"NOT OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL THEY CURTAIL YOUR FREE SPEECH'

World Net Daily ^ | Feb. 20, 2002 | Diana Lynne

[gabby hayes]

An Idaho man has been sentenced to seven days in jail for shouting the 'N' word in an angry outburst directed at a black man who accosted his wife. Earlier this month, a jury acquited Lonny Rae of felony "hate crime" but found him liable of assault for having hurled the epithet. City and county prosecutors refused to charge the black man with any crime...

[gabby hayes]

Given the masthead quote on Free Republic's home page, it's disappointing to see the absence of commentary on this case. Hannity-Colmes danced around the topic from a calculated distance Friday evening without ever once mentioning "political corectness." Much was said about the attitudes of Rae, a person clearly not of the chattering class and unflanked on Hannity-Colmes by legal counsel. Nothing was said of the consequences to the First Amendment from criminalizing thought and speech.

A function of speech can be to challenge, provoke, and even invite dispute. Sadly, a generation of academics and their student minions seem to have grown up with no exposure to the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes: "If there is any principle of the Constitution that morer imperatively calls for attachment than any other, it is the principle of free thought--not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought we hate."

This spirit certainly was not evident this past week at Berkeley where storm troopers of the left were up to their old tricks, this time stealing a full press run of the conservative magazine, the Patriot. It's not all that surprising that Berkeley's "marketplace of ideas" doesn't include conservative viewpoints. But the absence of any Free Republic response, once again, is surprising. Or are these matters left to David Horowitz?

[pocat]

You Crackers and Honkies need to quit your whining.

You should know how PC works by now...

[muawiyah]

Berkeley isn't really worth a FreeRepublic response. The guy who defecates in a tin can on stage in front of an audience is really more worthy.

[Pietro]

This story and the ensuing trial is a travesty. Where's the ACLU, oh yeah, they're out trying to erase "In God We Trust" off of the coinage.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yes, accosting a white woman is a far less crime than politically incorrect name calling.

[Paleo Conservative]

He would have been better off if he had shot the man dead who accosted his wife. That way there only his side of the story to tell.

[Jhoffa_]

Earlier this month, a jury acquited Lonny Rae of felony "hate crime" but found him liable of assault for having hurled the epithet.

This can't be constitutional.. There's just no way.

How can you turn a racial insult into a Felony Assault?

[Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy]

Well, there you go. It's okay to offend Whites or Protestants or Southerners or Catholics (shall I dip this crucific in this federally-subsidized urine?), but God help you if you offend certain protected groups, whom we dare not name. Political correctness is a regime in which nobody knows the rules and in which everyone is deathly afraid to break them....

And if you are attacked, for God's sake pretend not to notice, or run away if you can, because you will be crucified in court. It's a lose-lose situation.

[budwiesest]

Nothing was said of the consequences to the First Amendment from criminalizing thought and speech.

Borrowing from an old Virginia Slims commercial: "You've come a long way, baby!"

[FreeReign]

"NOT OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL THEY CURTAIL YOUR FREE SPEECH"

Jim's comment on what the president should say when the time comes is priceless -- *right out there on the freepin masthead*.

[damnlimey]

Would everyone on this thread please go Here to make reperations.
Thankyou.
< /sarcasm >

[Khepera]

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Freedom of speech is our only true weapon against tyranny.

[varon]

And if you are attacked, for God's sake pretend not to notice, or run away if you can, because you will be crucified in court....

Only if you're attacked by a member of a certain protected group that PC does not allow us to mention for fear of prosecution ;-)

[Khepera]

.

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

""Berkeley isn't really worth a FreeRepublic response. The guy who defecates in a tin can on stage in front of an audience is really more worthy.""

Yeah, at least the guy on stage can hit the can!!!!

[budwiesest]

Freedom of speech is our only true weapon against tyranny.

It is the first weapon, followed by the 2nd. And for good reason.

[AAABEST]

How can you turn a racial insult into a Felony Assault?

I've learned not to be surprised by anything I read on this forum anymore.

These sick b***ards won't be happy until they squeeze the effen life out of the constitution.

Don't anyone kid themselves. The same human nature that brought psycho thugs to power throughout history is alive and well right here in this country. Unless people get angry and beat back these creatures, we'll get what they have planned for us.

[mountaineer]

How can you turn a racial insult into a Felony Assault?

Unless he said, "I'm going to kill you, n*****," or words to that effect, you probably can't. Has this fellow appealed this ridiculous conviction?

[Jhoffa_]

I have no idea.. but he surely should push this all the way through the courts.. For his own sake as well as that of the country.

I cannot believe the Supremes would uphold such a ruling.

[Seeking the truth]

FYI, this case has been discussed on FR when it first occured.

If this is of such concern to you, why did you not post the actual article? I clicked on your link and your link does not take me to the author's article; rather just to WND.

If you want to get imput from Freeperdom, post the article in its entirety. That is much better than a link to nowhere. :)