Free Speech Trumps Iowa Flag Laws

An Iowa man who flew a U.S. flag upside down as a form of protest set off a dispute that has now resulted in two state laws being declared unconstitutional. The Iowan was protesting the outcome of a bankruptcy proceeding and what he felt to be inadequate mental health care provided to U.S. Iraq war veterans. Although criminal charges that he had violated Iowa's flag desecration laws were dropped, civil rights advocacy groups filed a suit on his behalf.

Last week, U.S. Judge Robert Pratt ruled that two of Iowa's flag protection laws violated the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech. Struck down were Iowa laws dealing with the display of the U.S. flag in advertising and on clothing, and the display of the flag in ways showing "disrespect" for it as a symbol of the United States. Source: Des Moines Register

Also See:
Flag Burning Ban Amendment Tries Senate Again (2005)
Flag Protection Amendment Fails in Senate (2000)
History of Flag Burning Laws (Civil Liberties)