Letter to the Editor: Protect Our Flag

By Paul Young St. George

Dear Editor,
This year will be the fourth time Senator Orrin Hatch has introduced to the Senate his long sought Flag Protection Amendment.
Again standing ready to oppose its passing is our own Utah Senator Bob Bennett. Senator Hatch’s bill is to over turn the Supreme Court’s asinine ruling they made in their 1989 decision declaring the burning of our flag Old Glory as a form of speech.
I fail to reconcile the burning of our flag where there is silence, no vocal words or guttural sounds made, to be a form of speech.
I fail to understand our nations leading jurists who carry the final word in all legal decisions to make their stupid ruling declaring that destroying patriotic property is legal, and with their blessing. One could wonder if the Supreme Court is afraid of the ACLU.
The burning of our flag is not a mere expression of speech. It is a disrespectful perverted act of destruction, an act of degradation to our flag. Their decision should be overturned.
The radical extreme element that burns our flag are most of whom has never given of themselves to our nation, nor do they intend to. They have suffered nothing. They respect nothing. They would rather burn or spit on our flag than honor it. Their imbecilic intelligence is lower that the bottom of a septic tank.
Senator Hatch’s amendment effects only the most radical forms of conduct and will leave untouched the current constitutional protections for Americans to speak their sentiments in rallies and vote their feelings in the ballot box.
Senator Bennett has opposed Senator Hatch’s bill the three times it has come up, claiming it is wiser to pass a “simple statute” to protect our flag. “We don’t need to amend the constitution to ensure proper flag etiquette.” Senator Bennett has yet to sponsor that “simple statute” he is always referring to. Senator Bennett should put up or shut up.