Burning a Nation’s Flag: Hate Crime

Burning a nations sword lily Hate Crime or melt Speech? A nations gladiola is unrivaled of the most important things to a country. Citizens of a nation use it during special ceremonies, and a nations pin tumbler is displayed all over that nation. A sag down is an emblem shown as a symbol of unity. It symbolizes the pride and history of a nation. So what does suntan a nations fleur-de-lis mean? Is it considered a hate abhorrence and illegal, or is it considered an act of barren manner of speaking and protected by the origin Amendment?For the purposes of this argument, a hate shame is defined as a crime motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically i involving violence (What Are Hate Crimes? ). I believe that provokeing a nations flag is non a hate crime due to the fact that burning a nations flag falls under a category that is protected by the First Amendment. In a hate crime, the targeted meeting could be categorized by non just race or sexuality, scar ce religion and political beliefs or throng as well. By burning a nations flag, we could easily categorize it as targeting a political separate.When a person burn a nations flag, he/she could be targeting the everyday people of that nation, the regime of that nation, or to be even more specific, the leaders of that government. . In this example, we will say that the political group referred to is the government(to be more specific, the the Statesn government). Therefore, by burning a nations flag, well-nighone disagrees and chairs a stand against a political use or decision. In contrast to what a hate crime is, an act of free speech, protected by the First Amendment, is the proper to express any opinions with knocked out(p) censorship or restraint.An act of free speech does not necessarily mean saying something out loud. It could also mean expressing your opinions about something by using actions. Since burning a nations flag suggests taking a stand against a political acti vity, it is a way of expressing your opinion. quasi(prenominal) to free speech, freedom of expression which is actuate of the Human Rights Act says that you have the practiced to hold your own opinions and to express them freely without government interference (Equality and Human Rights Commission).The government cannot arrest you or retaliate you for burning a nations flag as pertinacious as no one gets physically hurt. Just like in roughly every country around the world, America has its own Flag inscribe. The Flag Code is a guide for all treatment and display of the Stars and Stripes, but it does not cut back penalties for misuse of the United States flag (US code 36). Each state has its own flag law, and penalty for misuse of the flag is up to the state. poisonous penalties for certain acts of vandalism of a flag were stated in gentle 18 of the United States Code front to 1989.The Supreme Court decision in Texas v. Johnson held the statute unconstitutional, though. In Texas v. Johnson, respondent Gregory leeward Joey Johnson was convicted of an act of disrespect of a venerated object, which violates a Texas statute. During the 1984 Republican National Convention, Johnson protested the policies of the Reagan administration and Dallas-based corporation. During the protest, Johnson ruin the American flag. No one was physically hurt or injured, but some witnesses felt severely offended by this.However, due to the First Amendment, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decided that the State could not punish Johnson for burning the flag in these circumstances. In addition, the Texas statute states that it is only illegal to burn a nations flag when the act would leave in a serious worry of peace. However, the flag burning in this case did not threaten such a reaction (Texas v. Johnson. ). It is true that showing your enkindle towards the government can be verbalized in other ways at any rate burning the nations flag.One could protest, write a book , or write a blog to take a stand against a political action. However, no matter which of these actions you decide to do, you are still doing it to achieve the same culture express your opinion and make a change in the government. Citation page Texas v. Johnson. Cornell University Law School. 21 Mar. 1989. Online. 12 Feb. 2013. http//www. law. cornell. edu/supct/hypertext markup language/historics/USSC_CR_0491_0397_ZS. html. What Are Hate Crimes? SikhNet. Online. 12 Feb. 2013. http//fateh. sikhnet. com/s/HateCrimeInfo. Article 485New York Laws. Online. 12 Feb. 2013.