Article 26

Jordan Parmenter, a high school teacher in Illinois was fired （解雇）by the school board （校董会）in late June after he stepped on a US national flag during a lesson on freedom of speech.

  Students reportedly were discomforted （不安）by the way of his expression （讲话方式）and protested （抗议）to the school administration

Whether the decision of school board is justified （有理）is a topic of debate（争议） among public. Even tough burning （烧）national flag is a 破 l（合法）way of freedom of speech protected by US constitution（宪法）, which many Permenter supporters cite（引用）, stomping （踩踏）on a national flag to teach freedom of speech in a classroom is still considered （认为）controversial（有争议） by many in the US.

Expression through desecrating （亵渎）national flag is always tricky （复杂）as the flag is a strong symbol of patriotism（爱国）, another expression which many hold is naturally just（公平）.

In Parmenter's class, parents were said to be very proud of students' protesting against his treatment （处理）of national flag.

Permenter himself immediately apologized after the protest, saying "I love my country and have nothing but（除了） the utmost （最高）respect for those who serve it."

But it didn't help him save his job. It is believed the school board's 6-0 vote was made in consideration of （考虑到）the local community's reaction. Clearly there is a consistent （始终如一）mainstream ideology （主流意识）against desecrating the American flag in a classroom.

The incident （事件）suggested the freedom of speech does have boundary （边界）and has to be taken in proper context（语境）.

As a core part of Western values（价值观）, freedom of speech is often put in a sacred （神圣）position, and some regard （认为）the right has to be protected even when this value clashes with （冲突）others.

In Parmenter's case, many question whether his conduct （行为）was disrespect （不敬）to the flag and those who had served the country.

Freedom of speech increasingly clashes with people's way of living, national security（安全） and religious belief.

In more cases, freedom of speech can be source （源）of conflict （冲突）in a society.

Through out the world, more governments are facing the dilemma （困境）on whether to ban （禁止）the Muslim head scarf （头巾）in public space.

In Singapore, a teenager was detained （禁闭）after releasing （放）a video criticizing （批评）national leader Lee Kuan Yew's governing style after his pass-away in March.

Early this year, a shooting spree （乱枪扫射）in Paris-based Charlie Hebdo caused by the magazine's blasphemous （亵渎）cartoons （漫画）against Islamic prophet （先知）sparked （触发）a round of debate regarding （关于）limit of speech freedom.

In the West where freedom of speech is often upheld（主张）, there seems to be split （分裂）views over whether the right should overwhelm （压倒）everything else.

The concept （概念）of freedom of speech, originally a secular （世俗）idea, was to defy （反叛）religious suppression（压制）. The right of freedom of speech is necessary for the openness of a society.

However, support of freedom of speech has sometimes become a religious-like ideology where rigidly sticking to （坚持）the principle could trample on （践踏）other legitimate （合法）beliefs.

Ideological clashes not only exist among rival （对立）countries, but have increasingly infiltrated （渗透）into a nation's internal （内部）system.

Deepening globalization（全球化）, inflow （流动）immigrants and cultural import （输入）have brought the conflict of different ideas as few countries in the world still hold a homogenous （同质）ideology. It is a challenge （挑战）to governance when leaders are exploring （探索）ways to balancing（平衡） social diversity （多样性）and national solidarity（稳定性）.

In the globalization era（时代）, while the right to expression is encouraged, perhaps tolerance （包容）and compromising （妥协）should be encouraged more.

Harmony （和谐）is a central idea in the "Oriental culture," but it has been ignored（忽略） by the West, which is still in the dominant （统治）position in the world.

The author is a commentator （评论员）with the Global Times.