbol of self-confidence, and, faith and trust in God.

The Flag is a constant reminder to all governments and ideologies that the solution to human problems does not lay in oppression of people but in providing freedom and equal opportunity to individuals for self-expression.

Most of all, the Flag reps the American dream to make a better, safer world where people may freely exercise their God given right to freedom.

Burning or disgracing of the Flag (or National Anthem) means defiance, denial, and opposition to all that the Flag stands for.  It is an open display of hate for America.  It is a contagious pessimism that tends to flicker and hurt the national pride of a vast number of the US citizens.  The protester may relieve his/her tension but adds to a considerable social tension.  Those who burn the Flag or disgrace the National Anthem are American adversaries and should be required to face the consequences.

From myopic viewpoint, the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution in allowing the liberty to burn the Flag or disgrace the National Anthem as a protest.  The Supreme Court has ignored the overall effect of such protest actions. 

Sovereignty of the people is the fundamental principle of democracy.  The issues of Flag burning or disgracing the National Anthem should be decided through the ballot box.  If 67% or more Americans disapprove of the liberty for Flag burning or disgrace of the National Anthem, the Supreme Court interpretation of the Constitution may be reversed.