OK, I'm like the 45,365 blogger to link to Mark Steyn's column on flag-burning, but it is both well written and I agree with it. There are certain popular ideas that float around and no matter how discredited somehow keep coming back - bell bottoms, mercantilism, and outlawing flag desecration for instance. So once again the House has taken up the burning issue of flag desecration, and another feel good piece of legislation is passed. I'm against this amendment (in all its forms) for two simple reasons: People should be free to express themselves, even in such a wrong way; and such expressions say a lot flag desecrators, none favorable. OK, three - I'm against feel good legislation on principle.
But let's face it, such a ban is similar to hate crime legislation (what is desecrating the flag if not a hate crime) or campus speech codes. I'm against them, too, and unlike bell bottoms, they don't show any signs of (thankfully!) going out of style.
Flag-burning is useful because it provides a way for us to tell who the idiots are. The idiots are the ones burning the United States flag. If flag-burning were illegal, it would be harder for the rest of us to identify them.