Actually, we had laws on the books for almost 50 years until SCOTUS declared them unconstituional in 1989 and 1990.
"Criminal penalties for certain acts of desecration to the flag were contained in Title 18 of the United States Code prior to 1989. The Supreme Court decision in Texas v. Johnson; June 21, 1989, held the statute unconstitutional. This statute was amended when the Flag Protection Act of 1989 (Oct. 28, 1989) imposed a fine and/or up to I year in prison for knowingly mutilating, defacing, physically defiling, maintaining on the floor or trampling upon any flag of the United States. The Flag Protection Act of 1989 was struck down by the Supreme Court decision, United States vs. Eichman, decided on June 11, 1990."
We still have laws on books making it a crime to deface US currency. "“Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”
Years ago, before I left home, we were driving somewhere after dark.
My father, who was a Korean war veteran, saw a flag on a post, even though you could hardly see it.
He went absolutely ballistic! He stopped, and wrote a note, and left it there, threatening the guy!
I guess according to his military training or whatever, he thought it was a severe breach of protocol to have a flag out at night and not have a light on it. Man, he was pizzed!