Flag burning Illinois man will not be charged - officials

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

World | Tue Jul 5, 2016 6:13pm EDT

Flag burning Illinois man will not be charged - officials

An Illinois man who posted a picture of himself burning an American flag on social media on the July Fourth U.S. holiday will not be charged because flag burning is protected speech, authorities said on Tuesday.

Bryton Mellott, 22, was charged with flag desecration and disorderly conduct when he was arrested in Urbana, Illinois, on Monday. Police had received complaints after Mellott posted the photo on his Facebook page. They also received calls expressing concern for Mellott's safety.

In addition, police said they received threats against Mellott's place of employment, a Walmart store, which raised concerns about the safety of others.

Mellott said in the original post that he was not proud to be an American, local media said. "In this moment, being proud of my country is to ignore the atrocities committed against people of color, people living in poverty, people who identify as women, and against my own queer community on a daily basis," he said in the post, which appears to have since been deleted.

“The State’s Attorney’s Office is declining to file charges against (Bryton) Mellott as the act of burning a flag is protected free speech according to the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Texas v. Johnson, 491 US 397 (1989),” Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said in a statement on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Justin Madden in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-illinois-flagburning-idUSKCN0ZL2OR

[Person 2713]

1. Part of his message

"I would like to one day feel a sense of pride toward my nationality again. But too little progress has been made. Too many people still suffer at the hands of politicians influenced by special interests. too many people are still being killed and brutlized by a police force plagued with authority complexes and racism. Too many people are allowed to be slaughtered for the sale of gun manufacturer profits. Too many Americans hold hate in their hearts in the name of their religion, and for fear of others. .... I do not have pride in my country. I am overwhelmingly ashamed, and I will demonstrate my feelings accordingly. #ArrestMe."

[SickOfTheOnePct]

2. Nor should he be n/t

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. Glad the article and State’s Atty Rietz cited the court case.

[Mariana]

4. How is it he was arrested in the first place?

In addition to his action being free speech, there is the property rights issue. Did the flag belong to him? If so, no one has the right to punish him for burning it. People are allowed to destroy their own property.

[gratuitous]

5. Never read the comments

Okay, so I read the comments and there's the standard-issue outrage over not loving America, you should be shot for desecrating a flag, and so on and so ad nauseam forth. One person made a rather specific and comprehensive list of things you should never do to a flag, including stomping or walking on it. I resisted the very strong temptation to post this photo in response: