I wish to express my disagreement with Clarence Page’s column headlined “Where there’s smoke/Efforts to ban the physical desecration of Old Glory should be extinguished” (Op-Ed, June 14).
Flag burning apparently was unheard of ein 1791, when the 1st Amendment was adopted, protecting the freedom of speech. No provisions were made to protect the flag from desecration.
In my opinion, the Supreme Court erred in upholding the burning of the American flag as “a protected form of speech.” Speech is a verbal expression, and flag burning is a physical event. So if it takes congressional action to “reassert community standards” and ban the physical desecration of the American flag, so be it. I do not see why any yahoo should be allowed to physically desecrate the American flag with impunity.
Perhaps Mr. Page needs to be reassured that the 1st Amendment still will be there to protect the freedom of speech.
