The House today passed a constitutional amendment that would give the Congress the authority to pass a law (or laws) prohibiting the desecration of the American flag.

I'm enthusiastically ambivalent about the whole thing.

Legal flag-burning has its advantages -- anytime someone does it you know that you can immediately disregard anything they say as lunacy. If you're wondering whether or not someone's an America-hating nut who likes to go around quoting Thomas Jefferson's "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism," then the second they take a Zippo to Old Glory the question is answered.

No, a better law would be one that recongizes coming to the defense of Old Glory as an absolute defense in criminal proceedings. Maybe the nuts would think twice if they knew that they could be shot -- and the shooter would walk.

/remove tongue from cheek