A strong defense of flag burning appeared in these pages recently from Christopher Scalia. As you’d expect from a patriot, he made his argument while nevertheless disapproving of the incendiaries and their infernal message. But Scalia believes, as many people do, that incinerating Old Glory is a form of protest properly covered by the First Amendment‘s protection of free speech; a deliberately offensive action that patriots and other decent people must accept if America is to remain a free society.

I disagree.