The American flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, with seven red stripes alternating among six white. In the upper left corner there is a rectangular blue space that contains fifty white stars. The thirteen stripes symbolize the thirteen original colonies of the United states of America and the stars represent the fifty states of the Union.
White is said to symbolize purity and innocence. Red symbolizes strength and courage, and blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance and justice. The flag in simple words is a piece of cloth that has meaning. The flag stands for everything in our countrys past. The issue of burning the American flag, as a means of expression is continuously argued today. Many citizens view the flag as an icon, symbolizing all that the United States stands for.
Some burn it in protest and others hang it on their walls. The American flag stands for freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Battles that have ensured our freedom have been fought over the star spangled banner. The flag stands for our victory in war as a nation over: the Southerners who wanted to keep slavery, the Axis who wanted to take over the world, and the Germans whose goal was the extermination of the Jews.
Every time America has come out of war, the flag has stood strong. In 1989 the United States Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag was a form of symbolic speech and therefore was protected by the United States Constitution. What would happen if they took away the right of freedom of speech? How would people express their feelings and emotions towards the government? Many people would feel as though the government was attacking the basis of one of our nation’s strongest beliefs. Many would argue over this situation. Protestors would raise all sorts of questions.
What is a free nation that does not allow political disagreement? What is a free nation that will not allow itself to be spoken out against? What is a free nation that wants to punish those who oppose its hypocritical principals? There are always at least two different viewpoints on certain principles that raise question. A neutral position is also held when people cant choose between two different standpoints. The position that I hold is a neutral position. I defend certain beliefs for burning the flag, and not burning it. In my opinion, I think that burning the flag is one of the worst things that a citizen can do for its country. I feel that if you burn your own countrys flag it is somewhat of a betrayal on the countrys history and past.
Many people have pride in their country, as many Americans do, and when a flag is burned in protest or hatred, it is often looked down upon. But I also agree, that in a time of desperation burning the flag would turn some heads and make some people think. If our country was breaking at the hinges and starting to fall in a downward spiral because the government was corrupt. I may as well burn the flag in protest. But in todays society, the flag is burned way too often, demeaning what it stands for when burned. The American flag symbolizes the U.
S. , and those who burn the flag, are in a way, burning America. Flag burning is very unpatriotic, and many feel that it destroys the national community that soldiers have risked their lives to protect. Flag burning will probably never be illegal in America, because if it is made illegal it would be violating everyones rights of the constitution.
Even though I feel that flag burning isnt the greatest form of protesting because it has been so overused. I feel as though we shouldnt be so worried about the flag itself. It is in all reality a piece of cloth and can be found in any store. So instead of protecting the cloth from the flag, we should protect the ideas and beliefs that it stands for.Bibliography:
