Flag Burning Pros And Cons

The United States Constitution, which is the oldest and shortest written constitution in world, was signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was ratified on June 21, 1788 (Sidlow, Henschen 2015). The “framers”, which were the delegates, of the constitution put together a plan for a stronger federal government that would not only benefit their own time, but also benefit the centuries to come. There is a lack of success in passing an amendment; for example, banning flag burning. The history of the constitution gives us an idea of why it is relatively difficult to amend the U.S. Constitution.
The plan was designed to embrace a federal system of government. Checks and balances were incorporated so that they did not give too much power to one particular branch of government (“The U.S. Constitution 2009). Federalist wanted to be certain that we had amendments in our constitution that would preserve individual liberties that could be contravened by the national government. In 1971 ten amendments, which
It is still being debated today whether or not flag burning is protected under the first amendment. The first amendment 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” (“First Admendment” 2016). In the case of Texas v. Johnson, the Supreme Court decided that flag burning was not protected under the first amendment because the first amendment protects activity such as symbolic speech (Staff 2013). Should there be a new amendment to protect flag burning? In 2006, the Senate rejected the attempt to amend the constitution (Babington 2006). The attempt was rejected by a single vote. It is debated over the limits of free