Representative Eric Burlison's Website Graphic Resembling Great Seal with AR-15 Deemed Legal
A graphic on U.S. Representative Eric Burlison's (R-Mo.) website, which resembles the Great Seal of the United States but replaces the quiver of arrows with an AR-15 style weapon, has been deemed legal. A KY3 viewer raised concerns about the legality of altering the Great Seal. However, according to Eugene Volokh, a First Amendment expert from Stanford University and UCLA School of Law, Burlison's use of the graphic is protected by free speech. Burlison's office clarified that the image is a 'stylized graphic' and not the official seal, stating it reflects his strong support for the Second Amendment and represents southwest Missouri's firearms manufacturing industry. Federal law restricts the use of the Great Seal to prevent false impressions of government approval, but Volokh noted that the analysis changes only if the seal is used to deceive, such as in creating a fake passport. 
