I understand that most European countries — Canada as well — have laws limiting speech against religion, race, or nationality... inflammatory or derogatory speech that either accidentally or purposeflly elicits anything from hurt feelings to violence.
Not in America.
I don't know the details of exactly what these Christian missionaries said or did (when the cameras weren't rolling... see below) at a Muslim festival in Dearborn, Michigan, this past weekend that caused their arrest. But if they were armed only with words and Christian literature, then their arrests were a huge violation of their right to free speech.
Oh... and here is video that seems to show them doing absolutely nothing (and saying absolutely nothing) other than handing out copies of the gospel. They were told by police that they can't be within 5 blocks of the event with their Christian tracts.
But: I'm thinking now of the "God Hates Fags" people that picket funerals and spew Biblical hate at anybody within earshot: Say what you want about them, they are the undisputed masters at ensuring their right to free speech. Even they (all sue-happy, law-degree-holding, free-speech fanatics) often/always have to be some distance away from the target of their "protests" when they show up. If those particular people are forced to stay back 5 blocks, it must be a legally-enforceable free speech restriction that they cannot dispute. I never minded that restriction before; I thought it wasn't a bad idea.
But now I have to do a little thought exercise, because this situation in Dearborn is what happens when the limitations we impose upon free speech are used equitably and without prejudice to the content of a group's speech: If I can support keeping one group of people 5 blocks away from another group of people because the first group's speech is so hateful that it makes everyone in the second group angry, why can't I support keeping another group of not-so-hateful people 5 blocks away from a group of not-so-offended people because their speech may make someone angry?
I can't. Not anymore.
It's called learning. It's a lifelong process.
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2 comments:
I can remember my high school history teacher pointing out what this video pointed out. All laws are for all the people. It doesn't matter if you are a criminal, or a model citizen. If you break the law - you must heed the consequences. Therefore, all laws need to be thought out carefully so that all types of conditions/ events are clearly noted. Laws cannot favor one over the other. It's obvious that the law at Dearborn portrayed in this video makes us uncomfortable. But the law is the law. If a law proves to be unjust, it must be tagged as such. The police are there to uphold the law. However, it certainly makes it food for thought.
Freedom in the USA is dying faster than family values and patriotism that used to be held so dear.
It's odd to see the fall of the Roman Empire happening right before our eyes.
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