CRJU 1068 Should desecrating the American flag be illegal? The American flag is so loved because of what it represents; the land of the free. Unfortunately, that freedom also includes the ability to use or abuse that flag in protest. The Supreme Court declared in 1989 that the government could not stop citizens from desecrating the nation’s flag. On an emotional level, I would almost immediately agree that there should be laws protecting the American flag from desecration or destruction. However, if I examine the question from a logical standpoint, I come to an all-together different conclusion. Consider the wording of the original question. The word consecrate comes from a Latin word that means "to make sacred." When you change the prefix