Heavy smoke billows from burning flags which can be seen for miles. The VFW Post is one block west of Hwy 41 at Velp Avenue in Green Bay. Several curious passer-by's increase traffic on Riverside Drive. While taking a photo of the VFW Post sign out front, two people stop to ask me what was going on. One of them thought it was a civil rebellion where the burning of US flags was an act of protest and aggression toward our great nation. I had all I could do to not break out in laughter. Remaining somewhat reserved I explained what I knew which was really very little. I continued by saying this was a new experience for me too and I'm here to learn about our civil duty and responsibilities. Although, the more I thought about his comment, the current state of our nation, as well as the consequences and fall-out as a direct result of the present course we're on, I pondered if his first thought may be valid and actually happen in the near future by distraught citizens'. Beyond that, I also pondered whether he, or I for that matter, could be criminally charged for even thinking such a thing should hate crimes legislation be passed in its present form before the August recess?

TITLE 4 CHAPTER 1 Sub-part 3 - THE FLAG [source]

Use of flag for advertising purposes; mutilation of flag
Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale, or to public view, or give away or have in possession for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose, any article or substance being an article of merchandise, or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in the discretion of the court. The words 'flag, standard, colors, or ensign', as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America.