Flag Burning War

Is the flag-burning amendment just more of Congress's "tough on crime" approach? Personally, I have never heard anyone argue persuasively why something that symbolizes freedom should be held in higher regard than freedom itself. If it is true, as is often reported, that a large majority of Americans thinks flag-burning is reprehensible and should be criminalized, then isn't enough that those who burn American flags incur scorn, ridicule, and a general disregard for whatever ideas they are trying to promote by burning the flag? That is the core idea of the free speech clause, if I remember correctly. Bad, offensive, and otherwise revolting speech or ideas are best refuted with other speech and ideas than by imprisoning or otherwise prohibiting the offensive speech in the first place. That is the marketplace of ideas after all.

Speaking of a marketplace of ideas . . . What do you think? Post your comments here, and vote in the new poll question.