FIRST AMENDMENT CANNOT BE SCAPEGOATED FOR TERROR ATTACKS
|| By FITSNEWS || Our guess is that former New York governor George Pataki won’t mind this headline … or our decision to feature it “above the fold.” Pataki is a second tier presidential prospect, which means almost any mention of his name translates into “good news” for his candidacy.
In fact this article is “great news” for Pataki because it involves us calling him out on an issue that will likely help him among “Republican” primary voters in the Palmetto State.
We’re referring, of course, to the ongoing scaremongering over the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) – which reached a fever pitch earlier this month when a pair of wanna-be jihadists were killed by police during a botched attack on a right-wing gathering in Texas.
There’s no evidence ISIS had anything to do with the attack, but the incident has prompted calls to criminalize speech in which Americans express sympathy with the Middle Eastern organization. How come? Because the two perpetrators of the botched Texas attack claimed to be supporters of the group.
And Pataki is on the leading edge of those calls …
“I’m a great believer in the First Amendment,” Pataki said during a visit to South Carolina last weekend. “But you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater. During World War II you couldn’t put up a poster recruiting for the Nazi government. In 2015 we must shut down every radical islamist tying to recruit people for ISIS here – trying to radicalize people here – it is a crime whether it’s on the internet, from a mosque, in a prison.”
Pataki’s remarks were cheered by attendees at U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan‘s 2015 S.C. Freedom Summit.
“And there’s no question in my mind that it’s constitutional,” Pataki added.
Take a look/ listen …
(Click to play)
(Vid: Via)
Interesting …
Obviously, we disagree with Pataki: There is nothing wrong with Americans expressing sympathy or support for ISIS. Or even expressing sympathy or support for actions perpetrated by the organization (however gruesome those actions may be). Attempting to criminalize such speech isn’t just wrong – it is anti-American.
Unless there is probable cause to suspect an individual of conspiring to commit a terrorist act, then “shutting down” their social media pronouncements (or other public statements) constitutes an impermissible infringement of their constitutionally protected liberties.
Of course based on the applause he received, it seems pretty clear Pataki’s view is more popular than ours with the SCGOP electorate …
Which is further evidence of the success of recent scaremongering efforts.
19 comments
“There is nothing wrong with Americans expressing sympathy or support for ISIS. Or even expressing sympathy or support for actions perpetrated by the organization (however gruesome those actions may be). Attempting to criminalize such speech isn’t just wrong – it is anti-American.”
The Democrat Party in this country,like ISIS, is “ant-American” and I don’t believe it should “criminalized”.
True. I hate the Democrats and their desire for freedom, prosperity, education, and goodwill. I much prefer the bible-thumping, scaremongering, 1% wealth, and general stupidity of the Republicans. Go ‘Merica!!!
I much prefer stripping baseless labels from greedy and arrogant politicians and calling them what they truly are–irrespective of party affiliation.
You got ‘goodwill’ right-to our foreign enemies.
Exactly, like those darn Iraqis. I feel much safer with that menace taken care. Oh wait, ISIS anyone? Thanks Georgie-boy.
Michelle Obama was at Tuskegee this past weekend telling the graduating students how racist and evil America is.
Truly sad.
Yeah, I am sure you’re taking that out of context at all, but if you weren’t how is that ANY different than the Republican pres candidate-du-jour saying how much Murica sux.
Any given Sunday you’ll see “patriots” Pogo and GrandTango defending the worst scum of politicians there are.
It is not goodwill, if it’s The 51% money.
Dems=Repubs. There is no difference except rhetoric. They both claim to want “freedom, prosperity, education, and goodwill” but have different ideas on how to achieve those goals. Both are run by the “1%” and always have been. Both have dumbasses repeating their talking points. Both like to point their finger and call the other one the bad guy.
The parties simply need to make us hate each other so that they can keep/gain power…that’s all any of this is. The parties don’t care about you, just the power you give them.
If you blindly spew talking points for either side, you are a fool.
I believe there is to much “Ant-American” activity in this country as is. This type of behavior will only “mound” up. It’s like the Democrats want a “queen” to rule us all (Hilary.) I’m tired of hearing what comes out of their “mandibles”. I, one of the few “workers” left in this country, am ready to “harvest” all these yahoos up, sling some “dirt” on their party, and “sting” them right where it hurts. Preferably with a “drone” strike.
Hey FITS!!! Stop pretending you know ANYTHING about good journalism by throwing out lines like “above the fold.” I was a professional journalist for 40 years before retiring and worked for real news outlets –The Chicago Tribune, Kansas City Star and Reuters — and am here to tell you the shit you spew wouldn’t make print in even a high school paper. Fuck you, asshole! Your stupiditty is showing!
LMAO!!!!Professional journalist? What qualifies one for that distinction? You are arguably the most liberal/socialist contributor on Fits-from your support of radical Democrat political candidates to your love affair with gay marriage.
You were the problem Fits is talking about.For 40 years you spewed your American hating shit in written form while trying to brainwash and fool the masses with your journalist social agenda.
On here you have been exposed as just another God hating liberal.
Right … And how exactly do you fold your laptop in the middle?
(And now we understand why you are no longer a “professional” urnalist. “The Chicago Tribune, Kansas City Star and Reuters …” that’s amateur newspeak turf, cowboy.)
Your ignorance on the First Amendment is extreme. The First Amendment rights that are threatened are those of the cartoonists who were “peacefully assembled” and exercising their “Free Speech” and “Freedom of Religion” not at the “Right Wing,” but truthfully the “Libertarian” gathering in Texas.
… and one would argue that The First Amendment is the Only core function of government.
When one can not speak out, no matter about what, and the Gruberment/mean scream media complex tries to demonize the speaker, g’ment should be waterboarding the media and the stupnagals in g’ment.
… so, FITS did not get hacked by the towelheads today?
Poothocky is a “second tier” candidate in his own mind. WOW.
So the Paulbots pander to the Leftist deniers of Islamic supremacy…okay that figures…