Our soldiers fight for the freedom that we possess today. I don't want to live in a country where if a citizen burns a flag they get thrown in a prison cell. That's some Russia/China/North Korean shit. What the hell is wrong with you? That's what AMERICA is about. The fact that we have the freedom to do things in this country that you can't in others, that's the beauty of American liberty. If you want to live in a country that oppresses people who protest using the countries flag as a form of protest then move to fucking Russa or North Korea you unappreciative fuck.
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
"I am offended when I see the flag burned or treated disrespectfully. As offensive and painful as this is, I still believe that those dissenting voices need to be heard. This country is unique and special because the minority, the unpopular, the dissenters and the downtrodden, also have a voice and are allowed to be heard in whatever way they choose to express themselves that does not harm others. The freedom of expression, even when it hurts, is the truest test of our dedication to the belief that we have that right.
Free expression, especially the right to dissent with the policies of the government, is one important element, if not the cornerstone of our form of government that has greatly enhanced its stability, prosperity, and strength of our country.
Freedom is what makes the United States of America strong and great, and freedom, including the right to dissent, is what has kept our democracy going for more than 200 years. And it is freedom that will continue to keep it strong for my children and the children of all the people like my father, late father in law, grandfather, brother, me, and others like us who served honorably and proudly for freedom.
The pride and honor we feel is not in the flag per se. It's in the principles that it stands for and the people who have defended them. My pride and admiration is in our country, its people and its fundamental principles. I am grateful for the many heroes of our country-and especially those in my family. All the sacrifices of those who went before me would be for naught, if an amendment were added to the Constitution that cut back on our First Amendment rights for the first time in the history of our great nation."
Gary May, who lost both legs to a landmine explosion while serving in Vietnam Evansville, Indiana