Should people be allowed to burn the flag? A contentious topic of debate in United States politics is government intervention over civil liberties. On a general basis, most people would agree that on a political ideological scale, liberals favor big government and conservatives lean towards small government. We see this played out in debates over entitlement programs and taxes. However, the topic of civil liberties actually contradicts this notion, as most liberals favor a hands-off approach from the government and conservatives say they would like to see more government intervention. Merriam-Webster’s law dictionary defines a civil liberty as “freedom from arbitrary interference in one’s pursuits (as in expressing thoughts, practicing a religion,
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I will present the two arguments for and against protecting the civil liberty of flag burning, and then I will argue for my own views, which align with the liberal notion that the government should not punish a civil liberty that …show more content…
It is an argument that makes out the flag to be more than just a piece of fabric, and ties it to many American values, ultimately coming to the conclusion that burning it is like setting fire to all the soldiers who fought for the flag and everyone else who lives in the country. Additionally, and more importantly to the argument of free speech, proponents of flag burning punishment say that there should be limits to free speech, often citing that it is illegal to shout fire in a crowded theatre for fun. Both of these arguments do revolve around the idea of putting certain ideas, such as the flag or national anthem, on a pedestal that should be untouchable from freedom of speech, in order to preserve patriotism and respect. From this perspective, flag burners are seen as people who are taking what they have for granted, and not considering how appreciable the country of America is in comparison to others. The argument is simply a different interpretation of the same idea brought up by protectors of flag burning: America’s greatness. While the argument made in the previous paragraph is that part of what makes the United States so significant is in citizens’ ability to burn flags, the points against this are that
I will present the two arguments for and against protecting the civil liberty of flag burning, and then I will argue for my own views, which align with the liberal notion that the government should not punish a civil liberty that …show more content…
It is an argument that makes out the flag to be more than just a piece of fabric, and ties it to many American values, ultimately coming to the conclusion that burning it is like setting fire to all the soldiers who fought for the flag and everyone else who lives in the country. Additionally, and more importantly to the argument of free speech, proponents of flag burning punishment say that there should be limits to free speech, often citing that it is illegal to shout fire in a crowded theatre for fun. Both of these arguments do revolve around the idea of putting certain ideas, such as the flag or national anthem, on a pedestal that should be untouchable from freedom of speech, in order to preserve patriotism and respect. From this perspective, flag burners are seen as people who are taking what they have for granted, and not considering how appreciable the country of America is in comparison to others. The argument is simply a different interpretation of the same idea brought up by protectors of flag burning: America’s greatness. While the argument made in the previous paragraph is that part of what makes the United States so significant is in citizens’ ability to burn flags, the points against this are that