Thought your free speech rights, those given by God and protected by the U.S. Constitution, were assured in the United States?
Well, maybe.
A representative of Barack Obamas Department of Justice has refused over and over to answer a question from a member of Congress about the agencys dedication to freedom of speech.
It was during this weeks hearing by the House Constitution subcommittee, headed by Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., where Tom Perez, of the DOJs civil rights office, repeatedly wouldnt respond to Franks question.
In fact, Franks repeated the question four times: Will you tell us here today simply that this administrations Department of Justice will never entertain or advance a proposal that criminalizes speech against any religion.
WND has reported on the issue multiple times in the past. The issue primarily revolves around the idea contained in a proposal that has been made many times in the United Nations by the Islamic-led interests there.
The concept is that there should be a Defamation of Religions law internationally that would make it criminal to speak negatively about any religion, although the proposals always have focused on Islam.
The idea is nothing more than an effort to achieve special protections for Islam a move to stifle religious speech, according to an analysis by Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice.
The Human Rights First organization has chimed in, saying the idea simply violates fundamental freedom of expression norms.
Tad Stahnke, of Human Rights First, said the concept is unfortunate for both individuals at risk whose rights will surely be violated under the guise of prohibiting defamation of religions, as well as for the standards of international norms on freedom of expression.
The issue also has been addressed by Carl Moeller, chief of Open Doors USA, in an interview with WND at the time, because of the pending threat to the freedoms in America.
This is a battle for our basic freedoms, he warned. This [U.N. idea] is Orwellian in its deviousness. To use language like the anti-defamation of a religion. It sounds like doublespeak worthy of Orwells 1984 because of what it really does.
He said Muslim nations would use it as an endorsement of their attacks on Christians for statements as simple as their belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, which Muslims consider an affront.
Worse would be the chilling effect on language that the U.N. plan would create worldwide, he said.
This would be a huge blessing to those who would silence dissidents in their countries, Islamic regimes, he said. This stands as a monument to the gullibility of the masses in the United States and other places who dont see this for what it is.
See Franks questions:
Perez stumbled in responding, then referenced the context of the question. When Franks noted it was not a hard question, Perez responded that, in fact, it was, because when you make threats
If you have a proposal that you are considering we will actively , Perez said.
Heres my proposal, Franks said. Im asking you to answer a question. Thats my proposal. Im proposing you answer this question.
He wouldnt.
WND asked the Justice Department for some answers today, and a spokesman refused to respond, and said Perez was not and would not be available.
According to a report in the Daily Caller, the current round of questioning by Franks was prompted by its report from last year on a meeting between Perez and hardcore Islamists, including Mohamed Magid, the Sudan-born, Saudi-trained head of the Islamic Society of North America.
The report said Perez expressed a desire for more meetings with Islamists, even though he had watched while Magid called for legal punishment of people who criticize Islamic texts that all for violence against non-Muslims and for the subordination fo women to men.
The report continued, Perez also listened while another Islamist called for the Justice Department to redefine religious free speech as illegal discrimination.
The Daily Caller quoted Sahar Aziz, who spoke at that October 2011 meeting, saying the DOJs civil rights lawyers are top of the line I say this with utter honesty I know they can come up with a way to classify criticism and discrimination.
The Daily Caller called Perez one of President Barack Obamas most aggressive advocates.
For example, during an October meeting in Alabama intended to rally opponents to the states successful enforcement of immigration laws, Perez suggested that Alabama residents score lower on education tests than poorly educated immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries.
The report continued, State school performance may decline, he said, because some of the [illegal immigrant] kids who are leaving [the state] are some of the highest performing kids, he told reporters.
Trents office confirmed today to WND that at last years meeting, Perez reportedly ended the meeting with an enthusiastic closing speech and was quoted as saying, I sat here the entire time, taking notes I have some very concrete thoughts in the aftermath of this.
We already know that the left doesn't believe in free speech.
We saw evidence of that again this week when the Mayors of Boston and Chicago threatened block Chick-fil-A from opening any more stores in their cities, just because the founder and CEO said something that the leftist politicians didn't like.
We see it every time a "conservative" is shouted down by leftist students and professors at college campuses.
We see it every time leftist politicians try to implement government regulations which restrict speech, like the so-called "fairness doctrine".
We see it every time leftist politicians rant and rave about limiting donations to candidates and issues that they don't like.
"we must as a species go into a period of shrinkage that we have not experienced since the Dark Ages and the Black Plague" -- lucysmom (A.K.A. minnigold)
You know I've never understood why they don't just laugh at them and tell them they are full of Bullchit???
Leftists are not that smart
"we must as a species go into a period of shrinkage that we have not experienced since the Dark Ages and the Black Plague" -- lucysmom (A.K.A. minnigold)
This is a song to be sung to Def Leppards Pyromania. F the UN. and that asshole in the department of Justice.
The Koran is a text from Satan. It ruins people and makes them evil. Burn that evil piece of shit book. Burn them all. Wipe your ass with them. Piss on them. Spit on them. Rip the pages out and line your bird cage with it. It is not a holy book.
Muslim, Muslim Gettin Even All right I got something to say Yeah, it's better to burn Korans Yeah, than to let them stay All right Ow Gonna start a fire C'mon! Rise up! gather round Take the Koran throw it to the ground Burn it up let's go for broke Watch the night go up in smoke
Burn on, Burn On
Drive muzzies crazier, no serenade No fire brigade, just Pyromania
What do you want? What do you want? I want Koran To Burn, yes I do Long live The Bible
Oh let's go, let's strike a light We're gonna blow like dynamite I don't care if it takes all night Gonna set this book alight
What do you want? What do you want? I want The Koran To Burn, All right! Long live The Bible
Rock of ages, rock of ages Still smokin', keep a-smokin' Rock of ages, rock of ages Still blazin', Really Blazin'
We got the power, got the glory Just say you need it and if you need it Say yeah!
Heh heh heh heh Now listen to me It's Burnin', Burnin', I got the fever I know for sure, there ain't no cure So feel it, don't fight it, go with the flow Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme some charcoal
What do you want? What do you want? I want That Koran To Burn, You betcha Long live The Bible
We're gonna burn this damn book down Down to the ground
We already know that the left doesn't believe in free speech.
We saw evidence of that again this week when the Mayors of Boston and Chicago threatened block Chick-fil-A from opening any more stores in their cities, just because the founder and CEO said something that the leftist politicians didn't like.
We see it every time a "conservative" is shouted down by leftist students and professors at college campuses.
We see it every time leftist politicians try to implement government regulations which restrict speech, like the so-called "fairness doctrine".
We see it every time leftist politicians rant and rave about limiting donations to candidates and issues that they don't like.
That was kinda the point of laughing at them, to help get the point across to them that they don't know chit.... If you embarrass them enough they will go away......
Choosing and voting for a presidential candidate is like picking which STD you want to suffer from .
Yes, but not in a systemic way that the "left" violates free speech.
"we must as a species go into a period of shrinkage that we have not experienced since the Dark Ages and the Black Plague" -- lucysmom (A.K.A. minnigold)
Yes, but not in a systemic way that the "left" violates free speech.
Methinks you might be letting your right-wing bias get the best of you here. How does the left violate free speech? Whose speech specifically has been violated?