The colors of the flag, white, red, and blue, all have distinct significant meanings of what the United States stands for. White signifies purity and innocence, red signifies hardiness & valour, and lastly blue, which shows vigilance, perseverance & justice, while the stripes indicate the original 13 Colonies and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. Although the flag may just be a piece of cloth, it most certainly has a definitive symbol that beholds a tremendous amount of power in its name. With current political issues rising, people of America feel the need to show their heavy disapproval and discontent towards the actions being taken to “better” the United States economy, by indignantly desecrating the flag, burning it until …show more content…
As the flag is a strong representation of the United States it can be utilized to illustrate firm statements depending on how it is used. In this case flag burning is a vigorous depiction on the dissatisfaction of the American people. With the democracy of the United states American citizens are able to express themselves freely thanks to the first amendment which 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.” (Legal Information Institute, 1992). The existence of this amendment guarantees that American citizens will not be punished for expressing their thoughts on the policies that the government beholds, as long as their actions break no laws. Now this is a great method that protesters can use because as stated above the United States flag is one of the greatest symbols if not the most greatest symbol that represents the U.S Government over all. In burning the flag, citizens will be able to show how strongly discontent they feel about the current status of government policies. To issue a law that strips people of this right is not only a paradox in the Amendments but is a great disrespect overall to the …show more content…
Some may argue that burning the American flag is an enormous disrespect to the United states, an expression which should never be considered protected speech, which ultimately should be treated as treason against the United States. They feel strongly about the symbolism of the flag of the United States, as it holds a lot of meaning that should never be disrespected, but maintained and protected as a valuable symbol and artifact to represent the hardships and success of the United States. Developing the independence of the 13 colonies in July 4, 1776, and unting all 50 states as a whole is not an accomplishment that should be overlooked and disrespected as it is a huge part of American History represented by the United States flag. In addition, the U.S national flag represent the sacrifices of thousand of American soldiers who died in the name of right, but how are we honoring them when we burn the flag. The flag is not something you use to protest, because the flag doesn't represent the government, it represents the people, because it was the soldiers that died for our freedom of speech. So, by burning the flag, you're not only being disrespectful, but
I believe people lack respect for the flag and what it stands for. Although most people are proud to be an American, some don’t understand what it truly means to be an American. The flag has a history, and should be respected because of that history. Although most believe that respect should be earned, our flag has earned this many times over. And I believe that our flag is taken for granted.
Stripes and stars forever, right? Well, what exactly does that mean? The American Flag can be seen almost anywhere. From the high-school, to the ball park, and even in our homes, the American flag stands as a symbol of all that is good and true in America. When one thinks of the flag, they usually think of the blood that was shed for this country. It was shed so that we could have liberties, such as, freedom of speech and expression, which fall under the first amendment rights of the Constitution. However, when you think of a burning flag, what comes to mind? One might say it shows disrespect and hatred to a country that has given so much. In the case of Texas v. Johnson, Gregory Lee Johnson was accused of desecrating a sacred object, but, his actions were protected by the First Amendment. Although his actions may have been offensive, he did not utter fighting words. By burning the flag, Johnson did not infringe upon another's natural human rights. He was simply expressing his outrage towards the government, which is within the jurisdiction of the First Amendment.
To the Majority Opinion it’s a flag of our nation but to the Dissenting opinion its means more than just a flag. It means “White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & velour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice." In this case the Dissenting opinion gave reasons why flag burning should be banned. Eventually Congress passed the Flag Protection Act of 1989. The Act banned flag burning regardless of whether the person burning the flag intended to cause offense to
The first reason why the government should not ban flag burning is that it is a form of expression that is covered by the right to free speech. The First Amendment to the US Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law. 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” (Legal Information Institute, 1992a). This amendment guarantees American citizens the right to express their dissatisfaction with the policies of the government without fear of consequences, including arrest, so long as the demonstration does not violate laws. The act of flag burning is a means to express this kind of dissatisfaction.
The flag of the United States symbolizes our nation and more.The colors of the flag were not just chosen randomly, but with meanings behind it. The specific colors wanted to be able to symbolize our country with powerful words behind it. The separate colors must be able to unite everyone as one. The flag should represent the nation, so there should
Some have seen friends and family get tortured and murdered by their own government for daring to do things we take for granted every day. For those who risked everything simply for the chance to become an American....what kind of feelings do they have for the flag when they Pledge Allegiance the first time? Go to a naturalization ceremony and see for yourself, the tears of pride, the thanks, the love and respect of this nation, as they finally embrace the American flag as their own. Ask one of them if it would be OK to tear up the flag.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover"? There are many things that look very unpleasing on the outside but actually have a meaning bigger than just our lives. Something that has a special meaning to me is the American Flag. Imagine a dirty, old flag that is still standing after a war that many soldiers have lost their life for. Thinking about that gives the flag a bigger meaning than just old cloth. The flag stands for all of Americans loyalty to their country. It also represents the hardships our country has overcome over many decades. The American Flag stands for everybody that has fought and died for our country. One of the biggest things the flag stands for is the loyalty of our people.
Therefore, the flag presents a symbol of southern pride and heritage. With that being said, all Americans should be allowed to live in a country where they feel safe and free from hatred. If a historical symbol fuels hatred, violence, and fear, then the display of such a symbol would only misinterpret the meaning of the land of the free. Although there are many pros and cons to the Confederate flag, it is only just to ban the flag.
The Star Spangled Banner is a sacred song in the United States of America. It not only is a symbol of the fight that soldiers have had to go through, but also a representation of freedom. When the National Anthem plays out of respect for our country, and those who fought for it, everyone is supposed to stand and remove their hats. Currently in the National Football League (NFL) there is a handful of players, mainly African Americans, that have been taking a knee or raising a fist during the play of our National Anthem. This I believe, is a great sign of disrespect for our country and our veterans. This I believe, is very immature and unnecessary. This I believe, should be put to a stop by the NFL and the players should be ashamed of himself for doing this. I am aware that the players have the right to do this, but there are many reasons why this should not be taking place.
The dissenting opinion to the previous idea is that the government's legitimate interest in preserving the symbolic value of the flag is, however, essentially the same that may have motivated a particular act of flag burning. The flag uniquely symbolizes the ideas of liberty, equality, and tolerance -- ideas that Americans have passionately defended and debated throughout our history. The flag embodies the spirit of our national commitment to those ideals. To the world, the flag is our promise that we will continue to strive for these ideals. To us, the flag is a reminder both that the struggle for li...
The symbolism of the Flag was thus interpreted by Washington: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty.”
First I would like to include some information about our american flag and how it came about. In the British colonies of North America before the Revolution, each of the 13 colonies had its flag. On Jan. 2, 1776, the first flag of the United States was raised at Cambridge, Mass., by George Washington. Known as the Grand Union flag, it consisted of 13 stripes, alternate red and white, with a blue canton bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. Congress, on June 14, 1777, enacted a resolution “that the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” On Jan. 13, 1794, Vermont and Kentucky having been admitted to the Union, Congress added a stripe and a star for each state. Congress in 1818 enacted that the 13 stripes, denoting the 13 original colonies, be restored and a star added to the blue canton for each state after its admission to the Union. All of the states and territories of the United States also have their own flags. Betsy Ross created the first flag. Betsy would often tell her children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends of the fateful day when three members of a secret committee from the Continental Congress came to call upon her. Those representatives, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, asked her to sew the first flag. This meeting occurred in her home some time late in May 1776. George Washington was then the head of the Continen...
Some people see the American flag as patriotism. These people are the ones who have their flags out all year around. The ones who always have them flying high. Some of these people even have American flags hanging off their cars. To some people the American flag is their son or daughter who they have lost either in the line of duty in the military, on the police force, or even the fire department. Although its sad but true some Americans have no patriotism and could care less what happens around them. These people will only care if it affects them in a harmful way.
Your First Amendment rights are extremely close to being violated by none other than the United States Congress. I refer to the Flag Desecration Bill that, if passed, would do irreparable damage to our right to free speech and undermine the very priniciples for which the American flag stands. Fortunately, West Virginians have an ally in Sen. Robert C. Byrd. Sen. Byrd, who previously favored the bill, now fights to protect our rights by stopping the passage of this bill. I applaud his stand and want to reinforce his position. I also encourage you to join Sen. Byrd's campaign to ensure the legacy and supremacy of the greatest law in the land: the United States Constitution.
The document Declaration of Independence signed July 4, the year 1776 and written by one of the country’s ancestors Thomas Jefferson. It was a time in history that declared independence a manuscript written for this occasion which introduces five separate sections that include the introduction which states it is vital to take action on Britain for the colonies.