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Brad has a post about the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment, and the response from two Republicans. I whole-heartedly agree with Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT), who calls it a "non-problem." Who is burning the flag these days? And why should I be offended that they are?

The flag is just a symbol. It can be inspirational, as portrayed in The Star-Spangled Banner, but in the end, it is just a symbol that reminds us of the unity of our fifty states, and the sacrifices made by those before us to secure our freedoms. A symbol.

If someone is burning the flag of the United States, I’m going to assume one of two things: he is either expressing his anger with the United States and its policies, or he accidentally held the flag over a lit stove and caught it on fire. With regards to the latter, accidents happen. With regards to the former, speech is a freedom guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.

Likewise, I think the Bush Administration’s remarks of late are exactly why the framers of the Constitution created the First Amendment. The Administration has called the press "disgraceful" for publishing details about the NSA wiretapping program and the Treasury Department program of surveilling banking transactions. If not for the press, the public may otherwise be unaware of violations of their civil rights.

The press is serving the public’s interest by revealing the details of such gross invasions of privacy, which may then be seen for their potential for harm. In addition to finding links to terrorism, the information gathered by these programs may also be used for less well-intentioned efforts like intimidation and coercion. The press is helping to hold the government accountable for its actions. This may sound like paranoia, but a little paranoia never hurt anyone.