Don't Let Flag Burning Burn our Constitution.
The American flag is not just a piece of material or a collage of fabric. Our flag has become a major symbol of expression allowing people to show emotion through opinions both patriotic and anti-government. In the history of our nation we have seen incidents of abuse towards our flag and it is this factor that has brought up the question: should this symbol of expression be protected by our first amendment rights? We as American people have the right to criticize, to challenge, and to replace the government if we wish. We should uphold these rights envisioned by our forefathers and maintain our nation as the free country they envisioned. We should remember the constitution and show that burning the flag cannot be ruled unconstitutional because it stands for the basic constitutional rights of the people--to create true democracy.
There comes a point when citizens, should act as the "forth branch of Government" (Marc Perkel). We should feel the duty to our country to rise up and bring the government to its knees when it gets out of line. We must never forget that the government exists for only one purpose, and that is to serve the people. According to (Marc Perkel) "That the government and the courts receive their powers by the consent of the people, and that the government has a duty to put the will of the people above it's own self interests." We need to make sure that we as citizens really work to uphold the standards of our constitution and "let the government know that it is, in fact subservient to the people" (Marc Perkel).
The burning of the flag is an act that asserts the right of the people over the government. The denial of the right to burn the flag is the assertion of the government ruling over the people. The people, not the government, rule America and it is in fact, our patriotic duty to act on that. As quoted by Edward Abbey "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government"(Marc Perkel).
