In this, a comprehensive historical analysis of the debate over the desecration of the American flag, Robert Justin Goldstein takes us from the 1989 flagburning incident that ignited an emotionally charged controversy across the nation back to the very origins of the flag as a symbol of America. It may surprise some present-day flag-protectionists to learn that the flag did not become an object of veneration until the end of the Civil War, when groups of ultra-patriotic citizens and veterans lobbied hard to give it unique ...
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In this, a comprehensive historical analysis of the debate over the desecration of the American flag, Robert Justin Goldstein takes us from the 1989 flagburning incident that ignited an emotionally charged controversy across the nation back to the very origins of the flag as a symbol of America. It may surprise some present-day flag-protectionists to learn that the flag did not become an object of veneration until the end of the Civil War, when groups of ultra-patriotic citizens and veterans lobbied hard to give it unique status as a symbol of the nation. Objections to unorthodox uses of the flag first arose around the turn of the century, when the flag was appropriated for commercial, advertising, and "mainstream" political purposes. Although feelings ran high during these early debates, today such uses are commonplace and, ironically, are generally viewed as patriotic. In the early 1900s, popular concern shifted to the apparent threat posed by "un-American, subversive" radicals, immigrants, and organized workers. That controversy died down in the 1920s, and the flag did not make headlines again until the emergence of broad opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War fueled a deeply felt clash between defenders of the flag and defenders of free speech, who contended that burning the flag was a form of political speech and therefore protected by the First Amendment. In his analysis, Goldstein argues that the most recent American flag desecration controversy reflects not only the genuine pride and patriotism of the people but also a disturbingly shallow grasp of the underlying substance of the political freedom the flag is meant to symbolize. This failure to fully comprehend the nature of the freedoms our nation is founded on should concern us all, Goldstein says, for it raises questions about the vigor and integrity of contemporary American society.
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