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 Supreme 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 pointed 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.
Title: Is Burning the American Flag Legal?
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/ca32f0f1-fef0-4dd2-853e-e62188cbd325_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Is Burning the American Flag Legal?' data-article-id='3271'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='6083'>The United States constitution guarantees a number of rights to U.S. citizens.</span> <span data-start-time='6083' data-end-time='10104'>One of the most famous is the right to free speech.</span> <span data-start-time='10104' data-end-time='14458'>But what if people say or do horrible things?</span> <span data-start-time='14458' data-end-time='18979'>The Supreme Court struggled with this idea in 1989.</span> <span data-start-time='18979' data-end-time='23333'>The case related to a man named Gregory Lee Johnson.</span> <span data-start-time='23333' data-end-time='30563'>A few years earlier, he strongly objected to the policies of then-President Ronald Reagan.</span> <span data-start-time='30563' data-end-time='36958'>So, at a political meeting in Texas, Johnson burned the American flag.</span> <span data-start-time='36958' data-end-time='39125'>Police arrested him.</span> <span data-start-time='39125' data-end-time='53667'>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.</span> <span data-start-time='53667' data-end-time='56000'>Opponents disagreed.</span> <span data-start-time='56000' data-end-time='63188'>They pointed out that the American flag was special, and they did not think burning it was speech.</span> <span data-start-time='63188' data-end-time='67979'>They warned that such an act could move people to violence.</span> <span data-start-time='67979' data-end-time='72833'>But a majority of the Court's justices agreed with Johnson.</span> <span data-start-time='72833' data-end-time='81833'>They said even if the public strongly dislikes an idea, people still have a right to express it.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/2c6afe65-fac1-4512-9fb0-352fea566d7f_tv_w1200_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=11233 data-hint-location='39125' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/what_does_appeal_mean.wav'>What does appeal mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='to make a formal request for a higher court or for someone in authority to review and change a decision'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/to_pass_a_bill_into_law.wav'><span>to pass a bill into law</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/to_run_for_public_office.wav'><span>to run for public office</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/to_become_an_experienced_gardener.wav'><span>to become an experienced gardener</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/to_make_a_formal_request_for_a_higher_court_or_for_someone_in_authority_to_review_and_change_a_decision.wav'><span>to make a formal request for a higher court or for someone in authority to review and change a decision</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=11234 data-hint-location='30563' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/at_a_political_meeting_in_texas_johnson_burned_what.wav'>At a political meeting in Texas, Johnson burned what?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='the American flag'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/the_american_flag.wav'><span>the American flag</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/a_government_document.wav'><span>a government document</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/a_paper_check.wav'><span>a paper check</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/money.wav'><span>money</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=11235 data-hint-location='63188' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/they_warned_that_such_an_act_could_move_people_to__blank_.wav'>They warned that such an act could move people to <span class='blank'>violence</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='violence'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/peace_talks.wav'><span>peace talks</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/spending_money.wav'><span>spending money</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/violence.wav'><span>violence</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2713/expatriating.wav'><span>expatriating</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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