What did the Supreme Court rule in Texas v. Johnson regarding flag burning?

The Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. Johnson that burning the flag is a constitutional form of protest. This landmark decision, delivered in 1989, centered around the First Amendment rights to free speech. The Court determined that flag burning constitutes expressive conduct that is protected under the First Amendment. The ruling emphasized that the government cannot prohibit expression simply because it is offensive or disagrees with the message being conveyed. This case reinforced the principle that freedom of speech includes actions that may be controversial, as the Court recognized that the act of burning the flag can communicate a political message. The significance of this ruling lies in its affirmation of the First Amendment as a safeguard for diverse forms of expression, even those that provoke strong emotional responses.