In Mourning for the 1st
I have returned.
I don’t imagine a great many people noticed that I was away. My fault, certainly. I let the blog lapse. Circumstances have brought me back, and not the kind of circumstances that I would have preferred.
I am in mourning at present. I have changed the appearance to a darker template to commemorate the event.
I am mourning the 1st Amendment. I can’t say that it’s dead. (Can I walk around?) Not completely. Not for sure. I really have to wonder, though.
It’s not like it was really a surprise. The 1st has taken a lot of abuse over the years, gone through some pretty rough times. There were a few times when good ole Miracle Max might have even hesitated to take a shot, but it still kept going. And then came Hate Crimes legislation.
Recently, the mayor of Lancaster, California, mentioned that there was a growing Christian community and expressed some pride in the fact. For this transgression, he was investigated in California under the state hate crimes statute. The responsible panel voted not to prosecute. Good for them. It was a pure disgrace that it ever reached that point, but good for them. Now, CAIR has filed a federal complaint.
The outcome is largely irrelevant. The precedent is grim. A US citizen is being investigated for speech that is not slanderous or seditious, for expressing a sentiment which by all rights should be completely covered by the 1st Amendment. Right now, said protection is looking pale, a ghastly green, full respirator and drip tube.
I still recall last year arguing with people on line, stating that such laws would inevitably be used as a hammer against free speech and religion. There were certainly enough examples of where it had in Canada and Europe. And every liberal I argued against was sure that I was daft or stupid or paranoid. And here we are now.
There can only be one good outcome. Hopefully the case will gain the attention of the Supreme Court, and the Court will strike it down. Barring that, let the funeral commence. No loud wailing, please. You wouldn’t want to offend anyone.
