Score a Victory for Freedom of Speech

Bluegrass Pundit ^ | April 3, 2010 | Bluegrass Pundit

[Askwhy5times]

An employee at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune has won a victory for free speech. After his son was killed in the USS Cole attack, he put decals on his vehicle pointing out the link between Islam and terrorism. Marine Corps officials told him to remove the decals or he couldn't park on federal property because they were offensive. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps allowed pro-Islamic decals. A Federal judge ruled this week he could keep the anti-Islamic decals as long as the military allowed the pro-Islamic ones.

ARLINGTON, Va. — After his son was killed in the attack on the USS Cole, Jesse Nieto put decals on his car that included “Islam=Terrorism” and “We Died, They Rejoiced.”

But the Marine Corps deemed the decals offensive and told them he had to remove them or he could not park on federal installations.

So he went to court, and won.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

It has taken 9 years to get a ruling?

[srmorton]

I live a few miles from Camp Lejeune and this was a big story in the area. Mr. Nieto put the decal on his truck after the bombing of the US Cole in 2000 and had been driving it on base for years - until someone complained. That is what this case illustrates so profoundly - the way that the objections of one or two people can cause a change in a policy or a practice that has been followed for years.

All of us here love our Marines, but we know that the "brass" can be influenced by political correctness. Good for Mr. Nieto for standing up for free speech and good for the judge for making the correct ruling in the case!

[Askwhy5times]

The wheels of justice turn slowly.