Will Koran Burning Be Banned In The United States?

The American Thinker ^ | April 05, 2011 | Allan Wall

[Scanian]

As an American in the United States of America, you are allowed to do many things.

You can burn the flag. You can burn the Bible. You can produce obscene art and sometimes even get government money to finance it.

You can make movies and TV shows that ridicule Christianity, traditional morality, and that take the Lord's name in vain.

If anybody objects to this, you can just accuse him of trying to impose his values on others. Then start talking about the Salem Witch Trials and the Spanish Inquisition.

Yes, you can do all those things, and more.

But can you burn a Koran?

Yes, but maybe not for long.

Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center, in Gainesville, Florida, became the target of world condemnation last year when he announced he would burn a copy of the Koran in protest.

President Obama didn't want him to do it. Neither did General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Actress/Activist Angelina Jolie spoke out against it. I'm still waiting for Angelina to speak out against anti-Christianity in Hollywood.

As a result of his plan to burn a Koran in the U.S.A., Terry Jones received death threats. His website was shut down. The mortgage on his church's property was called in and -- what a coincidence -- the church's property insurance was cancelled. The city of Gainesville threatened to charge the church for protection. And who knows what else happened behind the scenes? All this happened to a private group which wanted to burn a privately-owned book on private property.

What if the powers that be decide your private activity is objectionable ?

In the end, Jones decided not to burn the Koran.

That was seven months ago. But now, he and his group have finally...

[Bluebird Singing]

Without banning freedom of the press, our press managed to diminish the rally on Washington on August 28, 2010. The “President” wasn’t even aware of their presence in Washington that day. See?

[Sir Gawain]

What Pastor Jones did by burning the Koran, made our troops less safe. That’s just a plain fact.

That's just plain BS.

[dfwgator]

What Pastor Jones did by burning the Koran, made our troops less safe.

By that token, anyone who says anything bad about Islam here at FR, makes our troops less safe.

[Eye of Unk]

So if I have this flag in my possession it will become illegal? That I challenge the enemies of my home? That I spit on their faith in disgust? That I refuse to capitulate? And the US Government will arrest me for my patriotism?

[Cuttnhorse]

Thanks for the link Trav...that was GREAT!! Sent it on to my pals and hope it goes viral!!

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Explain why Americans need to die to uphold a Sharia law government that is doomed to ultimate failure in Afghanistan in 2011.

Explain it to me as if I am the parent of a soldier who was just killed there. What American value did he die for?"

As a retired Marine who is a multiple combat veteran I don't appreciate the self righteousness of your response to me. I'm not advocating something that I haven't already done. And volunteered to do at that. Just like our fine young people in the current military. Believe me, if it were at all possible to take this old jarhead back, I'd gladly volunteer to go to Afghanistan. As for your question, I did already answer it to you in post 58. I will repost it here:

"However, we still need to be there because as far as we know, the leaders of Al Quada are still alive and need to be wiped out or they will be a constant threat to our security."

I posted it also to another poster in post 72 which I will re-post here:

"Now, whether that is cause for us to question why we're even there is a separate point altogether. One worthy of debate. I say that we still need to be there because the leaders of Al Queada who perpetrated 9/11 are still alive as far as we know. They need to pay for their crimes and the organization needs to be wiped out over there. If not, then they will be back here and maybe this time it will be a nuclear 9/11."

Now, you may not like the reasons I give. But I did give my reasoning and not duck it. We can debate my reasoning if you wish. But lets drop the sanctimony of asking some Mom what American value her son died for. That's a tactic leftist use and it's B.S.

[Cuttnhorse]

The more our governments try to use this to trash the first amendment the more people will think they need to burn korans to make a point - not to muslims, but to our own government.

Very good! And right on the mark.

[GBA]

Whether one agrees or disagrees, it's not like they haven't given it some thought: Ten Reasons to JUDGE, then BURN the KORAN … again

[Old Teufel Hunden]

Read my post 72 where I explain why our troops are less safe because of the Koran burnings. I didn’t say I advocate outlawing the practice. I just say that Pastor Jones is a jackass for doing it. However, the Constitution is there for jackasses as well as right minded people. My cynical view is that he did this because he’s like the attention whores from that stupid church in Kansas that protests military funerals with “God Hates Fags” signs.

[Doe Eyes]

Explain it to me as if I am the parent of a soldier who was just killed there. What American value did he die for?

Something Cindy Sheehan was spouting eight years ago.

[paulycy]

:0)

[Carlucci]

Here’s something I haven’t seen mentioned in this discussion:

Mohamed Atta intended to take a koran with him to be destroyed in the FIREball when the plane crashed into the WTC.

Although he checked a bag and had every intention of it going with him on the flight, it was delayed and remained behind. In that bag was a copy of the koran.

source: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/06/news/mn-54147

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Something Cindy Sheehan was spouting eight years ago."

Thank you. My point exactly! This is a tactic of the left and it disturbs me sometimes that people here hate Obama so much that anything he does they reflexively want to criticize. If Bush were in office and we did a surge in Afghanistan people on here would be supporting it. I have faith in General Petraeus, not Obama that we will succeed in our goals in Afghanistan. Hopefully one day we will get Bin Laden and Zarawhiri in the Peshawar region of Pakistan.

[dfwgator]

My cynical view is that he did this because he’s like the attention whores from that stupid church in Kansas that protests military funerals with “God Hates Fags” signs.

Stupid lawmakers, like Lindsey Graham, and General Petraeus, give him all the publicity he so desperately craves.

[A CA Guy]

Did I pick historically a wrong time to wake up every morning peeing a picture of Mohammad on a Koran?

Is that wrong?

[AppyPappy]

You mean like playing the Rodney King beatings over and over by the media led to the riots in LA?

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Stupid lawmakers, like Lindsey Graham, and General Petraeus, give him all the publicity he so desperately craves."

Can't argue with you about Graham. What he said about free speech is the most disturbing thing in this whole mess. Next to the display of ignorance by the Afghanis. However, I disagree about Petraeus. His concern is for the troops and his statements were made (I believe) after all the Afghanis were riled up, not before.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”The rationale, a not unreasonable one, is that cross-burning is not just the burning of the cross, it is historically and practically a threat of extreme violence. It was the threat which was ruled unprotected, not the burning of the two pieces of wood. The burning of a flag carries no such history of a threat of violence, except possibly to those doing the burning. :) “

I don't buy it. It was a political ruling. If I burn a Koran or a flag who is to know what the ‘real’ meaning of my message is? What about a confederate flag?? I file this with ‘hate’ crimes.

I never understood how the Federal government can outlaw certain speech in the private employer workplace based on offended feelings either, short a more restrictive consistent definition of the first amendment that only protects political speech(a Scalia type definition).

Thanks for the contrary view, always makes it more interesting :)

[woollyone]

Rather than burning it, tear out pages to carry around and drop one page in every public urinal that you encounter. Much more bang for your buck. This encourages others to get in on the program and the message gets spread quicker on the grass roots level.

[domeika]

July 4, 2011 should become a BURN A KORAN day as a way of celebrating our Right of Free Speech.

I think you may be onto something. What a choice for firing up the charcoal on the 4th.....nation-wide.