To the editor: Many people still cannot understand that expression that they consider that the most offensive is protected by the 1st amendment. Racist discourse is protected. Pornography is protected. So is burning or other ways to destroy an American flag that is the property of the protester (“Trump's orders could point to the cities of 'Bail Without Effective' of DC to Los Angeles”, August 25).
If the flag that is deliberately destroyed is not the property of anyone else, and if there is no physical attack against another person, all that is happening is that the sensitivity of others is being seriously offended. The mere offensive of a form of expression, regardless of the psychological wound that is and regardless of the outrage that causes, cannot be itself a basis for the punishment imposed by the Government. The conservatives, who claim to value the real text of a constitutional provision together with the original intention of the authors, cannot point out anything in the declaration of rights that provide special protection to the flag.
Edward Tabash, Los Angeles
This writer is a constitutional lawyer.
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To the editor: President Trump is again. It does not seem to understand the great American experiment designed by our ancestors. The flag is a symbol of freedom and democracy and represents an idea. You can burn all the flags you want, but you can't kill an idea. He simply does not understand.
Dave Simon, North Hollywood
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To the editor: Respect for the flag is important, so I hope Trump encourages his Maga Army to read and comply with the United States flag code. There are many flag problems in my area and basically none of them follow the instructions in the flag code. Or they have no idea what the code prescribes, or they simply do not care. Trump should focus on the entire appropriate flag protocol, not only the compensation of rules that resonate with their base.
Steve Grimm, Long Beach
