[clipsy]

Your own link underscores exactly how easily this sort of behavior can be outlawed; as recently as 1989 a flagrantly unconstitutional bill was passed banning flag burning and as recently as 2006 the house supported a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. And that's without covering the various states that have passed laws banning flag burning, or the nearly 60 year period during which supreme court precedent allowed for laws against flag burning.

[landofredwater]

What my link is meant to show is that even if such a law is introduced, chances are it'll be overturned. Since the initial decision, the court has only expanded speech in terms of burning or other physical destruction.

Plus, at least in the US, people are a lot more easy to rile up over American Flags that Qurans. It'd be a lot harder for any bill to pass about protecting Muslim holy books than the flag. I'm not saying that as a good thing, just as a point of fact.

[clipsy]

> What my link is meant to show is that even if such a law is introduced, chances are it'll be overturned.

And my point is that that is a quite recent phenomenon in historical terms and should not be viewed as anything resembling a permanent or even long-term norm. If you burned an American flag in the wrong part of America 60 years ago you would most likely have faced legal repercussions (unless you had the resources and the "perfect case" to take to the supreme court).

Edit: I feel like I should clarify here that I 100% agree that flag burning should be legal, I merely want to point out that we should not take that for granted.