Periodically, the universality of the American flag is superseded when a cause of a politician or political party, usually on the right, is wrapped in the flag in order to associate its identity with the flag. In this situation, as exemplified by the Vietnam War era, an advocate expresses support for the unspoken supplanted cause by proudly flying the flag, while an opponent communicates his disdain for the cause by desecrating the flag, liken to burning in effigy. In our democracy, treatment of the flag is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment as ruled by the Supreme Court in 1989. However, the Republicans are striving for a constitutional amendment banning flag desecration now that they have adopted the American flag as a symbol for George Bush, his Iraq War, his decimation of social programs and his "movement" to transform our democracy into a fascist corporate empire. They obviously are expecting dissent and are preparing to suppress it.

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