第1470期：我印象最深的一个美国历史事件

十几年前我第一次读任东来老师的名作《美国宪政历程：影响美国的25个司法大案》时，深受震撼。那25个案件中给我印象最深刻的是焚烧美国国旗案。

事情是这样的。

Facts of the case

In 1984, in front of the Dallas City Hall, Gregory Lee Johnson burned an American flag as a means of protest against Reagan administration policies. Johnson was tried and convicted under a Texas law outlawing flag desecration. He was sentenced to one year in jail and assessed a $2,000 fine. After the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the conviction, the case went to the Supreme Court.

Question

Is the desecration of an American flag, by burning or otherwise, a form of speech that is protected under the First Amendment?

*https://www.oyez.org/cases/1988/88-155

焚烧美国国旗的人叫 Gregory Lee Johnson.焚烧国旗的地点是达拉斯市政厅门口，目的是抗议里根政府的政策。

按照德州法律，Johnson被判刑监禁一年，罚金两千美元。上诉至最高法院后，19 89年终审裁决无罪。

判决的关键问题是——焚毁美国国旗这个行为属不属于美国宪 法第一修正案保护下的公民盐轮自 由的范畴？

最高法院的9位大法官给出了答案——算。

19 89年的今天，美国最高法院做出最终判决——焚烧美国国旗是一种表达政治观点的个人行为，属于盐轮自 由的范畴，受第一修正案保护，盐轮自 由神圣不可侵犯，当事人无罪。

The US supreme court voted 5-4 in favor of making it legal to burn the US national flag as a means of political speech. （Politico）

上图为做出这个判决的9名大法官。

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/burning-us-flag-found-to-be-legal-june-21-1989-224253

On June 21, 19 89, a deeply divided United States Supreme Court upheld the rights of protesters to burn the American flag in a landmark First Amendment decision. (https://constitutioncenter.org)

对这个事件有兴趣的读者可参考下面的链接资源自行了解，推荐阅读任东来先生的那本书。