Texas vs. Johnson

1. What is the author’s primary claim?

• The Supreme Court cannot amend or stray from the equal rights set forth by the Bill of Rights.

• The Supreme Court disagrees with the actions permitted by the First Amendment, but cannot find legal grounds to uphold the conviction.

• The Supreme Court does not have the jurisdiction to veto a just law set forth by an individual state.

• The Supreme Court does not condone flag burning, but they recognize that it is a lawful act of protest.

2. PART A: Which of the following best represents the tone of this text?

• Irritated

• Prideful

• Adamant

• Angry

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

3. PART B: Which evidence BEST supports the tone identified in PART A?

• “National unity as an end which officials may foster by persuasion and example is not in question.”

• “We are fortified in today's conclusion by our conviction that forbidding criminal punishment for conduct such as Johnson's will not endanger the special role played by our flag…”

• “Indeed, one of the proudest images of our flag, the one immortalized in our own national anthem, is of the bombardment it survived at Fort McHenry.”

• “The way to preserve the flag's special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong.”

4. What does the repetition of the word resilience suggest about the Supreme Court’s view of the Constitution?

• It emphasizes the judge's belief that the nation and Constitution are strong because they are adaptable.

• It highlights the need for more amendments to constitutional laws that are biased or unfair.

• It develops the claim that fewer people will be willing to follow the laws mandated by the Constitution.

• It depicts a capacity to recover quickly from the disappointment that will come from the right to destroy a symbol of freedom.

5. What counterargument does the dissenting opinion make about responding to a flag burner?

• People should riot when they care deeply about something.

• Ignore them. There is no evidence to support flag burning will prove a point.

• People should treat the flag with respect and honor.

• There is no need to respond to someone exercising their First Amendment right.