In Support of H.R. 330; Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. 10, Constitutional Amendment Authorizing Congress to Prohibit Physical Desecration of the Flag of the United States

June 21, 2005

Mr. Speaker, I for one would like to let my friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), know that I am not so weak in my faith that burning of a cross would somehow destroy my faith. And yet I still believe that when somebody burns the cross, that the effect on our society, the chances of a riot, the chances that it will lead to violence are so high that society has a right to protect itself from the inevitable outcome of that kind of action. Furthermore, I do not believe we are acting as a body in order to tell the American people what to do.

I believe we reflect on a bipartisan basis, an overwhelming bipartisan basis, which reflects the will of the people, their desire to see this protection. That is why 50 States have all passed resolutions. Some of these States are very much Democrat States, some very much Republican.

This is not about patriotism or party. This is about the will of the people. We must respond to the will of the people. I believe in the Constitution as a not easily changeable document, and I respect the idea that we should not change it lightly. But just as this Constitution began without Indians, African Americans, women, or even people below the age of 21 being able to vote, and we have revised and revised and revised to get a more perfect democracy, we too must respond to this generation's request.

This generation's request of us is, in fact, to establish a special respect level, not an overly high one, but a special respect level for the flag. Not because America will somehow be destroyed if one or one million flags are burned, but because the American people have called on this body to offer them an opportunity to amend the Constitution, and we do so here today. We attempt to give the American people that opportunity to revise the Constitution.

 



June 2005 Floor Statements
  • Current record