Protesters Have Right to Speak

County Press ^ | 4-16-03 | William W. Lawrence

[Temple Owl]

Second Thoughts

By: William W. Lawrence

04/15/2003

We hear so much about young Americans -- teenagers and early 20s -- who give Americans a bad name. Then we watch our young GIs and our chest swells with pride.

They were freeing an oppressed people while naked women, transvestites, dogs, dancers and singers joined Harry Belafonte in an antiwar protest to "praise the patriotism of the demonstrators" and condemn the military action in Iraq.

"We denounce governments that act with tyranny," Mr. Belafonte told the crowd. He was talking about our government, not Saddam Hussein's. Listen, there were always war protesters.

I was a youngster just before World War II while Jews were being pushed into Nazi gas chambers. Even back then, American hero Charles Lindbergh,a leading member of the America First Committee, was able to fill Madison Square Garden with war protesters.

I do not like Harry Belafonte, Susan Sarandon, Barbra Streisand, Ed Asner, Michael Moore and the rest of the Hollywood anti-American crowd. But they have a right to open their foul mouths and spew anti-American venom. Our young GIs are serving to insure that right.

Ohio Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, a Democratic presidential candidate and an outspoken critic of President Bush's Iraq policy, has revived his proposal to create a U.S. Department of Peace. I am sure Kucinich would appoint Belafonte, Asner, Moore, Ms. Streisand and Ms. Sarandon to high posts within his creation.

***

[Temple Owl]

Let's put Harry Belafonte in a banana boat with naked women, transvestites, dogs and dancers.

[Temple Owl]

ping

[netmilsmom]

I can't get to the article....

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Wed Apr 16, 6:33 PM ET

Peace activist and 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire (C) protests the Iraq (news - web sites) war across the street from the White House in Washington, DC.(AFP/Gina Dogget)

[Jeff Head]

They do have a right to protest ... and they also have the right to suffer the consequences .

The public shunning and free market consequences if they keep it legal ... the legal consequences if they cross the line into illegality and sedition.

Here is the definition of sedition:

The U.S. Sedition Act

Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully promote the success of its enemies, or shall willfully incite insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the military or naval forces of the United States or advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing of any of the acts or things in this section enumerated and whoever shall by word or act support or favor the cause of any country with which the United States is at war or by word or act oppose the cause of the United States therein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both.

U.S. Code : Title 18 : Section 2381

WINNING IRAQI FREEDOM.COM

[Blue Screen of Death]

While protesters do have a right to speak, they also have an obligation to think. I see many exercising the former and few the latter.

[Cicero]

Can you add on the rest of the article? Here's what I see when I click on the link. Either I'm not registered, or the hits are too much for the server:

"The requested page cannot be displayed.

"The page you are trying to view either was not found or the URL is incorrect."

[Bahbah]

Very well put.

[GulfWar1Vet]

Oh yea. They have a right to protest, but I have a right not to hear them. LoL

[SpinyNorman]

Hey!! Where has fat Ed Assner been lately? Sudden case of guilt or conscience? Naaahhhh, probably a drinking binge.

[Oldsailor]

I understand and agree that those wanting to express an opinion about their beliefs should have that right. Where my understanding gets fuzzy is why don't these folks give me and others the right to protest what they do, in any way I choose?

I choose to call them all idiots and uneducated, spoiled, overpaid,.......and on and on.

I also choose to never spend money that will find it's way to them..

Hey....that too is my right.

[trebb]

It's amazing how free speech is only free speech when being used by commie-pinko left-wingers. They can shout you down and try to squelch your voice and that's Ok, but disagree with them and you are not using free speech, you are violating their rights. Kinda makes you want to do some real violating, doesn't it???

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

That was the entire article. The rest is just other editorials.

[vollmond]

I do not like Harry Belafonte, Susan Sarandon, Barbra Streisand, Ed Asner, Michael Moore and the rest of the Hollywood anti-American crowd. But they have a right to open their foul mouths and spew anti-American venom. Our young GIs are serving to insure that right.

The sad thing is, there's not a one of these people who would serve for a young GI's right to do the same. That's why the backlash against them has begun. There's not a man or woman among them who would risk their lives to defend our rights, while we are willing and eager to do it for them.

Rest of message deleted to avoid profanity :).

[ohioman]

Yeah whatever. And we have the right to call these people naive, idiototic, traitorous, scum. It's best to use these terms for it illicits the best response and clearly shows these people are only for speech that agrees with their leftwing agenda.

[shhrubbery!]

Sure, they have the right to speak.

And we have the right to speak back to them.

[Gefreiter]

Just because we ALL, as Americans, have the right of free speech, it is not always the wisest choice to exercise it.

Shouldn't we think before we speak?

[Valin]

And I have the right(and duty) to call them what they are moral midgets. Someone who's moral develoment stopped at about age 6.

[Hila]

"And we have the right to speak back". What the protestors of war and anything decent and intelligent believe, is that those who are not with them should shut up. They believe in their infinite self-centeredness, that we have no voice, and that we don't have a mind of our own. The peacefools claim we are persuaded by the White House and conservative radio; in other words they think that we are sooo stupid that we have to be told what to think. I love the surprise that is being unwrapped for them. Just when the celebs thought all we were good for was to give them our money at the movie theater, they are rudely awakened. The fact is that we can all find entertainment in better places and let the unwise protestors know we are a different kind of human beings. We are the "We the people" that will stand for this land and our beliefs.

[Smedley]

While protesters do have a right to speak, they also have an obligation to think. I see many exercising the former and few the latter.

Good luck enforcing that thinking thing.

THese mealy-mouthed Holltwood types want to express their opinion, especially to criticize Bush, but they don't want people criticizing THEM. To recap:

Their criticism of Bush = free speech

Our criticism of them = oppression of free speech.

Sarandon, Gerafalo et al are a mindless pathetic bunch.