In 1984, Gregory Lee Johnson was arrested for burning an American flag while protesting Ronald Reagan's policies. Johnson was tried and convicted under a Texas statute that outlawed flag desecration. This was latter reversed in the Texas v. Johnson Supreme Court case that protected flag burning, because they considered it freedom of expression. The court found that offending an audience does not justify a prohibition of speech. Many Americans find flag burning disgusting,inappropriate and consider it a paradox (being that they are burning the flag, that provides them with the opportunity to have a freedom of expression). By signing this petition you are calling congress to propose an Amendment to make flag desecration a federal crime.



