Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

[Emjay]

Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time I will side with free expression.  I have been torn on this one.  After much thought I have concluded that it is in fact not ONLY speech but also at the level of advocating insurrection and even treason.  The symbolism is the ultimate in disloyal.  You do not have to love your country or be a patriot.  But you cannot rise up to cause it harm or betray it without landing your behind in jail. 

Espionage is speech.  "Fire" in a crowded theater is speech.  Slander is speech.  Those are examples of unprotected speech, although slander appropriately has a very high hurdle, especially for public figures.  Flag burning is not necessary to say any manner of criticism about this country and its people and government.  But to burn the U.S. flag is not constructive criticism (the point of free speech) and instead more of a symbol of war against us.

If a person hates everything about this country while living here, fine.  There are Constitutional ways to seek change.  To burn the flag is to stand against all those Constitutional rights that allow you to disagree with the government.  So it is also self-defeating and self-refuting in that way.  The flag is the symbol of our country.  In war, it is what identifies us.  The enemy wants to bring it down and replace it with their own.  It may be expression to burn it, but it is the expression of an enemy army.

Most of the people who commit this barbaric act receive benefits from this country.  Maybe depriving them of those benefits for a while would cause them to re-think how funny it is to burn a flag.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Most of the people who commit this barbaric act receive benefits from this country.  Maybe depriving them of those benefits for a while would cause them to re-think how funny it is to burn a flag.

Ding-Ding-Ding We have a winner. There's an idea I can get along with. No government benefits for a year and must be required to memorize the what ever boy needs to know about being a man speech from Second Hand Lions.