Once again, you miss any elemental distinction. Urinating on Hillary Clinton as an act of protest involves an act against her person. Not permitted. Burning a cross is a close call, but it is an act against a group of people with the intent to intimidate them, a hate crime.   Burning a flag is a statement of disagreement with governmental policy, it involves no act on anothers person, and it isn't designed to intimidate people of color, sexual orientation, whatever. It is simply an act of protest against the government. I hope you get my meaning. Protest is a protected form of freedom of expression. It is an act designed to say you disagree with an entity or a policy. Both of your examples, Dave, deal with acts of aggression against a person, or a group of people. Apples and oranges. It is the protected principle we are talking about here.

Mick