ACLU Suing NJ Transit For Firing Employee Who Burned Koran on 9/11 Anniversary
Koran Burning & Offending Islam
From Weasel Zippers:
TRENTON — On the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, Derek Fenton stole headlines by burning pages from the Koran in Lower Manhattan to protest a planned Islamic community center there. Two days later, he lost his job at New Jersey Transit for breaching the agency’s code of ethics.
Now the American Civil Liberties Union says Fenton should get his job back. The group will file a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court saying Fenton was unconstitutionally fired for exercising his free speech rights.
9 comments:
Pastorius,
This is a good thing. I'm glad the ACLU is doing this. Unfortunately I also read that they are working with CAIR to get the newly past anti Sharia, Oklahoma law declared unconstitutional.
Muslims plan to challenge ban on sharia law in Oklahoma (updated)
I personally hope that someone in CAIR does something really stupid involving this Koran burning case and I hope its something that even gets the attention of some of the people in groups like the ACLU. Seriously you know that in this one instance, CAIR is not happy with the ACLU.
The ACLU, as usual, is schizo, but applause to them for standing up for Derek Fenton. NJ Transit had absolutely no grounds for this firing. I was standing about 15-20 feet from Fenton (there were a number of people between so I couldn't actually see what he was doing) when he burned those pages, and there was no violence involved. Video shows that he was careful to burn pages one at a time to minimize fire hazard. There were several Muslim/Muslim-supporting agitators there (you can hear one bleating loudly on the vid) but I didn't see/hear any signs of an actual fight starting. Then there was a flurry of NYPD cops arriving and he was hustled off, and all we heard up front was that "someone tried to burn a Koran".
If they try the "fire in a crowded theater" ploy it should be noted that everyone there was responsible for their own behavior, and that Fenton did not physically threaten or attack anyone. Besides verbally protesting (which they did), objectors could have turned their backs, or walked away. The police removed Fenton, not the Muslim-supporting protestors who might have been threatening violence.
New Jersey Transit fired Fenton on the basis of off-the-clock activity and the content of his constitutionally protected exercising of free speech. If the agency's "code of ethics" penalizes truth, then shame on them.
RRA,
I agree, this is a very good thing.
Weasel Zippers had a "flying pig" headline for this story. But, I don't really agree with that, because THIS IS THE ACLU'S stated raison d'etre whether they ordinarily behave this way or not.
Maybe we should call it, "The Moment of Clarity."
Pastorius,
I think the flying pig was a bit much as well. There have been some other instances of the ACLU standing up to Muslim Stealth Jihadists.
Here's something that actually surprised me at the time. I was under the impression that they were completely ignoring Muslim attempts to merge their religion with the state, at the time.
ACLU Sues Over Islamic Charter School's Violation of the First Amendment
CAIR will get nowhere with the Oklahoma law suit. One has to show damage. They cannot show damage.
The suit will be thrown out.
Megyn Kelly from FOX NEWS mentioned that the law is basically symbolic because we have the US Constitution to protect us.
But as always....if we get enough muslims in this country, all it takes is a few to get the majority to follow like sheep.
Great pic BTW...mind if I snag that for the ITF?
ITF,
Please do.
:)
It is symbolic.
But, here's the thing, these days, things are so ridiculous that we HAVE TO pass laws to remind our leaders of the existing laws.
Infidel Task Force,
You have a point, ideally the first amendment and the establishment clause should be enough. Unfortunately, in many cases when it comes to Islam, the government ignores them, or tries to make excuses for the exceptions made for Muslims, while often the activist groups who are determined to stop Christians from merging church and state, ignore Muslim attempts to do the same thing with their faith. In some cases, they even end up, helping them do the same thing, even if they don't realize it.
Damien,
I'm happy to see the ACLU is doing something about that.
Thanks.
Pastorius,
Its so sad that we have to pass laws just to remind the people in power what the constitution tells them, they can and cannot do.
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