
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 20, 1990                   TAG: 9007200555
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A/8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DEFENDED FREEDOMS, NOT THEIR SYMBOL

AS A self-declared patriot who has honorably served my country in its armed forces, I would never think of burning the flag of the United States.

However, I feel it is very important that in this country a citizen can burn a flag, and not go to jail for doing so.

Our country was founded on the belief that a person has a right to express his or her feelings about the government that represents us. Our flag is nothing more than a symbol of our great country. If we pass laws to protect this symbol, where will it stop? Will my mother get arrested for burning an apple pie?

I feel that if someone should decide to burn our flag in my presence, I would likely be inclined to exercise my personal right to rearrange that individual's attitude.

I enlisted to defend the freedoms our nation stands for, not the symbols that stand for our nation. Flags will stop burning as soon as we stop making such a big deal out of it.

KIRK McGEORGE\ ROANOKE

by CNB