Tolerating intolerance?

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Is it OK to yell movie in a crowded firehouse?

Ok, so that is a bizarre idea.

But if you flip the nouns, then you encounter an illegal act. The Supreme Court has ruled you cannot legally use speech to incite dangerous situations, like a panic in a theater.

Keep that in mind. Free speech?

Yes? No?

There are conflicting reports that Terry Jones was told to stay away from the gathered crowd.

Unless Jones is a certifiable idiot (and I offer no opinion on this), he had to know going to that crowd was gonna spark them. They were there to protest him.

I insult you with FOOT ODOR!

Aside, I find the idea of waving shoes at him as a form of insult to be beyond droll. Talk about cultural differences...

Back on topic, as I still am unable to read people's minds with any degree of accuracy, I can't tell you what Jones was thinking when he approached that group of protesters.

Now Jones is not the same level idiot that inhabits Westboro Church; he has listened, albeit briefly, to reason in the past. So there is a very slight chance he actually believed he'd be allowed to present his case.


I will tell you from my perspective, I support him. In part, anyway.

Jones has the right to say what he wishes. That it offended some people is irrelevant. Jones has the right to say what he wants to say.

Those people protesting also have the right to say what they said. Jones approached them. They yelled him down.

I like that.

What I do not support and what I do not like is Jones intentionally escalated the danger level in a tense situation. I do not care at all that Jones put himself into a dangerous situation. Nor do I care that the protesters were also in a dangerous situation.

Myself, I'da let 'em have at each other.

I object to Jones putting OTHER people in harm's way- the police officers there to try to maintain the peace, innocent folks who may have been caught up unaware in the drama.

That's just wrong.

If Jones and all the extremists on both sides of this issue really want to beat each other to a bloody pulp, I'll supply a few big sticks. But when they so engage and they drag other people into the fray, that's wrong.

Your right to free speech ends when you endanger others unnecessarily.