We do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so, we dilute the freedom this cherished emblem represents.

Punishing desecration of the flag dilutes the very freedom that makes this emblem so revered.

Flag desecration is not a constitutional issue for the courts. It is a political one that belongs to the people.

The American flag represents all of us and all the values we hold sacred.

The Confederate flag represents the same thing to blacks as the Nazi flag represents to Jews,

We look to the history of the time of framing and to the intervening history of interpretation. But the ultimate question must be, what do the words of the text mean in our time.