I would imagine that would depend on where you burn them.

@davknight

You need to read up on the history of slavery, cross burning, Jim Crow laws, intimidation and lynching of black people in America.

@LiterateHikerI know history rather well. One of my degrees is in history. My point was: Doesn't the burning of symbols constitute 'freedom of expression'? Even if others take offense? Would you be clamoring for jail terms for people who burn American flags? Or Donald Trump effigies?

Cross-burning has a long history of being a method to frighten and intimidate. It's a threat. It's an implicit threat performed while trespassing on and damaging someone's property. It often leads to additional threats, sometimes lethal. The perpetrator himself said that's the reason he did it. It's completely different than burning flags or effigies.

@Lauren I don't care what you burn, so long as it's not toxic to others, and so long as you are doing it on your own property, or have the property owner's permission. I don't have to watch! I wouldn't dream of calling out for eleven years' imprisonment, either!

@davknight I believe you're free to burn as many crosses as you want on your own property (local ordinances accepted). But that isn't what happened here, thus the eleven year sentence.

The fact that it's a cross is incidental. If the KKK had burned bails of hay in people's yards prior to lynching them, then this clown would have burned a bail of hay, thus earning him that prison sentence.