Flag burning should be illegal.

It makes thing flow more smoothly and makes it easier for all people to understand the topic. I agree with some of the stuff my opponent has said more so then I usually would but he has stated a few questionable things I will address. In my opponent first statement I do agree with my opponent to a certain point, I feel that we should curb the amount of power the government has in our everyday life. I will however like to state to those of you watching that I did not accuse any person who burns the flag of being unpatriotic nor will I ever. I stated that burning of the flag does nothing other than disparage a specific group. We have rights that we may express ourselves but by breaking arson laws and fire codes I just feel their is simply a better way. Why not verbally express yourself, or right your opinion on a poster. These two methods to me seem more sophisticated and could push your point better than feeding the flames of a heated topic (no pun intended). Now i really take issue to your second point. Although i respect your input i find it wrong on so many different levels. For example you feel that burning a flag is a better form of protest than writing letters to political leaders or protests solders with picket signs. I take from a person burning a flag that they either hate that group, country or the ideals they stand for where in a protest or letter one knows exactly what problems need to be addressed. The biggest problem I have with your second statement is the fact that you said the flag is only a piece of cloth that has no meaning to a person. Although I agree that civil disobedience is simply the next level of protest I find that flag burnings lead to a less peaceful environment, but if a flag only simulates a piece of cloth i can take your same example and say when solders at Guantanamo (whether it was accident or on purpose) kicked a Koran into the toilet the Muslims should have got mad because the Koran is simply a book, Right? That is ludicrous there are many people that feel that flags symbols and books are not simply bound to earth made material but are rather a living breathing extension of the ideal they hold true. I really enjoyed that economical stimulus you correlated with the flag burning. I was not sure if you are serious or being physicists but it was humorous none the less. Honesty that "piece of fabric" as you so eloquently put it will hardly boost our economy out of the trouble it is already in. Your point four I found fairly troubling. If we show our protest towards our own government it will steal the thunder so to speak from our enemies? I find this to be odd because I personally would work harder to finish of a county or organization that is not united because they are weaker and less likely to band together. One example of this is the basketball team I am apart of. We finished 4th in a tournament of 20 teams, not especially good but we knocked off the top seeded team because they where squabbling amongst themselves not paying attention to the enemy at hand. The squabbling came to a climax when the point guard and their star would fight over who controlled the ball so we continued to attack trying to further infuriate the two and we ending up beating a team far better then us. That is why I feel that your fourth point can not be farther from the truth. Like I stated before although I disagree with your points I will fight for your right to have them but I feel that arson in the so called name of freedom of expression is childish and does not accomplish things any more effiecient then a strong worded letter or an organized protest can do better. look forward to your next response and happy Presidents Day. Cheers, SPC Rautert Frederick, J.