Posted on 06/05/2013 3:54:48 AM PDT by Kaslin
A U.S. attorney in Tennessee said that it's possible that some inflammatory criticism of Muslims posted on social networking sites could violate federal civil rights laws.
We need to educate people about Muslims and their civil rights, and as long as were here, theyre going to be protected, U.S. attorney Bill Killian told the Tullahoma News last week. This is also to inform the public about what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are.
Killian, along with an FBI agent, are expected to attend a meeting Tuesday in Manchester, Tenn. hosted by a local Muslim group to educate people on the First Amendment and its application in society.
His comments sparked concern among conservative groups that the federal government is about to crack down on anti-Muslim rhetoric -- a claim the U.S. attorney denies.
It has nothing to do with Sharia law, Killian told me in a telephone interview. It has to do with the United States Constitution and federal statutes. You have a right under the First Amendment to hate Muslims. You can hate all Muslims if you want to."
But he added a caveat -- "as long as it does not rise to the level of violating federal civil rights laws.
The meeting comes after a Tennessee lawmaker posted a photograph of a man aiming a shotgun with the caption, How to wink at a Muslim.
Its an open forum to discuss the First Amendment -- to discuss its application to all religions and to Muslim religions, he said. And to discuss federal civil rights statutes which weve done at other times and other places.
Killian said the federal government has participated in at least a dozen similar Muslim education meetings across the state.
But Andy Miller, of the Tennessee Freedom Coalition, believes the federal government is using those meetings to silence and intimidate critics of Islam.
Theres an effort to step on free speech -- any speech thats contrary to Islam, Miller tells me. It seems like our federal government is going down that path.
Miller said Tennessee has become a battleground over what he called a crackdown on anti-Muslim speech.
This is the Bible Belt, he said. Theres an effort to prove that if they can do it here, they can do it anywhere.
Killian said the supposition that the federal government would prosecute people for exercising their constitutional rights is ridiculous.
We dont prosecute people for the First Amendment, he said. In fact, this event is promoting the First Amendment for all people -- not only to exercise their religion, but to express their freedom of speech regardless of what it is.
But the big question is where free speech might cross the line and violate federal civil rights laws.
Could an Internet posting or letter in the mail or a phone call or a personal confrontation constitute a violation of those statutes, he asked, citing 18 US Code 241 and 18 US Code 245. Yes, it could.
So what about the lawmaker who posted the photograph of the shotgun? Would that be a violation of federal law?
I dont know whether it does or not, Killian said. Were treating that as if it were offensive conduct and trying to use this event as we have on many other occasions in the district -- utilize events of this nature to have people understand the Muslim religion and the Arab and Muslim people.
Miller said the governments explanation is problematic.
It doesnt make anybody here locally feel any better, he said. It seems as though they are creating a sacred group here that consistently gets attention from the federal government.
Its interesting the Department of Justice and Homeland Security really seem to take up the banner for the Muslim population, Miller said. Why arent they having one for the Baptists? Why arent they having one for the Methodists? Why arent they having one for Jews?
And Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, believes the Obama administration is using federal law to protect Muslims from criticism, Politico reports.
In its latest effort to protect followers of Islam in the U.S., the Obama Justice Department warns against using social media to spread information considered inflammatory against Muslims, threatening that it could constitute a violation of civil rights, the group wrote online.
DOJ can go eat pig schmucks fried in dog water.
Fox said last ni9ght that we had 3000 at the rally at 5.30
the Holiday Inn Convention Center seats 60 and about 100 more stood at the back
tyhen apparantly the police wouldnt let anyone else in...
The Moslems were mad that so many of us were there...
Pam Geller was there so Im sure she will post something...
also there were TEA Partyies etc...
The Tennessean has an article but its biased...
a woman told them she didmnt feel safe amongst us..
LOL
I thionk there were some ringers thopugh..
Oner woman kept demanding wer be “courteous”
the same man kept ordering us to “let him speak so we can learn what he has to say”
Well we already knew thank you very much
they had an agenda
it was an indoctrination videos Power Point slides and all...
One of the Moslem woman at the podium yelled into their mic for us to “SHUT UP”
Oh how rude...:)
It was lots of fun...
The Moslems have plans for Tennessee to be ground zero for Sharia law and we are pushing back...
Every time they said “Hate crimes” we shouted “Ft Hood” “Boston” etc
Well, as we all know, laws are for “little people” like tax payers. They are not for the Great Lords and their servants who sit in judgement in the imperial capital, Washington, DC.
moozlums are anti-civilization freaks. There...I said it.
I also thought Muslims were considered a race of people but I looked up Muslim and Islam two days ago and found out a person of any nationality who believes in Islam is a Muslim. If an American believes in Islam, he/she is a Muslim. Arab is a race of people, Muslim is not.
In my opinion, Hussein is a Muslim which means he believes in Islam. His race is African plus white. No one knows of which country he is a citizen.
Not anymore I don’t. They just need to go. They cannot be trusted to stay passive.
Uh huh. Yea. Right. Well. I wasn’t able to attend but there were about 2000 tea party folk that showed up at said meeting last pm in Manchester, TN. Ummm. It was described as “very racous”. Keep pushing people-these are the things that revolutions are made of.....
In my opinion, Hussein is a Muslim which means he believes in Islam.
Look at Obama’s first seven years. Look at his actions as an adult. You are spot on.
National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie
Decided on June 14, 1977; 432 US 43
The Court ruled that the National Socialist (Nazi) Party COULD NOT BE PROHIBITED from marching peacefully,
simply BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT OF THEIR MESSAGE
http://aclu.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=425
And
The Westboro Baptist Church - SCOTUS has already ruled on this in the case: from the majority decision:
Speech is powerful, it can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and as it did here inflict great pain. But under the First Amendment, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. Instead, the national commitment to free speech, he said, requires protection of even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.
This issue is an outrage and is one of those issues that needs to be ‘headed off at the pass’ ... I suggest a phone barrage to your Rep. in The House and your Senators.
Never ever give up Freedom of Speech in any degree
But it’s OK to refer to Christians as bible-thumping,
gun-loving, non-scientific, knuckle-dragging morons.
Yes, that’s perfectly fine because Christians stand in the way of the revolution.
IMHO
The U.S. Government keeps tallies in this manner...
White, Black, (American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut),(Asian and Pacific Islander)...
Hispanic is not considered a race - nor is being Arab considered a race.
But most importantly for this thread ... there are NO Constitutional restrictions against uttering speech towards any group racial or otherwise that is considered hurtful, denigrating, derogatory. It is called FREE SPEECH. SCOTUS has ruled on this more than once.
Based on SCOTUS case precedence there is no reason to believe that the DOJ could impose Speech Restrictions that are classified as ‘Anti-Muslim Rhetoric’... This DOJ Attorney is just floating some obama hoped for tactic of subduing Americans. And I think this trial balloon will turn out to be a LEAD BALLOON.
The Skokie and Westboro Baptist Church SCOTUS rulings (plus there are probably others) will prevent obama’s DOJ henchmen from harming the Constitution and the American people.
What needs to be done besides grumbling and chest thumping is CALL YOUR SENATOR - CALL YOUR REP. in the HOUSE and complain LOUDLY ...
I don't care how the US govn. tallies nationalities in the census - I was using actual races known across the world.
The US government at this point, is a fake - I don't believe anything any of them says - the truth is not in them. Hussein has put in numerous Muslims in high places of government, places that did not need Senate confirmation. I don't know what will become of this country so I prepared to be able to live on my own.
Ok, did I miss something? WHAT FREAKING LAW ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?
Is there a law that says you can’t criticize another group?
Islam is as legitimate of a religion as the KKK is...
Except the KKK is not near as deadly.
I hope his wife and daughters enjoy wearing burkhas down the road.
He’s a Mufti in waiting it seems, he’s already qualified to wear a quisling badge.
This nation is screwed when it is run by idiots ruling by ‘irrelevant’ laws.
Civil rights issue? Ask your local TEA party members how they get portrayed by leftist social orgs. Civil? Haaaa
Yes, I’ve seen that before, and it’s spot on.
I favor a Constitutional Amendment explicitly delisting Islam as a religion due 1A protections and identifying it as a political system inimical to the Constitution and this USA.
Beyond that, see tag line.
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