So, Terry Jones has been put in jail. And what crime did he   
    commit? What crime was he convicted of?   
      
    He was convicted of being a threat. His crime was the intent to   
    hold a protest outside a mosque.   
      
    I think Terry Jones is a mad, nasty hatefilled man. Or, perhaps   
    he's playing for publicity, and eventually profit. More likely   
    both.   
      
    Yet he was put in prison for what he *INTENDED* to do. For what   
    he was going to do, not for what he did.   
      
    Once upon a time in America it was popular to say, "I do not   
    agree with a thing you say, but I will defend to the death your   
    right to say it."   
      
    Now it's, "I do not agree with a thing you say, and I will shout   
    you down to keep you from saying it." Yet the same people who   
    shout down speakers at a town hall meeting will denounce Terry   
    Jones being locked up.   
      
    They were wrong about the former, but they are right about the   
    latter.   
      
    Terry Jones is a dangerous man. His behavior is irresponsible,   
    and can and has led to violence. Yet what he does is   
    constitutionally protected.   
      
    It is sad that those who suffer for his irresponsibility are   
    innocents, who probably have never heard of Terry Jones or have   
    any idea what he does. Yet allowing the violent segment stop   
    those they disagree with does not prevent violence, it incites   
    more violence. Sooner or later they will find something else to   
    object to. It's called extortion.   
      
    I do not know how we can prevent the violence thousands of miles   
    from the US border without violating the constitutional   
    principle of freedom of speech. Yet I cannot see how anyone can   
    justify suppressing offensive speech out of fear of those who   
    will commit violence.   
      
    Though I do see one light in this darkness. The Wahabi preachers   
    who come here, sponsored by Saudi Arabia, teach an intolerant   
    version of Islam, a version that has inspired all of the terror   
    against the US, for all practical purposes.   
      
    So, if they can claim the right to silence Terry Jones, they   
    they have the obligation to silence the Wahabi. After all, Jones   
    did not preach violence, or teach violence, or show any sign of   
    wanting to incite violence. The Wahabi do.   
      
    Yet Terry Jones is not, himself, a clear and present danger, the   
    Wahabi are. So, why has there been an attempt to restrict Jones,   
    but not the Wahabi.   
      
    Mostly because all too many, including all too many in Fidonet,   
    want to attack all Islam, and refuse to focus on the true and   
    only terrorist threat to the US, Wahabi, and Saudi Arabia.   
      
    All to many prefer to appeal to bigotry against the whole group,   
    instead of focusing on the real danger. As long as that is true,   
    Jones will be restricted, and the Wahabi will spout their hate   
    freely.   
      
    Enjoy your new world. Remember the constitution we used to have.   
      
      
      
   BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn   
      
   ... Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.   
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