A little history
During the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, respondent Johnson participated in a political demonstration to protest the policies of the Reagan administration and some Dallas-based corporations. After a march through the city streets, Johnson burned an American flag while protesters chanted. No one was physically injured or threatened with injury, although several witnesses were seriously offended by the flag burning. Johnson was convicted of desecration of a venerated object in violation of a Texas statute, and a State Court of Appeals affirmed. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, holding that the State, consistent with the First Amendment, could not punish Johnson for burning the flag in these circumstances. The court first found that Johnson’s burning of the flag was expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment.
Burning the flag is the highest form of irony and stupidity. You are burning an object that is a symbol of the freedom that gives you to the right to burn the flag in the first place. I am not for a flag burning amendment, flag burners do more harm to their cause when they burn the flag. But The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 in Texas v. Johnson that flag burning is protected as free speech under the First Amendment.
This brings us to the present and Stanislav Shmulevich, a student at Pace University.
From lgf.
I’ve received an email from Stanislav Shmulevich, who has been arrested in New York for putting a Koran in a toilet at Pace University. And his case is even more outrageous than we first reported.
First, Shmulevich was arrested and jailed for 24 hours. Second, he’s not facing misdemeanor charges—he’s being charged with two felonies, criminal mischief and aggravated harassment.
Felonies. For putting a book in a toilet.
Third, his income is on a borderline that disqualifies him for a public defender, so he stands to suffer incredible financial hardship as well.
Fourth, his name and photograph were published in several newspapers in New York, and he and his mother were ambushed outside the court by reporters. In a case like this, clearly with the potential to enrage radical Muslims, this is so irresponsible of the media that it borders on criminal.
Do we still live in a country that values free speech? This case is pretty good evidence that we do not. Mr. Shmulevich is caught in a Kafkaesque nightmare right out of the Soviet Union, and it’s all happening at the demand of the Muslim Student Association and the Council on American Islamic Relations.
Stay tuned. This is not over.
Desecrating the flag is protected as free speech but make sure not to flush a Koran down the toilet, we would not want to offend anyone. Wow, just wow.
