mr. speaker , i can not support this resolution . 
i am not in support of burning the flag . 
but i am even more opposed to weakening the first amendment , one of the most important things for which the flag itself stands . 
i think that point was well put by bill holen of littleton , colorado , who wrote to express agreement with a recent denver post editorial against this proposed constitutional amendment . 
as he put it , `` as a vietnam veteran and one who fought honorably for this nation ... .. 
like colin powell , while i personally abhor the thought of anyone burning the american flag , the symbol under which i fought for this nation , i believe the principles embodied in the constitution and the bill of rights are far more important. '' i do not think there is a real need for this amendment . 
on that point , i agree with the rocky mountain news that `` flag-burning is not really a problem , as actual incidents of it are rare . 
it is disproportionately denounced rather than actually done . 
and defining desecration is tricky , especially given the widespread commercial and decorative use of the flag. '' and , in particular , i share that newspaper 's view that `` more importantly , tampering with the first amendment opens the way to those laws of the kind that less democratic governments impose to shield themselves from criticism. '' mr. speaker , every day , at home and abroad , our brave men and women in uniform are on guard to defend our country and our constitution from those who have no respect for either . 
in my opinion , anyone who thinks that burning the flag under which they serve would be an effective way to influence public opinion is grotesquely mistaken . 
and i think to say we need to amend the constitution in order to respond to people suffering from that delusion is to give them more importance than they deserve . 
for the benefit of our colleagues , i attach the text of the newspaper editorial to which i referred earlier . 
flag-burning issue a waste of time today is the 217th anniversary of the signing of our constitution . 
to celebrate that happy event , the white house has announced that scholar and historian lynne cheney , the wife of the vice president , will speak at gunston hall plantation in northern virginia . 
gunston hall was the home of george mason , whom the white house properly described as `` father of america 's bill of rights. '' mason wrote the prototype of the bill of rights for virginia 's constitution in 1776 , and it was his intransigence that led to the adoption of those rights as the first 10 amendments to the constitution . 
the anniversary comes as the republican senate leadership is considering , with breathtaking political cynicism , bringing back for a vote a constitutional amendment outlawing flag-burning . 
the supreme court has ruled simply and correctly that flag-burning is political speech and as such has the absolute protection of the first amendment . 
thank you , mr. mason . 
flag-burning is not really a problem , as actual incidents of it are rare . 
it is disproportionately denounced rather than actually done . 
and defining desecration is tricky , especially given the widespread commercial and decorative use of the flag . 
more importantly , tampering with the first amendment opens the way to those laws of the kind that less democratic governments impose to shield themselves from criticism . 
given her credentials , lynne cheney is the ideal person , gunston hall the ideal venue and constitution day the ideal occasion to denounce this latest attempt to undo george mason 's handiwork . 
