Flag Burning in America
Flag Burning in America
We live in a culture where people are supposed to be able to express their thoughts and opinions without the fear of punishment. Since our society is developing more individualistic values as time passes, there is a prominent need for people to be able to convey their opinions otherwise our nation would not be able to keep developing into the prevalent country it has become. Throughout society there is a need for social acceptance and conformity. But one can always be seen resisting cultural norms and refusing the opinions of the majority. When one looks from the global perspective, they can observe resistant actions such as violent protests for government issues and murders for religious reasons. On our campus, one may observe a student protesting about tuition rates, or even a minister discouraging students from immoral activities. This idea of free expression has been available to the American public for over two hundred years. When reflecting on our own country’s foundation, the founding fathers considered many issues when forming the Bill of Rights. But as one would expect, there were modifications that needed to be implemented as time progressed. The Constitution contains amendments that Thomas Jefferson felt the country needed to better define what the Bill of Rights was trying to express. One amendment that is widely debated even today is the First Amendment. It states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” When referring to the freedom of speech, many in our country feel that one should be allowed to say whatever he or she wants. But there are others who consider this rule to apply to other acts such as freedom of any expression, whether it is spoken, written, or acted out in public. This idea of expression can challenge the public’s view of what is acceptable such as the ongoing debate over the burning of the American flag.
The history of flag burning can be observed throughout our nation’s beginnings. First, the American flag desecration came into issue around the Civil War era. Next, the problem is again addressed in...