Pirate's Cove

It is simply amazing that a group that is supposed to protect the Rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights constantly fails to understand that same document. Obviously, since States, counties, and municipalities have the ability to require permits for things like marches and protests, they have been deemed Constitutional. And well they should:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

As in the Federal Congress, which is what the Federalist papers specifies, as well as other writing from the era when the Bill of Rights was being drafted.

And let’s not forget the 10th:

 The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

So, when a college student is arrested for not having a permit on campus, what does the ACLU do? In their blind ignorance and military hatred, they make demands, with the threat of a lawsuit in the background (via Rockbridge Weekly):

 Fairfax, VA – In a letter sent earlier today to George Mason University, the ACLU of Virginia is demanding that school officials apologize and pay $50,000 to Tariq Khan, a GMU student who was arrested for protesting the presence of military recruiters on campus.

The ACLU is also seeking revisions to GMU’s free speech policy to ensure that constitutionally permissible protests by students are protected in the future.

Khan, a Pakistani-American and a U.S. Air Force veteran, was arrested on September 29, 2005 at a GMU student center after positioning himself several feet from a military recruiting table. He wore a small sign reading “Recruiters Tell Lies” taped to his chest and held leaflets to give to individuals who requested them.

Despite harassment from fellow students, Khan remained quiet. When told by a GMU official that he needed a permit to “table” in the area, Khan responded that he was not using a table, but merely standing quietly and expressing his opinion.

After refusing to move, Khan was handcuffed by campus police, dragged to a police vehicle, and transported to a Fairfax County police facility where he was booked for trespass and disorderly conduct. The ACLU of Virginia provided legal representation, and all charges against Khan were dropped.

The ACLU needs to face facts: there are rules and laws, and people need to follow them. Would the ACLU have jumped in if this was a KKK member protesting a Muslim recruitment table and was arrested? Or someone protesting a Democratic recruitment table and arrested? Based on the ACLU’s history, I would say the answer would be “no.”

There are rules and laws we must all follow, and if we break them, we are subject to punishment. And no one is above this.

“This was a lone student standing in public space at a state university peaceably expressing his opinion against a government policy,” added (ACLU Va director Kent) Willis. “If that’s not protected by the First Amendment, then one has to wonder what is.”

Again, permit? No? Go read the Bill of Rights, Kent.

As a sidebar, it is hilarious (but not funny) how the ACLU complains about one set of people being denied their Rights, yet immediately, in almost every case, attempts to deny others their Rights, with threats. I wonder if anyone has ever considered suing the ACLU for harrasment and intimidation. They remind me of the mob more every day.

Today’s official Blogburst topic at Stop The ACLU.

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