Posted on 09/14/2010 6:19:55 AM PDT by kristinn
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has expressed a willingness to ban protesters from burning the Koran as the modern day equivalent of shouting fire in a crowded theater.
The Supreme Court has ruled burning the American flag in protest is protected speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Breyer spoke to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's Good Morning America today:
But Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer told me on "GMA" that he's not prepared to conclude that -- in the internet age -- the First Amendment condones Koran burning.
“Holmes said it doesn’t mean you can shout 'fire' in a crowded theater,” Breyer told me. “Well, what is it? Why? Because people will be trampled to death. And what is the crowded theater today? What is the being trampled to death?”
Breyer is promoting his new book, Making Our Democracy Work.
Breyer was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.
Maybe the Supreme Court could ban hijacking airplanes and slamming them into the World Trade Center.
...and the burning of any Christian symbol, and of putting Christian symbols in urine and being awarded taxpayer money.
The lines are being drawn. Here we see clearly who is the enemy. When the time comes, we will know exactly who to punish.
...he will be "open" to anything.
"Justice" Breyer is a fool....
I think you're right. Jones, as far as I can see, is a bit of a flake. He's not really the sort of fellow I would follow -- but he has performed a valuable service. He got the Moslems to show what kind of people they are, he got the media to show us (again) what they care about, and he's even got a Supreme Court justice admitting that he really doesn't care about the First Amendment.
The cards are on the table now.
I think you forget that the race now includes the wise latina and the ‘no inalienable rights’ Kagan. Talk about a race to the bottom.
What a stupid idea!
“If threats of violence trump free speech, there is none.
You’d think a Supreme Court justice could figure that out.”
Very well said. Bad behavior is being rewarded when the law is adjusted to accommodate it. This just reinforces the use of increasing levels of bad behavior by the extremists to obtain their goals.
Have you seen anything this stupid before?
Sorry, you're not allowed to say that. Ask the courts if you are allowed to take the words out of anyone’s mouth. That seems to be the job of the Feds. You are not allowed to point out that someone has taken the words out of your mouth. It is verboten!
You might be reported to flag@whitehouse.gov
This could be just the first of many special rights to come for Muslims in America. What do you suppose will be next?
But he did rule that burning the US flag was constitutionally protected free speech, but burning the cross was not.
Only if the first thing that they do is banning the burning of the Bible!!
I suspect that Obama is going to use this incident as a pretext for signing onto the UN convention that essentially prohibits criticism of Islam. I think he would get enormous support from the left for doing this, and sadly, I’m not sure we have enough people on the Supreme Court who would assert the primacy of our law (several of the justices are open to foreign international law being imposed on us) or the primacy of our rights to be able to prevent this.
I am quite honestly worried about this.
If America can ban the burning of the Koran because Muslims are so inherently violent, then clearly American can ban any Muslim from entering this country.
I guess you could kill two birds with one stone by setting fire to a Koran in a theater crowded with Muslims. They would all trample themselves to death trying to kill you.
Besides ... You CAN shout “fire” in a crowded theater.
....If threats of violence trump free speech, there is none....
Nominated for post of the day. You hit the nail on the head in the fewest possible words. Wisdom and economy, I admire it.
Fine! Let’s burn ALL the Qurans now before it becomes illegal. (but how to find them?)
Find all radical muslims, set them on fire, and follow to the Quran stash.
May their 72 virgins be barded in bacon.
*note: I don't believe in burning the Koran, the Bible, the Flag...
If four million Christians took to the streets this weekend threatening violence over the burning of Bibles....
Mr. Breyer would lead the charge demanding that zero call out the army to quell the rabble.
If George Washington had been sworn in on a Koran, Breyer would be perfectly happy with them being burned. At the bottom line, it is all about people, that for whatever twisted reason, that are basically anti-traditional American values.
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