Friday, April 08, 2011

It's The 1st Amendment, NOT The 1st Suggestion!

Slate doesn't seem too excited about Justice Breyer's remarks on the 1st Amendment, in light of the Quran-burning incident.  What Breyer does say concerns me:
you can say—with the Internet, you can say this. … Holmes said it doesn't mean you can shout "fire" in a crowded theater. 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? … It will be answered over time in a series of cases which force people to think carefully.
So, apparently, unlike the relatively natural reaction to hearing the word "fire", a decidedly UNNATURAL action, like murdering Christians, may lead to inhibited speech.

At least, when it offends the easily-offended Muslim population.

UPDATE:  Upon re-reading the Slate post, it's clear that they disapprove of any restriction on the 1st Amendment - what I wrote previously seems to suggest the opposite.

Share

No comments:

Lies of the Left

This COULD be a lengthy post. But, I'll try to winnow it down to a reasonable length. The CA Parent Bribery 'Scandal' - the 1...