“I have never seen anyone burn a flag. And if I did, it would take every ounce of restraint I had not to haul off and hit them.”

—  Barack Obama

Barack Obama, as quoted in "The Constitution, Designed to Change, Rarely Does" http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122835767216478251 (4 December 2008), by Jennifer S. Forsyth, The Wall Street Journal
2008

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 30, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I have never seen anyone burn a flag. And if I did, it would take every ounce of restraint I had not to haul off and hi…" by Barack Obama?
Barack Obama photo
Barack Obama 1158
44th President of the United States of America 1961

Related quotes

Alan Watts photo

“I am amazed that Congressmen can pass a bill imposing severe penalties on anyone who burns the American flag, whereas they are responsible for burning that for which the flag stands”

Alan Watts (1915–1973) British philosopher, writer and speaker

Audio lecture "Individual and Society"
Context: I am amazed that Congressmen can pass a bill imposing severe penalties on anyone who burns the American flag, whereas they are responsible for burning that for which the flag stands: the United States as a territory, as a people, and as a biological manifestation. That is an example of our perennial confusion of symbols with realities.

Elie Wiesel photo
C. V. Raman photo

“Then I turned round and saw the British Union Jack under which I had been sitting and it was then that I realised that my poor country, India, did not even have a flag of her own - and it was this that triggered off my complete breakdown.”

C. V. Raman (1888–1970) Indian physicist

On the occasion of the Noble Prize award presented to him in 1930 by King Gustova in Stokholm Raman observed[Parameswaran, Uma, C.V. Raman: A Biography, http://books.google.com/books?id=RbgXRdnHkiAC, 2011, Penguin Books India, 978-0-14-306689-7] page=xv, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman:A Legend of Modern Indian Science, 22 November 2013, Official Government of Indian website Vigyan Prasar http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/scientists/cvraman/raman1.htm,

Sandy Koufax photo
Stephenie Meyer photo
Antonin Scalia photo

“If I were king, I would not allow people to go about burning the American flag. However, we have a First Amendment which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged.”

Antonin Scalia (1936–2016) former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

And it is addressed, in particular, to speech critical of the government.
New York Times (July 19, 2012)
2010s

Dick Stuart photo

“That was when I started telling Polish jokes. Actually, Maz robbed me. If I had hit that home run, I would have made a lot more out of it than Maz did. He never made much effort to capitalize on it. Can you imagine what that homer would be worth in endorsements today?”

Dick Stuart (1932–2002) American baseball player

On the walk-off home run—hit with pinch hitter Stuart on-deck—that ended the 1960 World Series; as quoted in "A Sad Story: Dick Stuart's Bat Was Solid; So Was His Glove"

Related topics