Don't you think a person should be able to do whatever he wishes with his own personal property?

Of course, but within reason. The fact is that there are so many governmental restrictions on private property that, according to the Supreme Court, one can't even formulate a general rule about private property. For instance, you can own your automobile, but how you use it is strictly regulated. Most states even require that you have periodic safety inspections, pay property taxes on it, and wear a seatbelt when operating it. Same is true for privately owned firearms and controlled drugs. You can own the lot that your home sits on, but you can't use the property for any purpose you want that doesn't comply with zoning ordinances. The same is true for U.S. currency, your own mailbox, and military uniforms and decorations. You can own a billboard, but what you can display on it is regulated. And the same is true with the flag. Through tradition and common practice, if not the letter of the law, our society has always believed that a citizen could purchase a flag, but it was always owned by us. And possession of a flag carried with it a responsibility or duty to treat it with some measure of dignity and respect.