In my opinion, the fact that Maxine Waters supporters stole an American flag is far more significant than the fact that they burned it

This article from the Washington Times includes the following photograph of Maxine Waters supporters burning an American flag:







As a libertarian who believes in free speech and property rights, I think it should be legal to burn the American flag as long as both of the following conditions are met:

1) The flag being burned is the property of the person (or people) who is (or are) burning it, i.e., the flag is not stolen.

and

2) The flag is burned in a manner that is in accordance with all of the fire and safety laws, i.e., the flag burning doesn’t pose a physical threat or fire hazard to the lives or property of other people.

Well, the particular incident in the above photograph fails this test, because, according to the same article from the Washington Times:

A small crowd that gathered Thursday outside the Los Angeles office of U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters to counter an expected protest by a self-styled militia group burned an American flag taken from the back of a pickup truck.

The vehicle, occupied by two men who appeared to be white, was stopped by the crowd. Some marchers opened the doors and one grabbed the flag flying on a pole in the bed of the truck, which sped off.

In other words, they stole the flag.

In my opinion, the fact that these Maxine Waters supporters stole an American flag is far more significant than the fact that they burned it.

I hope the person who stole the flag is prosecuted for robbery.

And I hope the people who blocked the vehicle and opened its doors are charged as accessories to robbery.

There is no excuse for committing robbery. Shame on them.