Alice Garcia: No one has a ‘right’ to desecrate American flag

Re “Desecration of flag disgusting” (Letters, May 10): In response to the letter writer, and the liberal editor’s note, on desecration of our American flag. I strongly stand by the Constitution. My American flag displays every day.

For those un-Americans who stomp, burn, spit on our flag, and for those who say it’s “political speech” protected by the First Amendment: Hog wash. The First says freedom of religion, speech and the press; the right to assemble and to petition our government is protected. It doesn’t say throw rocks at law officers, burn cars, steal or break windows. Where in the Constitution or Bill of Rights does it say destroy? I suggest the editor look up what speech means?

All my dictionaries say the act of speaking is the “expression or communication of thought and feelings by spoken words, vocal sound and gestures.” Speech comes from the nerve center in the cortex of the brain, which controls the power of speech – which some don’t care to use. Nowhere in any dictionary does the right to speech and assembly means to destroy. That is what President Obama, Al Sharpton, Loretta Lynch, the mayor of Baltimore and liberals want you to think.

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Alice Garcia: No one has a ‘right’ to desecrate American flag."