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In America, anti-constitutional gestures are proteced by the constitution.

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howard112211 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 08:18 AM
Original message
In America, anti-constitutional gestures are proteced by the constitution.
That is how we read our first ammendment. If people were marching the streets demanding the overturning of the constitution and establishment of a monarchy, we would let them. However, the fact that something is protected does NOT mean that this very thing does not directly contradict
the nature of our constitution.

Public book burnings as a symbolic gesture are anti-constitutional in nature, because they are implied censorship, arguably in combination with
an implied threat to readers and authors of said books. Our constitution however protects this as free expression, just as it probably would
marching past synagogues with swastika flags.

I find it silly however, how people stress the protected status of this type of expression, as if that status would somehow bestow
a "constitutional blessing" upon that gesture. On the contrary, the constitution allows these things DESPITE the fact
that they go against the very nature of specific ideas contained in it. There is no tribute to free speech in burning a book. One could
just as well go and burn copies of the constitution in public. The constitution protects the right to do that as well, however no
one could argue they are doing so because they have such a huge respect of the constitution.
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ProgressiveProfessor Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 11:05 AM
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1. This is not a simple book burning. Its a deliberate sacrilege against islam
It is designed to get a violent responses internationally, and probably will. All that said, its still Constitutionally protected in this country
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Nuclear Unicorn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 11:13 AM
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2. There's a difference between what a bunch of silly, ridiculous people do
and what is done by a government.

If you came over to my house you would never see a copy of Mein Kampf or Mao's Little Red Book, so if you visited for that purpose you would be disappointed.

But I can't censor those books.

If the government forbade the possesion or reading of those books THAT would be censorship and that, I believe, is what the constitution addresses.

Just like people can have manger scenes for X-mas on their own lawn but putting them on government buildings is a separate issue.

I dunno about this Jones character though. If a big booming voice came from the sky and said, "Dude, this is soooo immature." Jones would say, "How do I know it's really you." And if voice showed a hand with nail holes in it Jones would say, "is there anyone else up there to talk to?"
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