The American flag isn’t just a symbol. For millions, it’s sacred. It draped the coffins of fallen soldiers. It hung over rubble after 9/11. It waves at graduations, naturalization ceremonies, and the front porches of people who still believe in this country.

So when protesters light it on fire, it feels like more than “speech.” It feels like contempt for the nation that affords them the freedom to protest in the first place. That’s why President Trump’s new order criminalizing flag desecration and expelling non-citizens who do it is striking such a chord.

The legal battles will be fierce. The Supreme Court ruled decades ago that flag burning is protected speech. But Trump is forcing a national conversation: is burning the flag truly speech, or is it something more corrosive?

The Left calls it authoritarian. They say punishing flag burning tramples the First Amendment. But here’s the irony: these are the same people who cheer when someone is fired for saying the “wrong” thing online. They don’t actually support free speech — they support speech they like. So their defense of flag burning rings hollow.

Protecting the flag isn’t about suppressing ideas; it’s about upholding respect. No one is saying you can’t criticize America. Do it all day. Write, speak, protest. But burning the very symbol of the country that gives you those rights is a bridge too far.

America is more than a collection of policies. It’s an identity, a culture, a shared home. The flag embodies that. And if defending it makes progressives uncomfortable, maybe they should ask themselves why patriotism bothers them so much.

Trump’s order won’t end the debate. But it reminds us that symbols matter, and the flag is worth defending. Even if it offends the professional outrage machine, the rest of us know: Old Glory deserves honor, not ashes.