Flag Amendment Threatens Freedom

Most Americans love Old Glory.

You see that love in the tears streaming down a U.S. Olympic champion’s face during the playing of our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

You hear it in the applause at Fourth of July parades as the honor guard passes.

We sing about our flag before sporting events; we pledge allegiance to it at City Council meetings; we lower it to pay respect to fallen leaders or to mourn tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing; we proudly display it at our homes and businesses on Independence Day and Flag Day today.

The Stars and Stripes is as popular as ever.

But you’d never know that by watching Congress’ frantic efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to protect the flag from desecration. If passed and approved by the states, the amendment would alter the Bill of Rights for the first time since it was adopted in 1792.

Congress is using an elephant gun to kill a flea - and in the process, it is threatening our cherished right to free expression.

As despicable as it is, flag burning is not only an act but also a statement. Demonstrators who burned flags during the 1960s were stating as strongly as possible their opposition to our nation’s Vietnam policies. Eventually, most of the country agreed with them.

We haven’t had much flag burning since.

Only about eight flag-burning incidents have occurred annually since 1989 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws on flag desecration. But that hasn’t stopped well-meaning patriots such as national American Legion Commander William Detweiler from declaring flag burning “a problem even if no one ever burns another flag.”

Forty-nine states and 75 percent of the public support a constitutional amendment to protect the flag.

Lost in the political posturing and nationalistic rhetoric are the reasoned words of U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., a Medal of Honor winner. Kerrey says the flag already is protected by the reverence it commands among the American public. Said he: “It is my inherent belief that the government should not enact anything that the people do not need.”

We should be particularly wary of tampering with the U.S. Constitution, the venerable charter of our nation and liberties - no matter how strong the patriotic impulse.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board