Flag Burning - Yay or Nay?

OK, so today I received a rather annoying traffic ticket because I drove down a public side-street that has been closed to local residents only. While researching the laws to find out how I am being denied access to a tax-payer maintained road that had its snow plowed before mine and is only 500 feet from my home (seems local to me), I found an interesting local law.

Sec. 19-4. Flag and coat of arms.
(a) Definitions. The words "flag," "standard," "color," "ensign," "cost-of-arms" and "shield," as used in this section, shall include any flag, standard, color, ensign, cost-of-arms and shield or copy, picture or representation thereof made of any substance or represented or produced thereon, and of any size, evidently purporting to be such flag, standard, color, ensign, coat-of-arms or shield of the United States or of this state or a copy, picture or representation thereof.
(b) Exhibition and display of flag. It shall be unlawful for any person within the city to in any manner for exhibition or display:
(1) Place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing or advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, color, ensign, coat-of-arms or shield of the United States or of this state or authorized by any law of the United States or of this state;
(2) Expose to public view any flag, standard, color, ensign, coat-of-arms or shield upon which shall have been printed, painted or otherwise produced or to which shall have been attached, appended, affixed or annexed any such word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing or advertisement; or
(3) Expose to public view for sale, manufacture or otherwise or to sell, give or have in possession for sale, for gift or for use for any purpose any substance being an article of merchandise, receptacle, or thing for holding or carrying merchandise upon or to which shall have been produced or attached any such flag, standard, color, ensign, coat-of-arms or shield in order to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark or distinguish such article or substance.
(c) Mutilation of flag. It shall be unlawful for any person within the city who shall publicly mutilate, deface, defile, defy, trample upon or by word or act cast contempt upon any such flag, standard, color, ensign, coat-of-arms or shield.
(d) Exceptions. This section shall not apply to any act permitted by the statutes of the United States or of this state or by the United States army and navy regulations, nor shall it apply to any printed or written document or production, stationery, ornament, picture or jewelry whereon shall be depicted such flag, standard, color, ensign, coat-of-arms or shield with no design or words thereon and disconnected with any advertisement.
(Ord. No. 75-51, §§ 13.1--13.4, 2-11-75)
State law references: Similar provisions, MCL 750.244 et seq., MSA 28.441 et seq.

So then I researched the State of Michigan laws which say the same thing. I guess it never occurred to me that the flag burning amendment would be pointless in this state because it was already illegal. I probably also didn't notice because burning a flag never seemed like something I wanted to do (with my luck my hair would go up with the nylon flag). However I think that American citizens should have the right to burn a flag in protest just like the colonist burned the British flag and effigies of the king during the Revolution.

So what do you think - should flag burning (and other form of flag "desecration") be banned?

I know that I won't be doing it any time soon because, as an Army brat, I was brought up to look at the Flag a certain way. However - that does not mean that I should be allowed to tell others that they cannot burn one in protest.

Please note - you cannot equate burning a flag with urinating or defecating on it. Both of those acts are considered indecent in public (as they should be) so they are automatically out of the "desecration" category.