Constitutional Amendment Authorizing Congress to Prohibit Physical Desecration of the Flag of the United States

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AUTHORIZING CONGRESS TO PROHIBIT PHYSICAL DESECRATION OF THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES -- (House of Representatives - June 22, 2005)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE OFFERED BY MR. WATT

Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Watt amendment and support H.J. Res. 10.

It is interesting that we are hearing about freedom of speech right now. I was interested because yesterday in my district the ACLU, which holds itself as the arbiter of all freedom of speech in the Nation and in the world, actually shut down all comments from their own local chapter because one person was speaking out on an issue that they did not want him to speak on with their name hooked onto it. So the ACLU yesterday in the Second Congressional District of New Mexico actually said no freedom of speech is allowed if you are an ACLU officer.

Freedom of speech, we have also seen it compromised in our schools. We can talk about certain religions in schools, but we cannot talk about Christian religions in school and we find that the American public is saying, Why? Why can we not defend this sacred symbol of our freedom? It is not a difficult issue. When I see these World War II veterans coming to me with tears in their eyes knowing they are in the last year or two of their lives and saying, Why can't we do this finally, it is not a complicated issue. They do not see things in the complex legal arguments on the floor of this House or in the Supreme Court.

Mr. Speaker, we do recognize that symbols do mean more than what they actually stand for. Look at the debate right now in Guantanamo Bay. It is being said by the same people who want the freedom of speech to desecrate the symbol of our flag that we should not have the freedom to desecrate the Koran or even allege that it has been desecrated.

Mr. Speaker, it is time that we recognize that a symbol is more important than the actual fabric that it is made of. It is time for us to pass this constitutional amendment, to reject the substitute amendment, and to bring clarity to this issue where 50 States have passed resolutions asking us to get clarity. It is time for the Congress to speak in the way that the majority of Americans would have them to speak. I support the amendment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov