You will find me to be a patriot in that I believe the government that our forefathers founded and we have kept for more than 200 years is the best form of government ever devised by the mind of man. I served my country for 20 years and am a retired, disabled veteran. I love the flag of our nation and I revere it--but I do not want to see an amendment to the Constitution to criminalize desecration of the flag.
First, the codification of criminal acts is a responsibility of the various states, not the federal government and we should not use the Constitutional amendment process to create criminal laws. Second, like morality, you can not legislate patriotism. Let's take the money and effort that has gone into a Constitutional Amendment and put it into educating the populace on why and how to respect the flag.
And finally, if we witness the act of a fool in public we should not give him the audience that he craves. Since 1982 there have been an average of four flag burnings per year--lets not put this unnecessary burden on our magnificent Constitution. When I was in battle and when my friends died in war we were defending the right of that idiot to express himself. He can not make me angry--rather he elicits my pitty. But I am thankful that we do not limit the rights of any of our citizens. Join me in being proud of my country, my Constitution and my flag--truly, God blessed America.