VOA慢速英语2018--Is Burning the American Flag Legal?

 

The United States constitution guarantees a number of rights to U.S. citizens. One of the most famous is the right to free speech.

But what if people say or do horrible things?

The Supreme¹ Court struggled with this idea in 1989. The case related to a man named Gregory Lee Johnson. A few years earlier, he strongly objected to the policies of then-President Ronald Reagan. So, at a political meeting in Texas, Johnson burned the American flag.

Police arrested him.

Johnson appealed, saying that burning the flag was his way of expressing his political beliefs – exactly the kind of speech the writers of the U.S. Constitution aimed to protect.

Opponents disagreed. They pointed² out that the American flag was special, and they did not think burning it was “speech.” They warned that such an act could move people to violence.

But a majority of the Court's justices agreed with Johnson. They said even if the public strongly dislikes an idea, people still have a right to express it.

One final note: Supreme Court cases have not protected all speech. Other cases have limited people’s right to communicate ideas that are knowingly false, morally offensive³, stolen or threatening. But for now – unless the public approves Constitutional amendment⁴ – burning the American flag is legal.

Words in This Story

appeal - v. to make a formal request for a higher court or for someone in authority to review and change a decision

obscene⁵ - adj. relating to sex in an indecent or offensive way

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 offensive   

adj.令人不快的，侮辱的，攻击用的；n.进攻

参考例句：

• His mode of doing business is offensive to me.他干事情的方式叫我很不喜欢。
• If all else fails,I will take the offensive.如果其他方法不行，我将采取攻势。

4 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

5 obscene   

adj.（指思想、书籍等）猥亵的，淫秽的，下流的

参考例句：

• They have cut the obscene passages from the film to show it on television.他们已把影片中的淫秽镜头剪去以便在电视上播映。
• He continued to use obscene language and also to make threats.他仍然不住口地说些污言秽语，而且还进行了威胁。