mr. speaker , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. speaker , i want to begin by reading excerpts of an article written in the `` retired officer , '' a veterans magazine , by a major james warner , who was a pow in vietnam for 6 years . 
he writes as follows : `` in march of 1973 , when we were released from a prisoner-of-war camp in north vietnam , we were flown to clark air base in the philippines . 
`` as i stepped out of the aircraft , i looked up and saw the flag . 
i caught my breath then as tears filled my eyes . 
i saluted it . 
i never loved my country more than at that moment . 
although i had received a silver star medal , and two purple hearts , they were nothing compared to the gratitude that i felt then for having been allowed to serve the cause of freedom . 
`` because the mere sight of the flag meant so much to me when i saw it for the first time after 5 1/2 years , it hurts me to see other americans willfully desecrate it . 
it hurts to see the flag burned , but i part company with those who want to punish the flag burners . 
let me explain myself. '' he then goes on to talk about his experience in the pow camp . 
he says , `` i remember one interrogation where i was shown a photograph of some americans protesting the war by burning a flag . 
see , the officer said , people in your country protest against your cause . 
that proves you are wrong . 
`` no , i said , that proves i am right . 
in my country we are not afraid of freedom , even if it means that people disagree with us . 
the officer was on his feet in an instant , his face purple with rage . 
he smashed his fist onto the table and screamed at me to shut up . 
while he was ranting , i was astonished to see pain compounded by fear in his eyes . 
i have never forgotten that look , nor have i forgotten the satisfaction i felt at using his tool , the picture of the burning flag , against him . 
`` we do not need , '' he continues , `` to amend the constitution in order to punish those who burn our flag . 
they burn the flag because they hate america and they are afraid of freedom . 
what better way to hurt them than with a subversive idea of freedom ? 
do not be afraid of freedom , it is the best weapon we have. '' this is , as i said , from major james warner , who was a pow in vietnam for 6 years who understands freedom , and therefore opposes this amendment . 
mr. speaker , i yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from connecticut ( mr. shays ) xz4003700 . 
