Rabbi, Man Wearing Swastika Trade Blows At Airport

The Pittsburgh Channel ^ | 4/19/05

[Bella_Bru]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A rabbi wearing a yarmulke and a man wearing swastikas got into a fight at Kansas City International Airport Sunday evening.

According to a police report, Rabbi David Fine, 36, of Overland Park, was in the KCI terminal when he commented to Steven T. Boswell, 30, of Olathe, about a large swastika logo on his shirt and his swastika necklace.

Fine told Boswell that he should be ashamed of himself, and Boswell responded by calling the rabbi inhuman, the police report stated.

The rabbi allegedly threw a cup of coffee in Boswell's face and punched him. Boswell told police he then repeatedly punched Fine in the head.

Both men were handcuffed and charged with disorderly conduct. They refused medical attention.

The responding officer said Fine had some small bumps on his head and Boswell had coffee stains on his clothing.

Both men are scheduled to appear in court on June 22.

[F.J. Mitchell]

I just opened my mouth and stuck my foot in, a bad habit of mine.

Please accept my sincere apology.

[The Red Zone]

The rabbi allegedly threw a cup of coffee in Boswell's face

But was it kosher coffee?

[Wilhelm Tell]

The speaker whom Boswell had taken to the airport was Jacques Pluss, a former adjunct history professor at Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. He was dismissed from the university last month for missing too many days of class, but Pluss said he was let go because school officials thought he was too politically incorrect.

Now that's funny -- Jacques Pluss and his Nazi friend. I guess he missed too many days of class because he was speaking at Nazi events and hanging around with guys wearing Swastikas.

I hope the Rabbi does not get into any trouble. Our society is weak because too many people are incapable of moral indignation. The Rabbi did not do any harm. If the skinhead suffered brain damage from getting his a$$ whooped, I doubt anyone could tell the difference.

[Redcloak]

You don't understand the concept of "fighting words", do you. Your freedom of speech doesn't protect you from a proper ass kicking when your "peaceful expression" is itself a threat of violence. "Support of national socialism" is a threat of violence against Jews. He was a fool to think that his threat would go unanswered.

[bad company]

Think about this next time you are wearing your Ronald Reagan or NRA shirt...

I do. And that's why I wear it. The Rabbi rocks.

[A Jovial Cad]

He was peacefully expressing his support of national socialism

I can think of about Six Million reasons why I don't give a rat's ass about what happens to a person "peacefully expressing" their "support of national socialism."

For starters, I had the opportunity to tour this eerily quiet place of raked-over horror & committed evil as a relatively young man, while in the USAF: http://www.scrapbookpages.com/BergenBelsen/Introduction.html

My first 50,000 reasons for not caring if that scummy neo-Nazi got his teeth rattled by the good Rabbi starts there...

[bad company]

Yes it does . . . otherwise its not protected speech. You're about as bright and tolerant as the PC guys you rail against.

Protected speech? Good God. The first ammendment only protects you if the government trys to interfere with your speech. This notion that morons are allowed to make any statement with no repercussions whatsoever is pure ACLU nonsense.

[Kenton]

What give the Rabi a free pass and not others?

Oh, I didn't say he got a free pass.

You gotta understand, he has a far more legitimate grudge against Nazis than we have against the guys from "Queer Eye" or Icky Alan Colmes; and the kid wearing the hammer and scycle is too young to have any idea what it stands for.

But let's make something clear here - wearing a swastika t-shirt into a airport isn't normal behavior, whether it's protected or not.

It's extremely provocative behavior. It's purposely intended to be an in-your-face statement intended to offend normal people. Its a sign that says "Hey, guess what. I don't want to 'just get along'."

I just like seeing people like that get their asses kicked. I'm not saying that the rabbi would be exempt from the consequences of his actions, I'm just saying that if I was the sole witness, THEN he'd be exempt from the consequences of his actions.

But regardless of whether or not he got hauled into court, there are just some things you don't pass up, and if you're a rabbi, getting in a few good licks on some Neo-Nazi a**hole who magically appears in range of your fist is one of them. It would have been worth the consequences, IMHO.

I guess I just don't like Nazis. But I'm very even-handed about it, I don't like commies or islamo-fascists either.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Legal, Illegal, or otherwise. You call me inhuman (not human) while wearing symbology that suggests the desire to exterminate those you see as beneath you, and you can bet your shiny arse I'm going to cause you bodily harm.

There are times and circumstances where doing the right thing may end up being costly, but you do it because it is the right thing to do. Kicking a neo(scumbag)nazi's arse is the right thing to do in all circumstances. Regardless of what the lemmings may think.

Go! Go! Rabbi Fine!