mr. speaker , i rise to join in this serious debate over the first amendment and our nation 's flag , two of the most sacred institutions to this country . 
america is somewhat unique in its devotion to the nation 's flag . 
perhaps because we come from so many different backgrounds , cultural traditions , and ethnicities , we see the flag as a source of national unity . 
like the majority of americans , i have the utmost respect and reverence for our flag . 
for all of us , this reverence begins early on , when as school children we are taught the pledge of allegiance and recite it each day with our classmates . 
or it begins when we attend a memorial day parade with our parents and look in awe at the veterans , young and old , who still carry the flag with such pride . 
seeing the flag treated with this reverence is a powerful lesson for our young people and makes them incredibly proud to be americans . 
the times i have been most proud of my country have been during my two trips to iraq . 
seeing our young men and women in uniform carrying out their mission under dangerous and difficult conditions is an inspiring thing . 
seeing their devotion to our flag and all that it represents makes me so grateful to have grown up in this country and to have some small part in helping our troops . 
i was struck , during my visits to the country , with how dedicated our servicemen and women are to helping everyday iraqis . 
our men and women in uniform appreciate the freedoms afforded to them , and are eager to see iraqi citizens enjoy these same freedoms . 
mr. speaker , i believe one of our greatest freedoms is freedom of speech . 
our forefathers , in their wisdom , made this the first amendment to the bill of rights . 
after fighting a war against great britain for their freedom , they made sure that future americans would have the right to free speech and free expression . 
in deference to our forefathers and out of respect for the brave patriots today who are serving overseas , i can not in good conscience support this amendment . 
burning or desecrating the american flag is an abhorrent action for which i have nothing but contempt . 
much as i hate the act , it is not right to deny an american the freedom to express himself in this shameful way . 
i would like to close by quoting a man who knows much of patriotism and freedom . 
former soldier and secretary of state colin powell , when asked for his views on this issue , said , `` the first amendment exists to ensure that freedom of speech and expression applies not just to that with which we agree or disagree , but also that which we find outrageous . 
i would not amend that great shield of democracy to hammer a few miscreants . 
this flag will still be flying proudly long after they have slunk away . '' 