Flag Burning and the First Amendment - Free Essay Example

Flag Burning and the First Amendment Megan M. Kalbfleisch Grantham University Flag Burning and the First Amendment One golden rule of the First Amendment would be that the United States government cannot ban free expression of any idea. It doesnt matter how much the majority disagrees with that idea or finds it offensive. Which is why American flag burning is protected under the First Amendment, its an expression of an idea. Texas v. Johnson. In 1989 a landmark case involving flag burning, Texas v. Johnson, Greg Lee Johnson, protesting the Reagan administrations policies, burned the American flag in front of a city hall in Dallas, Tx (Oyez.org, 1989). It was held that to burn the American flag was in fact protected under the First Amendment, it was an expressive act. Burning of the American flag is still considered to be a form of speech by expressing an idea that is protected under the First Amendment. The law continues to be upheld even though so many find it offensive and despite efforts to criminalize the desecration of the American flag. Halter v. Nebraska. The controversy of desecrating the flag is not new to the courts, it has been a battle that goes back to the early 1900s with Halter v. Nebraska. Which was a case not necessarily a flag burning but was a landmark case that lead the way to the Federal Flag Desecration Law. Two businessmen were barred from selling their beer with the American Flag on their bottles (NCC Staff, 2018). In 1968, The United States Congress passed the Federal Flag Desecration Law. The law was passed after a protest to the Vietnam War. This new law made it illegal to knowingly cast contempt on any flag that represents the United States by trampling on it, burning it, mutilating it publicly, defacing it, or defiling the flag (NCC Staff, 2018). Spence v. Washington. In 1974 another desecration case, Spence v. Washington. Harold Spence used tape to make a peace sign on an American flag that he displayed outside of his home in Se attle, WA. Spence was arrested and convicted for displaying the American flag with the symbol adhered to it, even though he offered to take it down when approached by law enforcement, a violation under a Washington statute. Supreme Court rejected the argument that the Washington Statute violated Spences First Amendment (Oyez.org, 1974). Overturned. Because of Johnsons case in 1984 both the case in Washington and the case in Nebraska the convictions were overturned. Congress has been placed in many situations where making a decision that does not necessarily fit within their principles. However, their commitment to the judicial process and upholding the laws in the Constitution are important. Flag Protection Act. The Flag Protection Act of 1989 was passed by Congress because of the Johnson decision. This Act was the first attempt to overturn the Johnson cases decision to uphold that flag burning be protected as a political expression falling under the First Amendment. At the same time, there were two other attempts at outlawing flag burning. The first was the Flag Protection Amendment and the second was the Flag Protection Act. The Flag Protection Amendment was voted down, however, the Flag Protection Act passed by both the Republicans and Democrats of Congress agreed with the Act. President Bush permitted the bill without his signature, in becoming law. Although the Act was just an amendment to an already existing U.S. Code (Apel, 2018). In the same year, in fact the day that the bill was in effect, several people burned their American flags in protest of the Flag Protection Act and its violation of the First Amendment. Several people were charged with violating the new law, of those charged were a Shawn Eichman and Mark Haggerty. U.S. v. Haggerty and U.S. v. Eichman. The U.S. v. Haggerty and the U.S. v. Eichman both argued together for setting flags on fire at the U.S. Capitol steps. In both cases protesters had their charges dismissed by federal judges which cited the Texas v. Johnson case. In 1990 the Supreme Court upheld that the Flag Protection Act was in fact unconstitutional, the law does remain as part of U.S. Code today (Apel, 2018). Although the controversy on the legalities regarding the desecration of the American flag being a violation of the First Amendment never really went away, it recently has come back into the media with President Trump. President Donald Trump. Donald Trump most recently stating that he plans on prosecuting flag burning protestors. In 2016, President Donald Trump proposed that there needed to be some sort of penalty for participating in the burning of the American Flag (Wright, 2016). It is obvious that in the heat of the moment President Trump says a lot of things, that he may have thought about in passing at one point or another but has not fully thought it through, especially when it comes to Twitter. His proposal of jail time or loss of citizenship for burning the American flag, does not t ake into consideration the two U.S. Supreme Court rulings, both of which protect this form of free speech under the First Amendment. Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag if they do, there must be consequences perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! Trump tweeted. Even though frequent efforts have been attempted over the years, and probably will for years to come. The U.S. Supreme Court remains vigilant in its protection of the First Amendment Right and prohibiting the burning of the American Flag. References Apel, Warren. (2018). The Flag Burning Page. Flag Protection. https://www.esquilax.com/flag/protection.shtml Bomboy, Scott. (2016). Flag burning and the First Amendment: Yet another look at the two. Constitution Daily Blog. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/flag-burning-and-the-first-amendment-yet-another-look-at-the-two/ NCC Staff. (2018). When the Supreme Court Ruled to Allow Flag Burning. Constitution Daily Blog. https://constitutioncenter.org/blo g/when-the-supreme-court-ruled-to-allow-american-flag-burning Spence v. Washington. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1973/72-1690 Texas v. Johnson. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1988/88-155 United States v. Eichman. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1989/89-1433 Wright, David. (2016). Trump: Burn the Flag, Go to Jail. CNN Politics. https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/29/politics/donald-trump-flag-burning-penalty-proposal/index.html

Current State Of The U.s. Economy - 1342 Words

Current State of the U.S. Economy A nation’s economy plays a vital role in how a nation operates. The United States economy faces a large variety of problems in this paper; we will focus on 4 major economic problems, unemployment, inequality, federal debt, and the financial/credit market. All four issues are interconnected in some way with deep social and economic implications. These issues were emphasized during the Great Recession that hit the U.S. economy in 2007.In the following paper, we will look at each of the four topics individually as well as look at how each plays a significant role in one another’s overall impact on the U.S. economy as well as individuals in the United States. The United States plays a crucial role in the world economy, meaning that every issue and difficulty faced the United States economy has implications far outside the U.S., understanding how these issues relate to one another sheds insight into just how connected every area of the economy actually is. Beginning with unemployment in the 2007-2009 recession, U.S. unemployment rates peaked at 10% as well as held 41 consecutive months at rates higher than eight percent (Lazear 1). The U.S. economy plummeted during this time; many attributed the shift to a large decrease in the number of employed workers. To be able to better understand the unemployment issue, we must first examine the form of unemployment faced by the U.S. economy. Many believe that the changes faced by the U.S. labor marketShow MoreRelated The Current State of the U.S. Economy Essay617 Words   |  3 PagesThe Current State of the U.S. Economy The United States economy is racing ahead at dangerous speeds, and it may be too late to prevent the return of widespread inflation. Ideally the economy should move ahead gradually and grow at a steady manageable rate. Mae West once stated â€Å"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful† and it seems the U.S. Treasury Secretary agrees. The Secretary announced that due to our increasing surplus and booming economy, instead of having an outsized tax cut, we shouldRead MoreEssay on Current Account Deficits1077 Words   |  5 PagesCarbaugh (2011) asks, Can the United States Continue to Run Current Account Deficits Indefinitely? (p. 361). Ultimately in the long term the answer is no, but the question could be rephrased to ask: (1) Does the United States unique position in the world economy allow the country to safely run persistent external deficits? and (2) can persistent U.S. deficits in the current and payments accounts be adjusted without bringing about economic recession or crisis? Japan, China, and Middle EasternRead MoreEssay on The United States Current Account Deficit1251 Words   |  6 Pages The largest and richest world economy belongs to the United States (â€Å"North America,† 2011). Interestingly, this same monstrous economy also holds the title for the largest current account deficit. 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Let’s take a look at how the American Economy is so dominant and why. There are many important numbers to base an economy off of, however, we are only going to look into some of the most vital numbers that really illustrate why the United States is the world’s leading economy. These numbers consist of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the total amount of goods and servicesRead MoreSupply and Demand Aggregate956 Words   |  4 PagesSupply and Demand Economic Critique The United States economy is determined by a number of factors, such as; gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment rates, consumer income, and interest rates. Everything the U.S. produces is measured by the GDP. When the GDP turns negative, the economy can enter a recession. If this negative GDP continues for years the country is considered in a depression. Supply and demand are the forces drive the U.S. economy. Supply includes employment and natural resourcesRead MoreEncouraging Economic Growth with the Fair Tax Act1728 Words   |  7 Pagesdebate about over the nation’s debt rages across Capitol Hill, our leaders seem unable to address the problem in a meaningful way. Most of them, however will agree that we do have a problem. The President’s 2010 Debt Commission reported that the United States tax code must be drastically reformed in order to avert a long term economic crisis. The report stated that: The tax code is rife with inefficiencies, loopholes, incentives, tax earmarks, and baffling complexity. We need to lower tax rates, broaden

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay - 2059 Words

Genetic Engineering is highly controversial since some people believe that genetic engineering is playing God. As this fact there is opposition to the progression of the field by people who do not see the value in genetic engineering, or they fear what genetic engineering may lead to for us as people. There is a history of discover that belongs to genetic engineering, which has led to numerous products that have emerged which have brought numerous applications to the society of the world. Though there are benefits to genetic engineering, there are also drawbacks to genetic engineering including ethical and legal issues that are dealt with in today’s society in order to try and regulate the growth of genetic engineering. Genetic†¦show more content†¦Then the field advanced further when in 1865 Gregor Mendel published his discovering on the breeding of peas, which became a basis for the study of modern genetics. A more important discovery occurred in 1869 when Friedrich Miescher discovered nuclei, which is a major component in the formation of DNA, in the nucleus of a cell. In 1910 T. H. Morgan expanded the knowledge we have of chromosomes by demonstrating that genes are carried by chromosomes. Then in 1913 A.H. Sturtevant constructed a gene map giving people knowledge of where genes were located. Then in 1927 H. J. Muller demonstrated how X-rays could generate mutation in genes, expanding on knowledge that waves can affect the cells of organisms (A brief history of genetic modification). A major step forward in genetic engineering occurred in 1941 when George Beadle and E. L. Tatum managed to pin a gene defect to a single point of origin in the biochemical pathway which would have been carried out by an enzyme that was missing (A brief history of genetic modification). They managed to reinstate the normal growth of a mutant micro-organism by adding in the missing enzyme, proving that humans can correct gene defects by adding in the missing ingred ient. Furthering the study ofShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1676 Words   |  7 Pagesenergy gets passed on throughout each trophic level to how the positive/negative ions in water molecules can effect how they bind to each other/are attracted to one another. While going over the long unit known as genetics, one topic in particular left a mark in my mind: Genetic Engineering/modification. It opened a door to me that allowed me question our everyday life, questions flooded my mind. For example, I pondered things like, How could we use gene modification to create natural pesticidesRead MoreGenetic Engineering Pros And Cons1648 Words   |  7 PagesGENETIC ENGINEERING: PROS: Pros of genetic engineering are the facts that scientists and doctors in our generation could first and foremost discover new diseases and parasites and types of unheard cancers and illnesses before they spread further than they need too. The doctors can therefore invent a cure for this illness before it spreads really far and before anyone else gets sick. With the genetic engineering they can then stop the spreading and cure the diseases before it gets out of hand. ThisRead MorePros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1662 Words   |  7 PagesGenetic engineering is the process whereby new DNA is added or existing DNA is altered in an organism s genome. This may involve changing one base pair (A-T or C-G) or deleting entire sections of DNA or adding additional copies of a gene. This results in creating new traits that were not previously present in the organism’s genome. This is done to selectively breed desired traits or to create plants with increased resistance to pestic ides and increased tolerance to herbicides. For example insulinRead MoreEssay on The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering831 Words   |  4 Pages Genetic engineering is the growing science of the world and is increasingly under the spotlight over ethical issues. Is biotechnology going to save lives, rather than destroy them? and will the benefits outweigh the risks? The main problem with such questions is that we dont know the answer until we try them out. Like all sciences it is hard to predict outcomes, so far there have been more failures being told than success stories. Genetic engineering is the splitting of DNA out of an organism’sRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay830 Words   |  4 PagesScientists state that the world is constantly moving towards disorder, while the purpose in life is to bring order to the universe. Now genetic engineering is a very old science that has been in play for many years. Scientists have been creating genetically modified organisms and products for years. But we now have the knowledge and technology to do this on a drastic scale the world has never seen. Knowing that genetically modifying something turns it into something god did not create. Do we haveRead MorePros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1101 Words   |  5 PagesGenetic engineering brings about great and marvelous things, yet it raised many ethical issues. Some encourage research, while others oppose against such a bizarre idea. Their arguments revolve around impacts on the environment, humans, and social values. This paper seeks to give an account of these issues and present a possible moral compromise. Ecological problems may be caused when genetically engineered species are introduced. It may offset the natural balance of a system and may even lead toRead MorePros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1915 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Genetic engineering refers to any changes in genetic makeup that result from the direct manipulation of DNA using various technical methods† ( source 1). More simply put, genetic engineering involves cutting, pasting, and/or editing DNA, specifically targeted ones, to produce a valuable effect produce a useful or desirable characteristic in an organism. The results can greatly modify a certain species or even create a new one. The Biotechnology to do such things were only available in the 1970sRead MorePros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay1733 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many benefits of genetic engineering, but there are many risks too. Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population. Basically, scientists take DNA of one product and put it into another product to get a mixture of traits from both products. It’s like breeding different breeds of dogs to get a certain look or personality. Some people don’t mind what goes into genetically altered foods, while othersRead MoreEssay on The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering1068 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Genetic engineering is a process in which scientists transfer genes from one species to another totally unrelated species. Usually this is done in order to get one organism to produce proteins, which it would not naturally produce. The genes taken from one species, which code for a particular protein, are put into cells of another species, using a vector. This can result in the cells producing the desired protein. It is used for producing proteins which can be usedRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay608 Words   |  3 PagesThe Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering Genetic engineering has been a major topic of discussion ever since Dolly the sleep was cloned. Its raises ethical, moral and religious questions due to the fact it is tampering with the makeup of organisms, and certain religions believe it is not our right to do this. Genetic engineering involves the re-arranging of DNA sequences, artificial horizontal gene transfer and cloning. There has been little progress

Babe Ruth Essay Example For Students

Babe Ruth Essay Ruth, Babe George Herman Babe Ruth, b. Baltimore,Md., Feb. 6, 1895, d. Aug. 16, 1948, was one ofprofessional baseballs greatest sluggers and probably thebest-known player of the 1920s and early 1930s. As a NewYork Yankee, Ruth took the game out of the dead-ball era,saved it from the Black Sox scandal of 1919, andsingle-handedly revitalized the sport as the countrys nationalpastime. He teamed with Lou Gehrig to form what becamethe greatest one-two hitting punch in baseball and was theheart of the 1927 Yankees, a team regarded by somebaseball experts as the best in baseball history. Nicknamedthe Sultan of Swat, Ruth started his major league career as aleft-handed pitcher with the Boston Red Sox in 1914. In158 games for Boston he compiled a pitching record of 89victories and 46 losses, including two 20-win seasons23wins in 1916 and 24 wins in 1917. He eventually added 5more wins as a Yankee hurler and ended his pitching careerwith a 2.28 earned run average; he also had 3 wins againstno losses in World Series competition, including one stretchof 292/3 consecutive scoreless innings. It is for his prowessat bat, not at the mound, however, that Ruth is rememberedtoday. He was sold to New York by Boston following the1919 season and after a permanent shift to the outfieldresponded by smashing a record 54 home runs whilecompiling a .376 batting average. In 22 seasons with theRed Sox, Yankees, and Boston Braves, Ruth led the leaguein home runs a record 12 timesincluding 59 in 1921 and athen-record 60 in 1927. He retired in 1935 with 714 careerhome runs, a record not surpassed until Hank Aaronsperformance in 1974. Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hallof Fame in 1936 as one of the first five charter members. Bibliography: Creamer, Robert, Babe (1974); Ruth, ClaireM., with Bill Slocum, The Babe and I (1959); Ruth, GeorgeH., with Bob Considine, The Babe Ruth Story (1948);Smelser, Marshall, The Life That Ruth Built: A Biography(1975); Wagenheim, Kal, Babe Ruth (1974). PictureCaptions Babe Ruth (1895-1948) remains perhaps themost famous baseball player in history despite the fact thatmost of his batting records have been eclipsed. Beforejoining the New York Yankees, Ruth had been anoutstanding pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. The Yankeesconverted him into an outfielder, and Ruth led the team tofour world championships (1923, 1927-28, 1932). (TheBettmann Archive)Category: History