Mike Levin: “the American flag is a cherished symbol of our freedom and the democratic values and liberties that we believe in, and…”

“the American flag is a cherished symbol of our freedom and the democratic values and liberties that we believe in, and we should respect the flag as a reminder of the bravery of the men and women who have lost their lives fighting under its colors for our country. One of the most poignant images to a patriotic American is when that flag is draped over the coffin of a fallen soldier. I detest flag burning. To deliberately desecrate the flag is an insult to anyone who has fought to defend it and to all of us who love it. Any person who destroys such an important reminder of sacrifice and patriotism deserves the scorn of all decent men and women. Although I love the flag, I also love the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. For more than 210 years, this timeless document has protected our most basic freedoms. The Supreme Court has ruled that a physical attack on the flag is a protected form of speech under the first amendment. In 1984, Gregory Johnson publicly burned an American flag as a means of political protest and was convicted of desecrating a flag in violation of Texas law. In Texas v. Johnson, the Supreme Court held that, although ``the government has a legitimate interest in making efforts to `preserv[e] the national flag as an unalloyed symbol of our country,' '' Johnson's burning of the flag was constitutionally protected speech.…”