Company Profile of Lactalis

Company Profile of Lactalis I HISTORY         Ã‚   Lactalis is a family-owned company based in Laval, Mayenne, in France. Andrà © Besnier started his cheese maker activity in 1933. It started with the name of Socià ©tà © Besnier when Andrà © Besnier collected 35 liters of milk and made 17 camemberts out of it. Since then, the company changed its name to Lactalis in 1999 and became the world leader of dairy products. Chronology Some key Dates 1933  Andrà © Besnier establishes a cheese making business 1968  Besnier creates the Prà ©sident brand 1977  Michel Besnier launches products abroad and creates the service Besnier Export 1980  The group becomes the 1st European dairy company 1986  Besnier Export becomes Besnier International 1999  The company changes its name to Groupe Lactalis 1999  Besnier International becomes Lactalis International 2005 Lactalis purchased A. McLelland and Son Limited, a Scottish based cheese manufacturer 2006  Buyout of Galbani, leader of cheese in Italy and Italian cheeses in Europe. Lactalis becomes the 2nd cheese leader worldwide. 2006 Joint venture between the Lactalis Group and Nestlà © 2010  Acquisition of Puleva in Spain, 2nd leader for milk in the country. 2010 Acquisition of; Rachels Dairy Limited, the 2nd for organic yogurts and 1st for organic flavoured big pot yogurts in the UK 2011  Acquisition of Parmalat, Italian dairy company. Lactalis becomes the 1st; dairy company in the world II COMPANY STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION Lactalis is a private company owned by the Besnier family, with Emmanuel Besnier, the founders grandson, as its CEO. The company employs around 75 000 people. Lactalis owns 230 industrial sites in 43 countries.Lactalis is the: à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   1st dairy company worldwide 1st cheese making company worldwide 1st milk collecting company in Europe 1st cheese maker in Europe The commercialization of products in Asia, Africa, Oceania, the Middle-East and in DOM-TOMs (French overseas departments and territories) is managed by Lactalis International. Divisions in Lactalis Group Lactalis cheeses Lactalis Butter Creams Lactel Lactalis AOC Lactalis consumption AFH Lactalis industry Lactalis International LNUF Lactalis feed Job sectors Procurement Milk collection Sales Finance finance controlling Industrial Information technology Legal department Supply chain Marketing Quality Research and development Human resources III AREAS OF OPERATION Industrial presence worldwide Location of offices and subsidiaries worldwide Red Subsidiaries/ Offices : Lactalis CaraÃÆ' ¯bes; Lactalis Indian Ocean; Algeria; Egypt; Saudi Arabia; Gulf CC and levant; Lactalis Japan; Lactalis China; Lactalis Hong Kong; Lactalis Vietnam; Lactalis Singapore;;;;;;;;;;;;; Grey Export Lactalis International : Sub-saharan Africa; Maghreb-Mediterranean; Rest of Asia; Pacific Blue Other: Lactalis American Group; Lactalis Europe; Lactalis Europe de lEst; Lactalis CEI; Lactalis Australia IV PRODUCTS Product Mix Lactalis Groups product mix and product lines are wide: cheese, yoghurt, milk, cream, butter, powder milk, milk drinks, milk replacers, etc. Lactalis owns a lot of prestigious brands, in France and in other places in the world. Some brands and products Cheese : Prà ©sident Rouy Lepetit Bridà ©light Galbani Rondelà © Munsters Little Friends Butter and creams : Prà ©sident Bridà ©lice Bridà ©light Primrose Galbani Milk : Lactel -; Prà ©sident Ultra-fresh : Nestlà © Nutrition : Cà ©lia Milk replacers : Lactapro Eurovo Manufacturing process Lactalis Group takes the greatest care in collecting the best milk in France and in the world. The development of the Lactalis Group has always been done in respect of human beings and in respect of their partnership with milk producers. In France and abroad, Lactalis Groups constant investments in industrial development and innovation are an insurance of the optimization of milk production. Milk collection Several conditions are necessary to guarantee the production of milk in quantity and in quality: favorable climate, availability of water, extensive agricultural areas, good diets, and technical skills. Lactalis Group has been able to draw the full potential of its dairy tradition and is now the worlds third largest milk collector with more than 18 billion litres collected annually (5.6 billion in France) and is also working in the sheep and goat milk sectors. Environment More than fifty technicians and salespeople of the Group are in contact with milk producers to provide advice and technical assistance. This ensures milk quality, respect for the environment and animal welfare. Lactalis is committed to the environment with the adoption of a charter called Cap sur lavenir (Heading for the future). This commits the firm to good animal husbandry practices, respecting animal welfare; but also to better environmental practices and the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions. Lactalis also deploys energy diagnostics producers to improve its facilities, limit gas emissions, control the temperature of heating, or improve other parameters in order to save energy, such as installing pre-coolers for milk or heat recovery units. Organic milk Lactalis has been involved in organic production for more than 20 years. With the growth of the organic market, products are more and more diverse: UHT milk, cream and butter. Lactalis became the leader in the market of organic milk with their brand Lactel. The collection of organic milk is of 135 million litres of milk, which represents 2.5% of the groups collection. Over the last five years, Lactalis has been accompanying 265 dairy farms engaged in a process of organic conversion. Cows diet Lactalis is in partnership with Valorex to help producers to optimize the feeding of cows and thus improve the quality and properties of the milk produced. The composition of the cows diet contains less soy, more grass, flax, clover, peasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This change in diet results in more than 500 less tones of imported soybeans, almost 500 new hectares of flax. (Flax seeds are rich in Omega 3 and antioxidants), 400 new hectares of grass and alfalfa, and 156 hectares of peas, fababeans, rapeseed, and lupine. This gives an enriched milk of Omega 3, with less saturated fat. It also impacts the cows metabolism and the number of tons of CO2 produced by their digestion is also reduced. V STRATEGY Lactalis strategy is about professionalism, which can be seen in its wide range of products, as in its will to give the best quality of products to its consumers.;;;;;;;;;;;;; They also support their brands abroad by organizing several marketing and commercial actions. Diversification Their main strategy is diversification. They already have a wide range of different dairy products, owning a big share of the market. Their diversification is based on large-scale milk processing in all its forms, placing stress on quality production. They aim for better breeding practices, a certification of producers, a monitoring of milk quality and sustainability. Expansion strategy Another main point of their strategy is market expansion. Buyout of other companies is their way to reach more markets and consumers locally and worldwide. They entered the ultra-fresh market by doing a joint venture with Nestlà ©, called Lactalis Nestlà © Produits Frais LNPF, owned 60 % by Lactalis. They made the acquisition of Puleva and Forlasa in 2010, which have a dominant position in Spain. They also acquired Galbani in 2006, Italys first cheese producer, and Parmalat in 2011. These are only some examples of Lactalis expansion. V FINANCIAL STRUCTURE Capital structure of Lactalis The capital structure of Lactalis shows that the Besnier family owns 100% of the firm. Emmanuel Besnier, its CEO, is the majority shareholder. Capital Structure of Lactalis, propriety of the Besnier family Turnover of the company and its distribution Financial data by year Year 2004 2005 2008 Turnover  £5.6 billion (25% abroad)  £6 billion (40% abroad)  £9.35 billion Year 2009 2010 2016 Turnover  £8.5 billion (56% abroad)  £14.7 billion (74% abroad)  £17 billion Prà ©sident is sold in 160 countries and produces more than  £1.8 billion turnover. Galbani is sold in 140 countries and produces more than  £1.5 billion turnover.      Ã‚   VI PROGRAMMES TO ATTRACT YOUNG GRADUATES The Commercial and Marketing Graduate programme allows young graduates to work as a Product Manager or Sector Manager. The Maintenance programme allows to work at several of their production sites to develop potential and broaden knowledge. The Finance controlling programme offers a 6-month internship, followed by a 24-month international internship (V.I.E). The Industrial programme is designed to transfer French dairy expertise to foreign students. It is a sandwich course programme at the Higher School of Agriculture in Angers (ESA), combining periods at school with work experience in two production sites in France with an offer of work placement after two years. REFERENCES Agro, L. (2017). Lactalis : le PDG Emmanuel Besnier en est lactionnaire majoritaire Lusine Agro. [online] usinenouvelle.com/. Available at: http://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/lactalis-le-pdg-emmanuel-besnier-en-est-l-actionnaire-majoritaire.N151974 [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Anon, (2017). [online] Available at: http://www.iuf.org/sites/cms.iuf.org/files/The%20Lactalis%20Group.pdf [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Groupelactalis.co.uk. (2017). Groupe Lactalis UK. [online] Available at: http://groupelactalis.co.uk/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Lactalis. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactalis [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Lactalis. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactalis [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Lactalisfeed.fr. (2017). Lactalis Feed | Lenfance de là ©levage. [online] Available at: http://www.lactalisfeed.fr/en/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Lactalis-international.com. (2017). Lactalis international Accueil. [online] Available at: http://www.lactalis-international.com/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Lactalis. (2017). Le Groupe Lactalis Lactalis. [online] Available at: http://www.lactalis.fr/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017].

Identity is Shaped by personal Choices

Identity Shaped by Personal Choices People think that identity can be shaped by different things. Some could argue that identity is shaped more by culture or simply by your personal choices. This essay will discuss how identity is shaped by your personal choices. â€Å"To understand identity we must examine the choices we make in our daily lives† (Latterell 11). Some characteristics that are made by your personal choices are the music you choose to listen, your overall appearance like your clothing, tattoos, piercings, etc. and your social group.Personal choices are a major part of your identity simply because it defines who you are and how you choose to be as a person in your day to day life. â€Å"Identity is not fixed, but shifts over time and in different situations† (Latterell 13). Music could play a big role in your identity because it could say a lot about how you express or perceive things. Maybe help on how you absorb certain situations, subjects or even how yo u express yourself. They are many different types of music. There is country, rap, hip-hop, alternative, blue grass, rock, etc. Country music could robably be more for the more redneck, back woods type.There are even sappy love songs in this style of music. You can express themselves more on the love side of things. Rap and hip-hop probably is more for the up-beat portion of the population. This type of music could help express maybe a good mood or even a dancing mood. The rock or alternative side of music could be for the angry or emo portion of the population. Rock can express how someone feels through anger. Some could argue that Rock puts them in a good mood; country music doesn't necessarily mean they re rednecks or need sad depressing songs and some could say that hip hop, rap doesn't make them in a good mood.For the most part this is what you see in these different types of music and this how music makes them feel. Music helps define a person because it expresses you they are , and some could say that it helps them get through major obstacles in life. Music is made by someone personal choice because it is what they choose to listen to. Overall appearance can say a lot about a person. Sure while you are a child the majority of the time our parents choose what we wear when we wear it. As an adult though you get to choose what type of clothing to purchase and wear.People could even express themselves through what they wear and how they wear it. Maybe someone wearing a t-shirt and Jeans may be more laid back. Or maybe someone wearing slacks and a blouse look more professional. Some may say when you see a person wearing boots and a flannel t-shirt that person would be more on the country side of things. Then you have the type of person who will wear nothing but black and dark colors, this person may be more emo or depressed. Your personal appearance ays a lot about much you care about yourself and how you carry yourself.Some could say that it could even show what kind of attitude you have. Another major part of personal appearance that helps people identify themselves is tattoos and piercings. This helps people show what they are passionate about. It gives people the chance to express themselves through art on their own bodies. It could make some people look spontaneous or even tearless. The last characteristic that will be discussed in this essay will be your social group. This says a lot about who you are as person. Just like the saying you are known by the company you keep.Usually people that are in certain social groups will consist of people that have common interest or maybe are in the same class. Common interests are like the same hobbies, music, work, or even the same obstacles in life that they deal with. This simply defines who you are because all these common interests deal with personalities of people. People usually are around others that are the most like them. This helps identify who you are because you are who you accomp any yourself with. This is a personal choice simply because you choose who you want to be around.Nobody can choose who accompany yourself with, only you can decide that. Just because you live in certain area doesn't mean you have to be in the same social group as those who you are around. Some could argue that these are mainly characteristics that fall into the culture aspect. These characteristics that are discussed in this essay Just says that everybody is not the same and these are things that are definitely personal choices. For instance Just because you were born and raised in the more Southern part of the orld doesn't mean you going to be a redneck who wears work boots every day and listens to country music.Granted there are many different groups of people in the same communities. Mainly these are personal choices because that is what you choose to do and how you want to be identified as a person. Only you can be responsible for your actions (Olson). Works Cited Latterell, Cat herine. Remix Reading and Composing Culture. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print. Olson, Eric T. â€Å"Personal Identity. † Stanford Encyclopedia Philosophy. Edward N. zaita, 28 oct. 2010. web. 2 May 2013.

Gila Monster Facts

Gila monsters are part of class Reptilia and live mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Their scientific name, Heloderma suspectum, is derived from the Greek words meaning stud (helo) and skin (derma). This name refers to their studded skin. Fast Facts: Gila Monster Scientific Name: Heloderma suspectumCommon Names: Gila monsterOrder: SquamataBasic Animal Group: ReptileDistinguishing Characteristics: Heavy bodied lizard with a short tail and orange or pink spots on black skin.Size: Up to 22 inchesWeight: 1.5 - 5 poundsLife Span: Up to 20 yearsDiet: Small birds, eggs, frogs, insects, lizardsHabitat: Deserts, Grasslands, ShrublandConservation Status: Near ThreatenedFun Fact: The Gila monster is named for the Gila river in Arizona. Description Gila monsters have venomous glands located in their lower jaw. Their large heads allow them to have strong bites that let their venom in the grooves of their teeth sink into the victim. They walk high on their legs to keep their tails clear of the ground and swing their tail back and forth to maintain balance. These reptiles hunt during the spring and hide in burrows during the cold months, using fat stores in their tail to sustain them until spring time. They live up to 20 years in the wild, can grow up to 22 inches, and weigh between 1.5 and 5 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Gila monsters live in southwestern United States and northern Mexico, in habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and shrubland. They live at ground level and usually make their homes in burrows in rocky areas. Diet and Behavior Gila monster eating a mouse. John Cancalosi/Photolibrary/Getty Images Gila monsters are carnivores, and their diet consists primarily of small birds and eggs. They also eat lizards, frogs, insects, and small mammals. In situations of extreme temperatures during the day, gila monsters may be more active at night. Because they are relatively slow—reaching only about 1.5 miles per hour—they rely on stealth to catch their prey and also search cacti for eggs in bird nests. Additionally, gila monsters can not see well, so they rely on their strong sense of smell and taste to track their prey. They flick their tongues to pick up scents in the air. These creatures can eat up to 1/3 of their body weight and can store fat in their tails. This reduces the amount of time gila monsters have to spend foraging for food. Gila Monster Bite Gila monsters have powerful jaws that allow them to bite and hold on to their victim for up to 10 minutes. They store venom in the grooves of their teeth in their lower jaw. Most of its food can be consumed by swallowing it entirely or with one quick bite. For larger prey, like small mammals, gila monster venom seeps into the body of the bitten animal and attacks its nervous system. A gila monster bite can be very painful to humans but isnt typically fatal. Reproduction and Offspring Gila monster hatching from an egg. Â  C. Allan Morgan/Photolibrary/Getty Images Gila monsters reach the age of maturity between 3-5 years. Breeding season is in early summer, when males compete by participating in wrestling matches. The female digs a hole and lightly covers her 2-12 eggs that weigh 1.4 ounces and span 2.5 by 1.2 inches on average. Roughly 4 months later, the eggs hatch and gila monsters of sizes averaging 6.3 inches emerge. They look like miniature adults with more vibrant colors and are on their own at birth. These young will grow to become diurnal creatures that spend the majority of their lives underground with a burst of activity during the spring, which is spent hunting for food. Three to four large meals will be all the food it needs to survive the winter. They are mostly solitary animals, but gather in small communities during mating season. Conservation Status Gila monsters are designated as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While the total number of gila monsters is unknown, their population has been found to be decreasing in the United States and Mexico at an unknown rate. The biggest threat to gila monsters is humans, as the animals are hunted as prized possessions and killed by household pets. They are also illegally collected as pets. Gila Monsters and Humans Notably, a protein component of gila monsters’ venom called Exendin-4 is used in a drug to manage Type II diabetes. The protein has a homeostatic effect by regulating glucose levels in the body. Researchers have found this drug to help manage Type II diabetes by boosting insulin secretion and restoring insulin response. Researchers are currently looking into whether this protein can be used to treat memory disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Sources C., Triplitt, and Chiquette E. Exenatide: From The Gila Monster To The Pharmacy.. NCBI, 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16529340.Foothills Palo Verde Fact Sheet. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2008, https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Gila%20Monster.php. Gila Monster. The IUCN Red List Of Threatened Species, 2007, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9865/13022716#population.Gila Monster. Smithsonians National Zoo Conservation Biology Institute, 2019, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/gila-monster.Gila Monster Lizard. Fws.Gov, 2019, https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/gilaMonster.php.Gila Monster | San Diego Zoo Animals Plants. San Diego Zoo, 2019, https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/gila-monster. Accessed 1 June 2019.Zug, George R. Gila Monster | Description, Habitat, Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/animal/Gila-monster.

Texas v. Johnson (1989) Can Flag Burning Be a Crime

Does the state have the authority to make it a crime to burn an American flag? Does it matter if its part of a political protest or a means for expressing a political opinion? These were the questions posed in the 1989 Supreme Court case of  Texas v. Johnson. It was a landmark decision that brought into question the bans on flag desecration found in the laws of many states. Fast Facts: Texas v. Johnson Case Argued: March 21, 1989Decision Issued:  June 21, 1989Petitioner: State of TexasRespondent:   Gregory Lee JohnsonKey Question: Is burning or otherwise destroying an American flag a form of speech that’s protected under the First Amendment?Majority Decision: Justices Brennan, Marshall, Blackmun, Scalia, and KennedyDissenting: Justices Rehnquist, White, Stevens, and O’ConnorRuling: The respondent’s actions were deemed by the court to be expressive conduct of a distinctively political nature, so in this context, burning the flag was considered a form of protected expression under the First Amendment. Background to Texas v. Johnson The 1984 Republican National Convention took place in Dallas, Texas. In front of the convention building, Gregory Lee (Joey) Johnson soaked an American flag in kerosene and burned it while protesting the policies of Ronald Reagan. Other protesters accompanied this by chanting â€Å"America; red, white and blue; we spit on you.† Johnson was arrested and convicted under a Texas law against intentionally or knowingly desecrating a state or national flag. He was fined $2000 and sentenced to one year in jail. He appealed to the Supreme Court where Texas argued that it had a right to protect the flag as a symbol of national unity. Johnson argued that his freedom to express himself protected his actions. Texas v. Johnson: Decision The Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 in favor of Johnson. They rejected the claim that the ban was necessary to protect breaches of the peace due to the offense that burning a flag would cause. The State’s position ... amounts to a claim that an audience that takes serious offense at particular expression is necessarily likely to disturb the peace and that the expression may be prohibited on this basis. Our precedents do not countenance such a presumption. On the contrary, they recognize that a principal â€Å"function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it induces a condition of unrest, creates dissatisfaction with conditions as they are, or ... even stirs people to anger.† Texas claimed that they needed to preserve the flag as a symbol of national unity. This undermined their case by conceding that Johnson was expressing a disfavored idea. Since the law stated that desecration is illegal if â€Å"the actor knows it will seriously offend one or more persons,† the court saw that the state’s attempt to preserve the symbol was tied to an attempt to suppress certain messages. â€Å"Whether Johnson’s treatment of the flag violated Texas law thus depended on the likely communicative impact of his expressive conduct.† Justice Brennan wrote in the majority opinion: If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable. [...] [F]orbidding criminal punishment for conduct such as Johnson’s will not endanger the special role played by our flag or the feelings it inspires. ... Our decision is a reaffirmation of the principles of freedom and inclusiveness that the flag best reflects, and of the conviction that our toleration of criticism such as Johnson’s is a sign and source of our strength. ... The way to preserve the flag’s special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong. ... We can imagine no more appropriate response to burning a flag than waving one’s own, no better way to counter a flag burner’s message than by saluting the flag that burns, no surer means of preserving the dignity even of the flag that burned than by — as one witness here did — according its remains a respectful burial. We do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that this cherished emblem represents. Supporters of bans on flag burning say they aren’t trying to ban the expression of offensive ideas, just the physical acts. This means that desecrating a cross could be outlawed because it only bans physical acts and other means of expressing the relevant ideas can be used. Few, though, would accept this argument. Burning the flag is like a form of blasphemy or â€Å"taking the Lord’s name in vain,† It takes something revered and transforms it into something base, profane, and unworthy of respect. This is why people are so offended when they see a flag being burned. It is also why burning or desecration is protected — just as blasphemy is. The Significance of the Courts Decision Although only narrowly, the Court sided with free speech and free expression over the desire to suppress speech in the pursuit of political interests. This case sparked years of debate over the meaning of the flag. This included efforts to amend the Constitution to allow for a prohibition of the â€Å"physical desecration† of the flag. More immediately, the decision inspired Congress to rush through passage of the Flag Protection Act of 1989. The law  was designed for no other purpose but to ban the physical desecration of the American flag in defiance of this decision. Texas v. Johnson Dissents The Supreme Court decision in  Texas v. Johnson  was not unanimous. Four justices — White, O’Connor, Rehnquist, and Stevens — disagreed with the majority’s argument. They did not see that communicating a political message by burning the flag outweighed the state interest in protecting the flags physical integrity.   Writing for Justices White and O’Connor, Chief Justice Rehnquist argued: [T]he public burning of the American flag by Johnson was no essential part of any exposition of ideas, and at the same  time  it had a tendency to incite a breach of the peace. ... [Johnson’s public burning of the flag] obviously did convey Johnson’s bitter dislike of his country. But his act ... conveyed nothing that could not have been conveyed and was not conveyed just as forcefully in a dozen different ways. By this measure, it would be okay to ban a person’s expression of ideas if those ideas can be expressed in other ways. That would mean that its okay to ban a book if a person can speak the words instead, wouldnt it? Rehnquist admits that the  flag occupies a unique place in society. This means that an alternative form of expression which does not use the flag won’t have the same impact, significance, or meaning. Far from being a case of â€Å"one picture being worth a thousand words,† flag burning is the equivalent of an inarticulate grunt or roar that, it seems fair to say, is most likely to be indulged in not to express any particular idea, but to antagonize others. Grunts and howls do not inspire laws banning them, however. A person who grunts in public is looked at as being strange, but we don’t punish them for not communicating in whole sentences. If people are antagonized by the  desecration  of the American flag, it’s because of what they believe is being communicated by such acts. In a separate dissent, Justice Stevens wrote: [O]ne intending to convey a message of respect for the flag by burning it in a public square might nonetheless be guilty of desecration if he knows that others — perhaps simply because they misperceive the intended message — will be seriously offended. Indeed, even if the actor knows that all possible witnesses will understand that he intends to send a message of respect, he might still be guilty of desecration if he also knows that this understanding does not lessen the offense taken by some of those witnesses. This suggests that it’s permissible to regulate people’s speech based upon how others will interpret it. All of the laws against â€Å"desecrating† an American flag do so in the context of publicly displaying the altered flag. This would also apply to laws that merely prohibit attaching an emblem to a flag. Doing it in private isn’t a crime. Therefore, the harm to be prevented must be the â€Å"harm† of others witnessing what was done. It can’t merely  be to prevent them from being offended, otherwise, public discourse would be reduced to platitudes. Instead, it must be to protect others from experiencing a radically different attitude towards and interpretation of the flag. Of course, it’s unlikely that someone would be prosecuted for desecrating a flag if only one or two random people are upset. That will be reserved for those who upset larger numbers of witnesses. In other words, the wishes of the majority to not be confronted with something too far outside their normal expectations can limit what sorts of ideas are expressed (and in what way) by the minority. This principle is completely foreign to constitutional law and even to the basic principles of liberty. This was eloquently stated the following year in the Supreme Court’s follow-up case of  United States v. Eichman: While flag desecration — like virulent ethnic and religious epithets, vulgar repudiations of the draft, and scurrilous caricatures — is deeply offensive to many, the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable. If freedom of expression is to have any real substance, it must cover the  freedom to express ideas that are uncomfortable, offensive, and disagreeable. That’s precisely what burning, defacing, or desecrating an American flag often does. The same is true with defacing or desecrating other objects which are commonly revered. The government has no authority to limit people’s uses of such objects to communicate only approved, moderate, and inoffensive messages.