Fundies: ACLU given 'veto power' over free-speech rights

[marmar]

:nopity:


from the American Family Association's One News Now:



ACLU given 'veto power' over free-speech rights
Jeff Johnson - OneNewsNow - 7/7/2008 9:00:00 AM


Christian groups are appealing a federal judge's ruling that bars the Gideons from distributing Bibles to students of the South Iron Missouri School District.

The South Iron School District allows off-campus organizations to distribute literature to students before and after school, and during other non-instructional times such as lunch breaks. But the American Civil Liberties Union sued, saying the Gideons should not be allowed to hand out Bibles because of their religious nature. U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry agreed.

"In fact, the federal judge said...the ACLU must be able to have the say-so over whether religious literature can be distributed -- and obviously, if the ACLU has that say-so, no religious literature will ever be distributed," says Matt Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel.

But Staver points out that the First Amendment prohibits any "heckler" from having the right to prohibit free speech. "...The ACLU may not like the fact that equal access also means equal treatment for religious speech, but, frankly, the Constitution requires equal treatment," states the attorney. "...Hecklers may heckle all they want to, but they may not veto private religious speech."

Staver is asking the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overrule Judge Perry. He says that, to his knowledge, no other U.S. court has ever ruled that a private, third party should be given veto power over private religious speech.


http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=165572

[sakabatou]

1. Dammit, Cletus! Now we can't incite violence anymore!

[wtmusic]

2. Something tells me the judge didn't appoint the ACLU

as Religious Literature Supervisor. :eyes:

[zbdent]

3. they may not veto private religious speech ...

but what these Gideons are doing are putting private religious speech onto Public areas ...

It's bad enough that there's evidence that they frequent the seediest of motels ...

[Ikonoklast]

4. I wonder if their panties would get in a bunch if the Koran

Was being handed out.

Magic Eight Ball says: No Fucking Way.

Free speech my ass. Only for Christians, everyone else shut the fuck up.

[Clark2008]

5. I vote we try that, then.

I really can't say that I agree with the ruling, considering the Bibles were being handed out before and after school and not on school property (if I read that incorrectly, please disregard this portion of the post).

People have a right to stand on the street corner and pass out whatever they like to whomever accepts it if that material is legal and if the person accepting it wasn't accosted. That's FREE SPEECH.

However, I WOULD like for a Muslim organization - or, heck, a liberal organization - to test this theory nationwide by standing alongside the Gideons and handing out mini-Qur'ans. I think that would be a testiment to how true these Christians are regarding Free Speech - or if they're simply using it as a shield to promote a single religion.

[TlalocW]

6. The Gideons often came to my university

My friend, Doug, made the mistake of turning down a Bible by saying, "No thanks, I'm an atheist." He had an old man in a powder blue suit follow him across campus trying to get him to renounce his ways.

When they asked me if I wanted one, I would just raise and lower my empty hand and tell them I already got one. Doug was amazed that worked.

TlalocW