Posted on 09/14/2010 6:19:55 AM PDT by kristinn
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has expressed a willingness to ban protesters from burning the Koran as the modern day equivalent of shouting fire in a crowded theater.
The Supreme Court has ruled burning the American flag in protest is protected speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Breyer spoke to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's Good Morning America today:
But Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer told me on "GMA" that he's not prepared to conclude that -- in the internet age -- the First Amendment condones Koran burning.
“Holmes said it doesn’t mean you can shout 'fire' in a crowded theater,” Breyer told me. “Well, what is it? Why? Because people will be trampled to death. And what is the crowded theater today? What is the being trampled to death?”
Breyer is promoting his new book, Making Our Democracy Work.
Breyer was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.
Good point!
This lunatic is helping our cause in a bizarre way.
We both know he isn't.
Punish is the right word. Back in the day, these people would be stripped naked,tarred, feathered, and set on fire.
Yeah, right! LOL! :)=^..^=
That WOULD end a lot of problems. Seems like we could do it since the Courts have so little regard for the Constitution anyway. /sarq
Nominated for post of the day. You hit the nail on the head in the fewest possible words. Wisdom and economy, I admire it.
Thanks. I try for a high signal-to-noise ratio.
If this kind of “logic” worked, then we should burn as many korans as possible so the Saudis would send us money.
If Islam is a religion worthy of 1st Amendment protection, its members must be expected to behave in a civilized manner, even in the face of insults to their faith, just like Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Pagans, Wiccans, and even Satanists are expected to do.
I honestly believe the majority of muslims..which I view to be the radical muslims...are worse than Hitler.
ping
Well of course! Why do you think they're always trying to shred the 2nd Amendment and take all our guns away? It's never about guns. It's ALWAYS about control. If the liberals can take our guns they never have to worry (or so they think) about violence against them to protect the Constitution and our way of life. What they don't realize is the deadliest weapon is between the ears. They don't realize this because they lack such!
This would be favoring one religion over others, and thus unconstitutional. They would have to ban the burning of ALL religious symbols — and throw in national symbols, like the flag, for good measure.
Suppressing free speech because of the threat of a violent reaction by the hearers is called a “heckler’s veto” and has already been found unconstitutional.
It’s not like “screaming fire in a crowded theater,” because this is simply an irresponsible or malicious act involving a lie that does not express an opinion of any kind. Speech of this nature and certain others, such as libel, is not protected (except in some circumstances, for example, when it is directed at a public figure). On the other hand, speech expressing an opinion is protected even if it may generate a hostile reaction.
So would Breyer also ban drawing mohammed? That also seems to get them fired up among other things? Scary that this guy is on the court. He will have us bowing to islam before he is done.
They would rather ban the burning of a book, then face the reality of Islam. That reality is Muslims do not yell fire in a crowded theater. They yell, Allah Akbar.
(a) my dog crapping on it
(b) using it as toilet paper
(c) shredding it
(d) laughing at it
(e) spitting on it
(f) using it to line the bird cage
(g) wrapping fish in it
(h) ignoring it
(i) owning a copy when you aren’t a moon-worshipper
(j) using it to hold doors open
...and so forth.*
Maybe the government will assign a worker to shadow each citizen like a “guardian angel (of Death)” to insure that none of us do anything that might be offensive to anyone in any country.
It would be like the government guy sent to the factory in Atlas Shrugged.
Breyer also believes that international gun laws should take precedent over the 2nd Amendment.
Perhaps his next move is to ban provocative clothes on women in this country. It encourages rape, don’t ya know.
After all, this incenses muslims so much they require burkas on their women to keep their menfolk calm.
So, if we act violently...we get our way. Nice to know.
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