Would amending the US Constitution to prohibit the desecration of the US flag limit free speech?
“Many Members of Congress see continued tension between ‘free speech’ decisions of the Supreme Court, which protect flag desecration as expressive conduct under the First Amendment, and the symbolic significance of the United States flag. Consequently, every Congress that has convened since those decisions were issued has considered possible measures to permit the punishment of those who engage in flag desecration… In 1968, in the midst of the Vietnam conflict, Congress enacted the first Federal Flag Protection Act of general applicability. The law was occasioned by the numerous public flag burnings in protest of the war… In response to [Texas v. Johnson which held, in a 5-4 ruling, that the burning of the flag was protected by the First Amendment], Congress enacted the Flag Protection Act of 1989… On June 11, 1990… in another 5 to 4 decision [United States v.
