Eng. 2 -- 3rd Paper Assignment

Is Flag Burning Free Speech?

In this assignment, you have just been recommended to an appointment to the Supreme Court of the U.S. Before appointing you, the President wants a position paper describing your views on free speech. You will use a particular case (Texas v. Johnson) and its details to discuss your broader vision of free speech. Is flag burning free speech? Are all acts free speech? Is all speech protected speech?

1. Read the hand-out of Texas v. Johnson. (You may want to go online and read the whole decision.)
2. Read some of the quoted precedent cases such as

• Spence v. Washington
• Street v. New York
• Schact v. United States
• AND OTHERS – do not limit your research to just these cases.

3. Take a position on the issue.

4. Decide which cases best support your position.

5. In a four to six page paper, use precedent cases and any other reference materials, articles, or documents (such as the Constitution) to make your case.

Version of Texas v. Johnson with hyperlinks