Flag Desecration

 
 
 

Vocabulary

flag	right (4)	allegiance
pledge	ceremony	raise/rose/risen
nerve	mistreat	touch a nerve
crowd	destroy	intervention
gather	ground	stand/stood/stood
rally	ugly (2)	throw/threw/thrown
blatant	tolerate	display (2)
aware	catch on	catch/caught/caught
stomp	shock (2)	raise awareness
react	candidate	more or less
worth	couple (2)	considered
court	desecrate	Supreme Court
upset	anthem	free speech
bigotry	protest	lose/lost/lost
sacred	diminish	disrespect
banner	spangle	constitution
brave	represent

 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

The flag is almost sacred in US society. Children pledge allegiance to it. Soldiers raise it in important ceremonies.

People mistreating the flag always touches a nerve.

While people around the world destroying the flag doesn’t really shock us anymore, what about when it comes to a little closer to home.

Newscaster: “And a crowd gathering at Write State University this afternoon, after a person threw an American flag on the ground, standing on top of it.”

Reporter: “That’s an American flag on the ground, protesters stomping on it outside a Trump rally in Wisconsin.”

Newscaster Two: “A blatant show of disrespect.”

Newscaster Three: “And a shocking display of disrespect at a Pennsylvania high school. A teenager caught stomping on the American flag inside a classroom.”

Stomping on the US flag is catching on with people across America. Many who do it say they are raising awareness about the mistreatment of African Americans or the ugly history of US military intervention.

Commentator: “When you have a couple presidential candidates that more or less say that your life isn’t worth much, you’re going to react to it, and you’re not gonna react to it in a way that makes them upset.

That’s the way to make them upset.”

In 1988, the US Supreme Court ruled that desecrating the US flag is considered free speech under the American Constitution. But people all across the country have lost their jobs after being caught stomping on American as protests.

Whenever people start burning or stomping on US flags, a lot of people get very angry, very quickly.

Commentator: “They want to get the message out, that the hatred, the bigotry, the diminishing of our rights and freedoms is not going to be tolerated. I think it’s just more or less a way to get the conversation going.”

The US national anthem describes the American flag as a star-spangled banner, representing the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Clearly not everyone sees it that way, including a number of people within the country itself.

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Questions

1. The United States flag has traditionally been highly revered in American lore and society. True or false?

2. Which is considered worse or more profound, the US flag being desecrated in other countries by foreigners, or within the United States, by Americans?

3. Is there broad consensus on stomping on, or burning the US flag? Do most people agree, disagree with this, or is it divisive or controversial?

4. Why do some or many Americans desecrate the US flag?

5. It is illegal to destroy the US flag; violators will be fined or sent to jail. Is this right or wrong?

6. Flag burning or stomping often results in violent confrontations. Is this correct or incorrect? Who are on the opposing sides?

7. Why are some or many Americans incensed (offended) by flag desecration?

 

A. Have people in your country burned or otherwise desecrated the national flag? If yes, why was this done? Is flag desecration legal or illegal?

B. Do some or many people display the national flag on their property?

C. Is there unanimity or controversy regarding flag desecration? How do people feel? Is there mixed feelings?

D. Should people do anything? What should people or governments do?

E. What might happen in the future?