Politicians are again pushing for a flag desecration amendment, for one reason: to gain easy votes.

It takes no political courage to stand with a mob that wishes to narrow our concept of free speech simply to assuage their hurt feelings. It takes a true patriot not to go along.

Why isn’t it obvious that a “flag amendment” is the sort of law that would be embraced in a dictatorship like Cuba or North Korea, but has no place in a free society such as ours?

One of the most important freedoms veterans fought and died for is our freedom to criticize our leaders and our government. If some tax protestor or militia nut wants to insult us and the country by burning a flag he owns, so what? He should have that right. Because most Americans find flag burning offensive, such protesters only hurt the causes they espouse anyway.

A flag desecration law will only turn these exhibitionists into martyrs.

Making a small exception to a fundamental liberty is like being a little bit pregnant. Freedom of speech either protects unpopular speech, or it protects nothing at all. Popular speech doesn’t need protection.

What’s surprising is that the Flag Amendment has become identified as a conservative crusade. If ever there was a cause which true conservatives should oppose, it is this sort of recklessness with the Constitution. The flag amendment is not a cause for conservatives, liberals or thoughtful people of any persuasion. It’s a cause for knee-jerk yahoos and false patriots.

The Supreme Court wrote in 1990: “Punishing desecration of the flag dilutes the very freedom that makes this emblem so revered and worth revering.” A lowlife who burns the flag is not a threat to the liberties it represents.

Those who favor this amendment are.

Alan L. Light

Iowa City