`The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.'

In 2004, it was gay marriage. This year, Republican strategists are hoping to resurrect a Constitutional amendment banning flag desecration as an issue to galvanize voters. The GOP controlled House of Representatives got the ball rolling by passing the amendment yesterday by a vote of 286-130.

The amendment has been proposed before as a means of getting around Supreme Court decisions in 1989 and 1990 which struck down state and federal flag desecration laws as unconstitutional.

For the sake of argument, I'll humor those who believe this issue deserves the attention it's sure to get leading up to the 2006 midterm elections.

What is a flag? Can it be made of cloth, polyester, plastic or simply drawn on a piece of paper? What defines desecration? Is it only burning or does it go further? What of those flags people hang off of their car windows or tacky dresses and shirts containing the flag?

Considering the Pandora's box we would be opening by approving this, we'd be better off utilizing our law enforcement resources for combatting violent crime and terrorism.

Also, it's eye opening that for the second year in a row, the "party of small government" has proposed a Constitutional amendment aiming to restrict civil liberties. Maybe we should start referring to them as the freedom-haters.