Gregory Lee Johnson's Political Protest March

Some citizens write stern letters to their congressmen, some post signs in their front yard, others gather signatures on a petition to voice their opinions. However, Gregory Lee Johnson decided to set the American flag ablaze to allow his opinion to be heard. In 1984, a political protest march was occurring through the streets of Dallas, Texas consisting of a diverse group of civilians who were against the policies of the current Reagan Administration. Johnson, in the middle of the crowd, was handed an American Flag and some kerosene by an unknown protestor outside the Dallas City Hall; Johnson decided to throw the American flag onto the ground, pour the kerosene on it and set it on fire. Many protesters around Johnson began to chant, “America,
When Johnson was very unsatisfied with Regan’s policies, instead of sticking to the norm, he decided to voice his opinion by joining a political protest march. In order to be as effective as possible he knew that he needed something to make himself stand out, something to grab the attention of millions, a “wow factor” of some sorts. Many protestors before Johnson had tried to get their voices heard, only to have them fall upon deaf ears. Even famous songwriters and musicians wrote songs in protest that were often misinterpreted by the very government it was singing about. The well-known American musician Bruce Springsteen, for example, expressed his critical beliefs of President Regan in a big way by releasing his hit song, “Born in the USA” in 1984 (the same year Johnson was arrested). Springfield’s intentions for this song were to protest Regan’s policies also known as “Reganomics”. Unfortunately, Springfield’s intentions were misinterpreted into a sort of anthem from Ronald Regan himself as he mentioned the song during his campaigning for reelection stating, “America’s future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts. It rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about.” (Molloy). Sadly, the President did not have a clue that Springsteen and his song were actually anti-Regan. If someone as well-known as this famous singer could not get thru to congress, then what chance had Johnson to? He knew that if one wanted something done then they would have to do it themselves, desperate times call for desperate measures and