flag

flag¹

F0158100 (flăg)n.1. A piece of cloth, usually rectangular, of distinctive color and design, used as a symbol, standard, signal, or emblem.2. National or other allegiance, as symbolized by a flag: ships of the same flag.3. A ship carrying the flag of an admiral; a flagship.4. A marking device, such as a gummed strip of paper, attached to an object to attract attention or ease identification; a tab.5. The masthead of a newspaper.6. Music A cross stroke that halves the value of a note to which it is added.7. A distinctively shaped or marked tail, as of a dog or deer.8. Computers A variable or memory location that stores true-or-false, yes-or-no information.tr.v. flagged, flag·ging, flags 1. To mark with a flag or flags for identification or ornamentation: flag a parade route; flagging parts of a manuscript for later review.2. a. To signal with or as if with a flag.b. To signal to stop: flag down a passing car.

[Origin unknown.]

flag²

F0158100 (flăg)n. A plant, such as an iris or cattail, that has long sword-shaped leaves.

[Middle English flagge, reed, of Scandinavian origin.]

flag³

F0158100 (flăg)intr.v. flagged, flag·ging, flags To lose vigor or strength; weaken or diminish: The conversation flagged.

[Possibly of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse flögra, to flap about.]

flag⁴

F0158100 (flăg)n. A flagstone.tr.v. flagged, flag·ging, flags To pave with slabs of flagstone.

[Middle English flagge, piece of turf, from Old Norse flaga, slab of stone; see plāk- in Indo-European roots.]

flag

(flæɡ) n1. a piece of cloth, esp bunting, often attached to a pole or staff, decorated with a design and used as an emblem, symbol, or standard or as a means of signalling2. a small paper flag, emblem, or sticker sold on flag days3. (Computer Science) computing an indicator, that may be set or unset, used to indicate a condition or to stimulate a particular reaction in the execution of a computer program4. (Journalism & Publishing) journalism another name for masthead²5. (Zoology) the fringe of long hair, tapering towards the tip, on the underside of the tail of certain breeds of dog, such as setters6. (Zoology) the conspicuously marked tail of a deer7. a less common name for bookmark8. (Automotive Engineering) Austral and NZ the part of a taximeter that is raised when a taxi is for hire9. (Economics) the pennant-shaped pattern that is formed when a price fluctuation is plotted on a chart, interrupting the steady rise or fall that precedes and then follows it10. the flag (in Victoria, Australia) the Australian Rules premiership11. fly the flag to represent or show support for one's country, an organization, etc12. (Military) to assert a claim, as to a territory or stretch of water, by military presence13. informal to be present; make an appearance14. (Military) strike the flag lower the flag a. to relinquish command, esp of a shipb. to submit or surrendervb (tr) , flags, flagging or flagged15. to decorate or mark with a flag or flags16. (often foll by down) to warn or signal (a vehicle) to stop17. to send or communicate (messages, information, etc) by flag18. (Hunting) to decoy (game or wild animals) by waving a flag or similar object so as to attract their attention19. to mark (a page in a book, card, etc) for attention by attaching a small tab or flag20. chiefly Austral to draw attention to (something)21. (foll by: away or by) NZ to consider unimportant; brush aside[C16: of uncertain origin] ˈflagger n ˈflagless adj

flag

(flæɡ) vb (intr) , flags, flagging or flagged1. to hang down; become limp; droop2. to decline in strength or vigour; become weak or tired[C16: of unknown origin]

flag

(flæɡ) n1. (Plants) any of various plants that have long swordlike leaves, esp the iris Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag)2. (Plants) the leaf of any such plant[C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Dutch flag, Danish flæg yellow iris]

flag

(flæɡ) n (Building) short for flagstonevb, flags, flagging or flagged (Building) (tr) to furnish (a floor) with flagstones

flag¹

(flæg)

n., v. flagged, flag•ging. n. 1. a typically rectangular piece of cloth marked with distinctive colors or designs and used as a symbol, as of a nation or organization, or as a means of signaling. 2. the tail of a deer or of a setter dog. 3. a tab or tag attached, as to a page, to attract attention. 4. any of the angled lines attached to a musical note. v.t. 5. to place a flag or flags over or on; decorate with flags. 6. to signal or warn with or as if with a flag (sometimes fol. by down): to flag down a train. 7. to decoy, as game, by waving a flag or the like to excite attention or curiosity. 8. to mark (a page, file, etc.) with a tab or tag. [1475–85; perhaps b. flap (n.) and fag¹ (n.) in obsolete sense “flap”] flag′ger, n.

flag²

(flæg)

n. any of various plants with long, sword-shaped leaves, as the sweet flag. [1350–1400; Middle English flagge]

flag³

(flæg)

v.i. flagged, flag•ging. 1. to fall off in activity, interest, etc. 2. to hang loosely or limply; droop. [1535–45; See flag¹]

flag⁴

(flæg)

n., v. flagged, flag•ging. n. 1. flagstone. v.t. 2. to pave with flagstones. [1400–50; Middle English flagge piece of sod] flag′ger, n.

flag

Past participle: flagged
Gerund: flagging

Imperative
flag
flag

Present
I flag
you flag
he/she/it flags
we flag
you flag
they flag

Preterite
I flagged
you flagged
he/she/it flagged
we flagged
you flagged
they flagged

Present Continuous
I am flagging
you are flagging
he/she/it is flagging
we are flagging
you are flagging
they are flagging

Present Perfect
I have flagged
you have flagged
he/she/it has flagged
we have flagged
you have flagged
they have flagged

Past Continuous
I was flagging
you were flagging
he/she/it was flagging
we were flagging
you were flagging
they were flagging

Past Perfect
I had flagged
you had flagged
he/she/it had flagged
we had flagged
you had flagged
they had flagged

Future
I will flag
you will flag
he/she/it will flag
we will flag
you will flag
they will flag

Future Perfect
I will have flagged
you will have flagged
he/she/it will have flagged
we will have flagged
you will have flagged
they will have flagged

Future Continuous
I will be flagging
you will be flagging
he/she/it will be flagging
we will be flagging
you will be flagging
they will be flagging

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been flagging
you have been flagging
he/she/it has been flagging
we have been flagging
you have been flagging
they have been flagging

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been flagging
you will have been flagging
he/she/it will have been flagging
we will have been flagging
you will have been flagging
they will have been flagging

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been flagging
you had been flagging
he/she/it had been flagging
we had been flagging
you had been flagging
they had been flagging

Conditional
I would flag
you would flag
he/she/it would flag
we would flag
you would flag
they would flag

Past Conditional
I would have flagged
you would have flagged
he/she/it would have flagged
we would have flagged
you would have flagged
they would have flagged

flag

Yellow cloth thrown in the air by an official to signal a violation.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	flag - emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive designAmerican flag, Old Glory, Stars and Stripes, Star-Spangled Banner - the national flag of the United States of Americabanner, streamer - long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertisingbattle flag - a flag that leads troops into battleblack flag, Jolly Roger, pirate flag, blackjack - a flag usually bearing a white skull and crossbones on a black background; indicates a pirate shipcolors, colours - a flag that shows its nationalityemblem - special design or visual object representing a quality, type, group, etc.fanion - a small flag used by surveyors or soldiers to mark a positionjack - small flag indicating a ship's nationalitypennon, waft, pennant, streamer - a long flag; often taperingbanner, standard - any distinctive flagConfederate flag, Stars and Bars - the first flag of the Confederate States of Americatricolor, tricolour - a flag having three colored stripes (especially the French flag)Union flag, Union Jack - national flag of the United Kingdomflag of truce, white flag - flag consisting of a piece of white cloth that is hoisted to signal surrender or to ask for a truceyellow jack - yellow flag hoist on a ship in quarantinenational flag, ensign - an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality
	2.	flag - a listing printed in all issues of a newspaper or magazine (usually on the editorial page) that gives the name of the publication and the names of the editorial staff, etc.mastheadlist, listing - a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)
	3.	flag - plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepalsfleur-de-lis, iris, sword lilyiridaceous plant - any bulbous plant of the family Iridaceaegenus Iris - large genus of perennials that develop from bulbs or rhizomesbearded iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises with hairlike structures on the falls (the drooping sepals)beardless iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises having no hairs on the drooping sepals (the falls)bulbous iris - any of various irises having a rootstock formed like a bulbIris cristata, dwarf iris - low-growing summer-flowering iris of northeastern United Statesgladdon, gladdon iris, Iris foetidissima, roast beef plant, stinking gladwyn, stinking iris - iris with purple flowers and foul-smelling leaves; southern and western Europe and North AfricaIris persica, Persian iris - bulbous iris native to Asia Minor cultivated for its pale lilac-colored flowersIris pseudacorus, yellow flag, yellow iris, yellow water flag - common yellow-flowered iris of Europe and North Africa, naturalized in United States and often cultivateddwarf iris, Iris verna, vernal iris - low-growing spring-flowering American iris with bright blue-lilac flowersblue flag, Iris versicolor - a common iris of the eastern United States having blue or blue-violet flowers; root formerly used medicinallyIris virginica, southern blue flag - similar to blue flag; the eastern United StatesEnglish iris, Iris xiphioides - bulbous iris native to the Pyrenees; widely cultivated for its large delicate flowers in various colors except yellow
	4.	flag - a rectangular piece of fabric used as a signalling devicesignal flagvisual signal - a signal that involves visual communicationpennant - a flag longer than it is wide (and often tapering)code flag, nautical signal flag - one of an international code of flag signals used between shipsred flag - a flag that serves as a warning signal; "we didn't swim at the beach because the red flag was up"
	5.	flag - flagpole used to mark the position of the hole on a golf greenpingolf equipment - sports equipment used in playing golf
	6.	flag - stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stonesflagstonepaving stone - a stone used for paving
	7.	flag - a conspicuously marked or shaped tailCanis familiaris, dog, domestic dog - a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds; "the dog barked all night"tail - the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the bodycervid, deer - distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers
Verb	1.	flag - communicate or signal with a flagsignal, signalise, signalize, sign - communicate silently and non-verbally by signals or signs; "He signed his disapproval with a dismissive hand gesture"; "The diner signaled the waiters to bring the menu"flag down - signal to stop; "Let's flag down a cab--it's starting to rain"; "The policeman flagged down our car"
	2.	flag - provide with a flag; "Flag this file so that I can recognize it immediately"mark - make or leave a mark on; "the scouts marked the trail"; "ash marked the believers' foreheads"
	3.	flag - droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautnessdroop, sag, swagdrop down, sink, drop - fall or descend to a lower place or level; "He sank to his knees"slouch, slump - assume a drooping posture or carriagebag - hang loosely, like an empty bag
	4.	flag - decorate with flags; "the building was flagged for the holiday"adorn, decorate, grace, ornament, embellish, beautify - make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; "Decorate the room for the party"; "beautify yourself for the special day"
	5.	flag - become less intenseease off, slacken off, ease updecrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"

flag

¹noun1. banner, standard, colours, jack, pennant, ensign, streamer, pennon, banderole, gonfalon They raised the white flag in surrender.verb1. mark, identify, indicate, label, tab, pick out, note, docket I promise to flag these things more clearly.flag something or someone down hail, stop, signal, salute, wave down They flagged a car down.Related words
enthusiast vexillologistQuotations
"Then raise the scarlet standard high!"
"Within its folds we'll live or die"
"Tho' cowards flinch and traitors sneer"
"We'll keep the red flag flying here" [James M. Connell The Red Flag]

flag

²verb weaken, fall, die, fail, decline, sink, fade, slump, pine, faint, weary, fall off, succumb, falter, wilt, wane, ebb, sag, languish, abate, droop, peter out, taper off, feel the pace, lose your strength His enthusiasm was in no way flagging.

flag¹

nounFabric used especially as a symbol:banderole, banner, banneret, color (used in plural), ensign, jack, oriflamme, pennant, pennon, standard, streamer.verbTo communicate by means of such devices as lights or signs:semaphore, signal.

flag²

verb1. To become limp, as from loss of freshness:droop, sag, wilt.2. To lose strength or power:decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fail, languish, sink, wane, waste (away), weaken.Informal: fizzle (out).Idioms: go downhill, hit the skids.

Translations

旗变弱

flag¹

(flӕg) noun a piece of cloth with a particular design representing a country, party, association etc. the French flag.旗ˈflag-pole / ˈflagstaff nouns the pole on which a flag is hung. 旗杆flag down verb – past tense, past participle flagged – to wave at (a car etc) in order to make it stop. We flagged down a taxi. 打旗号使（车）停下

flag²

(flӕg) verb – past tense, past participle flagged – to become tired or weak. Halfway through the race he began to flag.变弱

flag

→ 旗zhCN

Flag

Related to Flag: Confederate flag

Flag

The official banner of a state or nation, often decorated with emblems or images that symbolize that state or nation.

On the U.S. flag, 13 horizontal stripes (in red and white) represent the original 13 colonies. The union is represented by 50 white stars, for the 50 states, arrayed on a field of blue. The U.S. flag is sometimes called the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, or the Red, White, and Blue.

Titles 4 and 36 of the U.S. Code govern when, where, and how a flag may be displayed; how a flag may be used; and the proper means of disposing of a worn or soiled flag.

The Stars and Stripes became a popular and revered symbol of the United States during and after the Civil War. The Union's victory over the Confederacy and the return to a united country engendered patriotic fervor that was embodied in this symbol. When large numbers of immigrants entered the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the flag was appropriated as a symbol of nationalism and patriotism by groups that felt that the cultures and customs of the new citizens threatened national unity and security. During the same period, as the advertising industry grew along with rapid industrialization, the flag was commonly used for commercial purposes. Flags or images of flags were used to promote everything from toilet paper to chewing gum. The flag was also appropriated for political gain. In 1896, the campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate William McKinley distributed millions of flags for use at McKinley's rallies. The McKinley campaign also distributed buttons bearing the likeness of a flag, as symbols of support for the candidate.

What is the Appropriate Use of the Confederate Flag?

After months of open and contentious debate, the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina agreed in May 2000 that the Confederate Flag would be taken from the State House dome and placed at the Confederate Soldiers' Monument. State Governor Jim Hodges signed the bill, which was supported by the South Carolina Chamber as part of the Business Agenda and the Courage to Compromise coalition, on May 30. "Today, we bring this debate to an honorable end. Today, the descendants of slaves and the descendants of Confederate soldiers join together in the spirit of mutual respect," Hodges stated in a speech just prior to the signing. The actual relocation of the flag on July 1, 2000, complete with pomp and circumstance, was attended by 3,000 people. The official ceremony lasted eight minutes. The fallout lasted for eight months.

In 1994, Jim Folsom, Jr., the governor of Alabama, decided to move a Confederate flag from the state capitol's room to a nearby war memorial. His decision was partially a response to pressure from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Afterward, South Carolina was the only former member of the Confederate States of America to fly the Confederate flag on its capitol building, though some Southern states still used it as part of their flag design. The issue waxed and waned in South Carolina's legislature for the next several years without resolution. In late 1999, the NAACP again mobilized, calling for a boycott of all state tourism, athletic contests, cultural events, and film-making in South Carolina until the flag was removed.

Benedict College, an historically black institution, canceled its September 2, 2000, football game with South Carolina State University after the latter refused to move the game from its campus in Orangeburg, South Carolina, to Charlotte, North Carolina. This event was followed by Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Swarthmore College all canceling spring-break trips to South Carolina's coast. Furthermore, the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I Board of Directors threatened to move games in the men's basketball tournament out of South Carolina if the flag was not removed from the state dome.

The issue returned to the state legislature's general assembly, where, following several weeks of emotional and grueling battle, a compromise agreement was reached in May 2000 by a House vote of 66-43 and a Senate vote of 35-8. The flag came down and took up its new home at the Solders' Memorial. Senator Arthur Ravenel claimed, "The only people that seem to be unhappy are the extremists."

The NAACP, however, took umbrage with the new location, complaining that the flag had become more visible than ever. It sent out mailings, urging the continuation of its state boycott and arguing that the flag also should be removed from all state grounds, including the Soldiers' Memorial. State Senator Robert Ford, a black supporter of the compromise, defended its new location, stating that, contrary to the NAACP's contentions, the flag was not "in anybody's face" in its new location. House majority leader Rick Quinn remarked that the NAACP had "essentially become professional agitators and I think someone needs to stand up to them." Several hundred flag supporters gathered at the ceremony and vowed that the flag would again rise above the state capitol.

After the flag's removal in South Carolina, Georgia followed. In January 2001, Georgia governor Ray Barnes persuaded lawmakers to shrink the Confederate battle emblem prominently displayed on the state flag to a small box in the corner of the flag. The Confederate battle emblem had been added in 1956 while Georgia schools were segregated. Sonny Perdue defeated Barnes in an upset victory in 2002, due in no small part to the flag controversy. In April 2003, Perdue endorsed a new flag that employs the so-called "stars and bars," another historic Confederate banner. However, Civil Rights groups, including the NAACP and Rainbow/PUSH, heavily criticized Perdue's stance, demanding that the flag have no Confederate symbols. On April 25, 2003, Georgia's legislature approved a flag that looks similar to the Confederate battle emblem but does not have the Dixie cross or other Confederate symbols.

Other states have had mixed reactions to the flag controversy. Florida quietly removed its Confederate flag from the state capitol in 2001. Mississippi, however, the last bastion of the old South, has held its ground. In April 2001, by a two-thirds division along mostly racial lines, voters overwhelmingly rejected a bill to replace the state's "Southern Cross" on its flag, which dates back to 1894. Mississippi, the poorest state in the Union, showed little concern for any threatened boycotts.

The flag controversy revolves around the intended meaning of the flag. Clearly, if a state's flag represents "symbolic speech," there must be an intent to convey a particular message that is understood by those who view it, in order to invoke First Amendment consideration. Under these conditions, the time, place, and manner of display may be controlled if it can be proven that its display would cause violence or mayhem. According to the NAACP, the Confederate battle flag and emblem "have been embraced as the primary symbols for the numerous modern-day groups advocating white supremacy." The NAACP has referred to the flag as a "banner of secession and slavery." Some Southern whites see it as a banner of honor, however, for the Confederate soldiers who lost their lives during the U.S. Civil War. Furthermore, they interpret the war to have been more about state and federal power and states' rights to secede from a union that they had joined voluntarily and less as a war to end the institution of Slavery. Still further, others see the flag as a banner of "treason against the United States government."

The flag's significance on the state building seems to send two messages. Some have charged that it was more than coincidence that the South Carolina Confederate flag first flew over the state capitol in the early 1960s: it was raised in a centennial celebration of the Civil War. Others believe it was also meant to send a message to the grassroots Civil Rights Movement, which was just beginning to mobilize. In a country where historians continued to debate the reasons for the Civil War, the flag's message has been interpreted according to passing ideological or economic battles.

Issues regarding Southern heritage and the Confederate flag also were fought over in schools. In October 2000, the Supreme Court of the United States declined review of the Eleventh Circuit's decision in Denno v. School Board of Volusia County, Fla., 218 F. 3d 1267 (11th Cir. (Fla.), Jul 20, 2000) which upheld a school's right to discipline a student for displaying a small Confederate flag at school. The school had argued that the flag was such a controversial symbol that its display invited disruption. The Eleventh Circuit panel first issued an opinion allowing the student to proceed with his case against the school board then later withdrew its opinion and issued a dismissal.

Students in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia also have been disciplined in the early 2000s for wearing Confederate symbols or flags on their clothing. Notwithstanding, in March 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit remanded to the trial court a suit by two Kentucky students who were suspended for wearing Hank Williams Jr. shirts with the Confederate flag. (Castorina v. Madison County School Board, 246F. 3d 536 [6th Cir. (Ky.), Mar 08, 2001]). The appellate court stated that the school needed to explain its reason for the ban, such as whether any racial violence had occurred at the school.

Cross-references

States' Rights.

The turn of the century saw the beginnings of a movement to protect and honor the flag. In the early part of the twentieth century, schools commonly required students to salute the flag each morning. Some students refused to participate in the salute, mainly on religious grounds. By 1940, at least 200 public school students had been expelled in 16 states for refusing to salute the flag. Many of them were Jehovah's Witnesses, who maintained that any salute to the national flag constituted an act of idolatry and thus violated their religious beliefs. The expulsion of two Jehovah's Witnesses was challenged in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 310 U.S. 586, 60 S. Ct. 1010, 84 L. Ed. 1375 (1940). In Gobitis, a father sued to enjoin the school district from prohibiting his children's attendance at school after they refused to salute the flag. The U.S. district court granted the Injunction allowing the children to return to school, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the district court. On appeal, the Supreme Court reversed the lower courts, holding that the school district's requirement that students salute the flag did not unconstitutionally infringe their religious freedoms. Writing for the 8–1 majority, Justice Felix Frankfurter said the salute requirement was constitutional as long as the students' "right to believe as they please, to win others to their way of belief, and their right to assemble in their chosen places of worship for the devotional ceremonies of their faith, are fully respected." A few years later, the Court reversed its position, in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624, 63 S. Ct. 1178, 87 L. Ed. 1628 (1943), another challenge to mandatory flag salutes brought by members of Jehovah's Witnesses. In Barnette, the Court held that the school board could not require public school teachers and students to salute the flag. The Court said Freedom of the Press, of assembly, and of worship may be restricted "only to prevent grave and immediate danger to interests which the state may lawfully protect." In a companion case, Taylor v. Mississippi, 319 U.S. 583, 63 S. Ct. 1200, 87L. Ed. 1600 (1943), the Court overturned the convictions of two people found guilty under a state statute that forbade the dissemination of information advocating refusal to salute, honor, or respect the flag. The Court held that the statute infringed Freedom of Speech and freedom of the press. The Barnette and Taylor decisions signaled the Court's emerging support of the notion that freedom of speech extends to symbolic as well as oral and written speech.

Also during the early 1900s, numerous state laws were passed prohibiting the desecration of the flag or the use of the flag in advertising. Some of these laws were struck down by state courts, but in 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld their validity when it affirmed a lower court that had refused to strike down a Nebraska statute prohibiting the use of the flag in advertising (Halter v. Nebraska, 205 U.S. 34, 27 S. Ct. 419, 51 L. Ed. 696 [1907]). The Court said the flag, as an emblem of national authority and an object of patriotic fervor, should not be associated with personal or commercial interests. It held that the Nebraska statute did not infringe personal property rights or individual freedom.

For 80 years, Halter was cited as precedent in cases upholding flag desecration statutes, and these laws stood solidly intact through most of the twentieth century. The laws were invoked frequently to prosecute demonstrators who burned flags to protest U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Between 1965 and the end of the war in 1973, as many as one thousand arrests were made under various state laws prohibiting the desecration of the flag.

The Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of flag desecration laws again in texasv. johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 109 S. Ct. 2533, 105 L. Ed. 2d 342 (1989). During the 1984 Republican National Convention, in Dallas, the defendant, Gregory Lee Johnson and one hundred others staged a protest outside the convention hall. During the demonstration, Johnson burned a U.S. flag. He was later arrested for violating the Texas Venerated Objects Law (Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 42.09(a)(3) [Vernon 1974]), which outlawed intentionally or knowingly desecrating a flag in a way that some observer might find seriously offensive. Johnson was convicted, but his conviction was overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (Johnson, 755 S.W.2d 92 [Tex. Crim. App. 1988]). The state appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5–4 decision, the Court affirmed the court of criminal appeals, holding that Johnson's conduct was expressive communication, a form of speech that requires First Amendment protection. Addressing Texas's claim that it had a legitimate interest in preventing a breach of the peace, the Court observed that no disturbance of the peace occurred or was threatened by Johnson's burning of the flag. The Court also held that the venerated objects statute was subject to the strictest constitutional scrutiny because it restricted Johnson's freedom of expression based on the content of the message he sought to convey. The Court concluded, "We do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that this cherished emblem represents."Many people were outraged by the Johnson decision. President george h. w. bush denounced flag burning and proposed a constitutional amendment to overturn Johnson. The Senate and the House of Representatives passed numerous resolutions calling for a constitutional amendment outlawing flag burning. When it became clear that a constitutional amendment was probably not feasible, Congress instead passed the Flag Protection Act of 1989 (Pub. L. No. 101-131, 103 Stat. 777 [amending 18 U.S.C.A. § 700]), which made it a criminal offense to mutilate, deface, or burn a flag; place a flag on the floor or ground; or walk on a flag. The act did not mention the motive of the actor or the effect on observers of the act. With these omissions, the statute was designed to be content neutral and to pass the most stringent constitutional scrutiny.

The Flag Protection Act was tested in United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310, 110 S. Ct. 2404, 110 L. Ed. 2d 287 (1990). In Eichman, the defendants were arrested for burning a flag in a protest. They moved to dismiss the charges on the ground that the Flag Protection Act violated the First Amendment. The district court dismissed the charges, and the government appealed directly to the Supreme Court. Affirming the district court's findings, the Court reasserted its position that flag burning is expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment. The Court conceded that the federal act differed from the Texas statute in Johnson because it did not appear to regulate the content of the message conveyed by the prohibited acts. Nonetheless, the Court held that the government's interest in preserving the flag as a national symbol was implicated under the act only when a person's treatment of the flag communicated a message that opposed the government's ideals. In effect, the act did regulate the content of protected speech. The Court concluded that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea, no matter how disagreeable or offensive that idea may be.

The Eichman decision prompted President Bush to renew his efforts to gain passage of a constitutional amendment banning flag desecration. The measure came to a vote in June 1990. By then, public and political interest in the issue had dissipated, and many members of Congress who had voted for the Flag Preservation Act were unwilling to support a change to the Constitution. The proposed amendment failed by a vote of 254–177 in the House of Representatives and 58–42 in the Senate.

During the mid-1990s and early 2000s, the House of Representatives continued to consider constitutional amendments that would allow Congress to enact legislation prohibiting the desecration of the flag. In 2003, the House passed a proposed amendment that reads, "The Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." H.R.J. Res. 4 (108th Cong., 1st Sess.). According to one of the amendment's supporters, Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH), "If we allow [the flag's] defacement, we allow our country's gradual decline." The House approved the resolution by a vote of 300 to 125.

Although the amendment was still officially under consideration by the Senate in October 2003, similar measures in 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001 failed to pass in the Senate. In order to be passed, the proposed amendment must receive a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate, plus approval from three-fourths of the states. In 1995 and 2001, similar measures received 63 votes, four shy of the required two thirds majority. Democrats opposed to the amendment have called the bi-annual legislation a "rite of spring" for House Republicans who support the measure.

Cross-references

Censorship; Religion.

flag

flag 1

flag 2

flag 3

flag 4

flag

flag

flag

flag

flag1

flag2

flag3

flag4

flag

flag

flag

flag

flag 1

flag 2

flag1

flag2

flag

flag

flag

flag

flagged

flag

flag,

The U.S. Flag

Origin and Design

Rules for Display

Signaling and Communication

Historical Development of Flags

Bibliography

flag,

Flag

flag

flagstone, flag, flagging

flag

flag

flag

flag

flag

flag

Flag

Flag

What is the Appropriate Use of the Confederate Flag?

Further readings

Cross-references

Further readings

Cross-references

Flag

Flag

Flag

flag

FLAG

flag

Synonyms for flag

noun banner

Synonyms

verb mark

Synonyms

phrase flag something or someone down

Synonyms

verb weaken

Synonyms

Synonyms for flag

noun fabric used especially as a symbol

Synonyms

verb to communicate by means of such devices as lights or signs

Synonyms

verb to become limp, as from loss of freshness

Synonyms

verb to lose strength or power

Synonyms

Synonyms for flag

noun emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

Related Words

noun a listing printed in all issues of a newspaper or magazine (usually on the editorial page) that gives the name of the publication and the names of the editorial staff, etc

Synonyms

flag¹

flag²

flag³

flag⁴

flag¹

flag²

flag³

flag⁴

flag¹

flag²

flag¹

flag²