Posted on 06/02/2015 4:45:38 AM PDT by markomalley
The onetime U.S. Marine who organized the latest “Draw Muhammad” protest event outside a Phoenix mosque Friday has a message for America: “Tyranny” has already come to America.
In comments to the media after the event, Jon Ritzheimer said he planned to go into hiding after the demonstration was over because of death threats he says have already been made against him.
“I’m having to go into hiding after this because they are calling lone wolfs to come in and behead me,” he said. “That’s tyranny. That’s terrorism right here in America.”
“I’m going into hiding. I hope more patriots take a stand. Don’t talk about it, be about it,” he added. “You know, I got to watch out for my kids. … This is again proof [that] tyranny is in America.”
When a reporter asked if the protest was “worth it,” Ritzheimer responded by seemingly comparing himself to those who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Nevertheless, the event was peaceful. While tense, the protest appeared to remain peaceful as participants clashed with mosque and Muslim community supporters who came out to hold a counter-demonstration, The Blaze reported.
A spokesperson for the Phoenix Police department said there were no arrests or reports of injuries.
Cops divided anti-Islam protesters from counter-demonstrators. Members of both parties, however, engaged in heated shouting matches across the police line.
Many anti-Islam protesters could be seen wearing “f*** Islam” shirts and holding similar signs. Those counter-demonstrating held “peace” and “f*** ISIS not Islam” signs.
As you might have expected, the events have drawn all kinds of criticism, but not simply from the political left. Even some conservatives have questioned the necessity for, or motivation behind, events that are set up primarily to insult another religion, in this case Islam (which forbids making any drawing of Islam’s prophet, Muhammad – caricatures are especially offensive).
This is a tough one for some people to call, but really, it shouldn’t be.
Obviously, in America, the Constitution’s speech protections are designed to permit even speech that is offensive to someone, or many someone’s (as in members of an organized religion).
But wait: Holding events with the express intent of offending people does nothing to further the cause of free speech or liberty, right? In fact, such events are insulting to the concept. When the founding fathers wrote – and states adopted – the First Amendment, it was on the notion that government ought never to have a role in abridging or limiting the right of Americans to freely speak and express themselves, especially when it came to “redress” of grievances against government on all levels.
And yet, as noted by Michigan State University’s inclusion office:
The “marketplace of ideas” belief holds that the truth and good public policy arise from the competition of widely varying ideas freely shared in public discourse. The Founders also thought that open exchanges of ideas would encourage tolerance among people with opposing views.
Does an even that purposely upsets adherents to an organized religion count as an “open exchange of ideas” that “would encourage tolerance?”
Perhaps not, but as the First Amendment Center notes, “The First Amendment ensures that ‘if there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein,’ as Justice Robert Jackson wrote in the 1943 case West Virginia v. Barnette.”
Nevertheless, Americans continue to vigorously dispute the application of the First Amendment, the center added.
“Most people believe in the right to free speech, but debate whether it should cover flag-burning, hard-core rap and heavy-metal lyrics, tobacco advertising, hate speech, pornography, nude dancing, solicitation and various forms of symbolic speech. Many would agree to limiting some forms of free expression,” as evidenced in the center’s own research.
Then, of course, there is the so-called grievance industry – groups and organizations that exist specifically to gin up controversy over speech and expressions they don’t like or agree with.
And we have the PC police – other left-wing groups that relish in their self-appointed roles as arbiters of what speech is or is not “acceptable” (to them, that is).
As long as the Bill of Rights remains intact Americans will enjoy the freedom to speak and express themselves as they wish, even at the risk of offending some (and really, any position taken is offensive to someone who doesn’t agree). So in the end the best we can do is simply live and let live, so to speak, and be tolerant of others’ speech.
Even if they are speaking their mind purely to offend.
Funding the “going into hiding” piece is undoubtedly challenging.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
I’d say...put your wife and kids into hiding. Then reside in your home...along with 5 of your heavily armed buddies and wait.
Place a sign in the front yard...”COME AND TAKE IT”.
If he didn't expect that this would put him in danger and disrupt his life, he ain't very bright.
And "I’m going into hiding. I hope more patriots take a stand.
Going into hiding and taking a stand are sort of mutually exclusive.
Was this guy really a Marine?
where are the pieces of cartoon art generated in Phoenix?
Not to worry, the TSA is on top of these threats.
Pray America is waking
I watched coverage of the event. Didn’t see much drawing going on. I wonder who won?
Are you willing to join him?
And when the Muslims march demanding to "behead those who insult the Prophet", does THAT NOT INSULT CHRISTIANS AND JEWS???
You saw that too, didja?
>>Are you willing to join him?<<
If this were one of my buddies down here in Texas...you bet I would. You bet.
Some things are worth fighting for.
That he has to go into hiding in the USA proves that our “leaders” have no intention of defending this country from Islamo-Nazism and why every last citizen should be armed. F this government and F their unconstitutional gun control “laws”. They refuse to protect the country, something incredibly we pay them to do.
“And when the Muslims march demanding to “behead those who insult the Prophet”, does THAT NOT INSULT CHRISTIANS AND JEWS??? ”
Are you kidding? That is completely acceptable. Rejecting that is like rejecting liberal government.
It looks like his gofundme.com page asking for $10 million to fortify his home got pulled.
Provoking a reaction is a tactic. And, in the real world, it takes courage; unlike keyboard warriors.
Perhaps he is just saying he’s going into hiding. To draw them out??
Perhaps he is just saying he’s going into hiding. To draw them out??
mohammed was a child rapist.
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