Letters to the Editor: Flag burning may be offensive, but it’s still protected by the 1st Amendment

To the editor: So many people still cannot understand that expression that they find the most offensive is protected by the 1st Amendment. Racist speech is protected. Pornography is protected. So is the burning or other forms of destroying an American flag that is the protester’s own property ( “Trump orders could target ‘cashless bail’ cities from D.C. to L.A.,” Aug. 25).

If the flag being purposely destroyed is no one else’s property, and if there is no physical attack on another person, all that is happening is that the sensibilities of others are being grievously offended. The mere offensiveness of a form of expression, regardless of how psychologically wounding it is and regardless of the outrage it causes, cannot by itself be a basis for government-imposed punishment. Conservat