PRESENTATION OUTLINE
In a political demonstration during the Republican National Convention in Texas, protesting the policies of the Reagan Administration and of certain corporations based in Dallas, Gregory Lee Johnson doused an American flag with kerosene and set it on fire. No one was hurt or threatened with injury, but some witnesses said they were seriously offended, and Johnson was charged and convicted with the desecration of a venerated object, in violation of the Texas Penal Code. In a split decision, the Supreme Court determined that Johnson’s actions were symbolic speech protected by his First Amendment R
Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that invalidated prohibitions on desecrating the American flag enforced in 48 of the 50 states. Justice William Brennan wrote for a five-justice majority in holding that the defendant Gregory Lee Johnson's act of flag burning was protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Johnson was represented by attorneys David D. Cole and William Kunstler.
The accused Johnson pleads against the charges he is being charged with burning a Texas flag at a republican national convention in Dallas Texas. He burned the Texas flag to protest the Reagan administration, he was saying that it would lead to WW3. He was going to get a year in prison and a 2000$ fine.The witnesses claim that they were offended by the burning of the flag. Texas said it was against the law because it was violating Texas law which prohibits vandalization of respected objects.
I believe that the burning of an American flag at a protest to the Reagan administration was within his rights of the first amendment. His freedom of speech was violated when the state of Texas was going to give him one year of prison and a 2000$ dollar fine.
Questions
Q:regardless of your opinion of burning flags, do you think the gov has the right to tell you not to?
Q:do you think Johnson was right in burning the flag?
