James M. Talent: “I rise to speak on the proposition before us and on the importance of protecting the American flag. The American flag is…”

“I rise to speak on the proposition before us and on the importance of protecting the American flag. The American flag is a unique symbol in the Nation's consciousness. America, unlike many countries, actually had a birthday. There was a day when the Colonies became States and the States became a nation and they were organized explicitly around certain beliefs about human dignity and freedom: the belief that people have certain inalienable rights that inhere in them as human beings and that because of those rights the Government is the servant and not the master of the people. It is also a nation that cherishes diversity but balances against that, unity. It is no accident that the national motto is ``out of the many, the one.'' We are not a country with a monarchy. We rebelled against a monarchy. We are not a country with an established religion. We rebelled against that as well. We are a country with only a few unifying symbols, chief among which is the flag. That is why it is so uniquely important to America's conception of itself to protect the flag. In protecting the flag, we are affirming the basic beliefs of the country. I believe that there is in the Constitution a narrow power on the part of the States and the Congress to protect the flag from public desecration. In passing this amendment, if the Senate chooses to do it, we will simply affirm those underlying ideals. We are not saying you can't criticize those ideals--you can. You can attack them.…”