Burning The American Flag?

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President-elect Trump has stated any American caught burning the American flag should face punishment. However, the United States Supreme Court has ruled burning the flag is a form of free speech and therefore cannot be a punishable crime. It’s not likely Trump will be able to outlaw the burning of the American flag. I had always thought the first American flag consisted of thirteen red and white strips with thirteen stars in a circle with a blue background in the upper left hand corner of the flag. My A Book of Days in American History tells me differently. On December 3, 1775, the first official American flag was raised on the naval vessel Alfred. This flag had thirteen red and white stripes but with St. George and St. Andrew crosses on it. No mention of any stars. I don’t know if I had learned this and had forgotten it, but I know why I would have thought the flag with the thirteen stars in a circle was the first flag. It is shown more often than any other flag from the early days of the United States. It is seen in movies about the early days of the United States. It is the flag most often displayed as the earliest of American flags. Of course the flag has change over the years by the adding of a new star every time a new state joined the union. It now has fifty stars and thirteen red and white stripes. There are occasions when the American flag should be burnt. I learned at an early age that if the flag touches the ground it is supposed to be destroyed by burning it. Once the flag touches the ground it is consider soiled. Some other rules I learned about the American flag. In the United States the American flag should always fly higher than any other flag on display. If more than the American flag is on display, not only should the American flag fly higher but it should also be display in the middle of the flags. If the flag is to being flown after dark there is to be a spotlight shining on it. I have never burnt or been involved in any burning of the American flag. Have you?