I've been out of 24/7 news cycle for a couple of weeks so I'm catching up with the controversy surrounding Dr. Terry Jones, pastor of the aptly-named Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL, who has declared this coming Saturday 'Burn a Koran Day' and announced his plan to burn thousands of copies of the Koran on the ninth anniversary of 9/11.
I support Jones' right to burn the Koran because the First Amendment guarantees him the right to do so and I will defend that right despite the fact that Jones strikes me as a frightened, intolerant bigot whose stunt has the potential to cause great harm. I despise what he's doing but support his right, just as I once took up the cudgels for a despicable man who mocked the 9/11 event that murdered my younger sister:
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The First Amendment gurantees more than speech but it's best known for speech. Unfortunately, it applies to ignorant, intolerant people as well, and fails to mention responsibilities as well as rights and Jones is behaving irresponsibly. So Jones is free to express his distaste for those he believes are intolerant and hateful by expressing his own hate and intolerance. See any inconsistency there, Dr. Jones?
Note added on 9 September 2010: Dr. Jones has canceled his plans.
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. -- First Amendment
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