Taking An Axe To The First Amendment

Mr. Obama seems committed to bringing about change. Now comes news that his regime is cosponsoring a UN treaty that would be in direct conflict with our right to Free Speech.

The Obama Administration has now actually co-sponsored an anti-free speech resolution at the United Nations. Approved by the U.N. Human Rights Council last Friday, the resolution, cosponsored by the U.S. and Egypt, calls on states to condemn and criminalize “any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”

What could be wrong with that? Plenty.

On its face it sounds nice. Tyranny usually does, to those who support such things. The problem with this thing is that it's in direct conflict with the highest law of the land in America. Eugene Volokh takes a gander at it and explains it better than I could.

But we still have the First Amendment, right? Legal expert Eugene Volokh, in an excellent analysis of the resolution, explains why it isn’t that easy to dismiss this. “If the U.S. backs a resolution that urges the suppression of some speech,” he explains, “presumably we are taking the view that all countries -- including the U.S. -- should adhere to this resolution. If we are constitutionally barred from adhering to it by our domestic constitution, then we’re implicitly criticizing that constitution, and committing ourselves to do what we can to change it.” He adds that in order to be consistent, “the Administration would presumably have to take what steps it can to ensure that supposed ‘hate speech’ that incites hostility will indeed be punished. It would presumably be committed to filing amicus briefs supporting changes in First Amendment law to allow such punishment, and in principle perhaps the appointment of Justices who would endorse such changes (or even the proposal of express constitutional amendments that would work such changes).”

This is change we cannot live with. I have absolutely nothing against Islam and its followers. Shoot, after 6 years in the Middle East I have a better understanding of them than many people. I refuse to condemn the totality of Islam for the horrific actions of a radicalised segment of their numbers. What I cannot countenance, tho is watching the current regime in D.C. shred the 1st Amendment in order to appease the sensitivities of the followers of Islam. Or any other religion or political belief.

The Dear Leader is taking this country down a bad pathway and it doesn't lead to a pretty place. I'm not sure he knows what his job is supposed to be. It's certainly not this.

“I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”-Barack Obama

Protecting peoples ability to worship as they will is part of his job. Protecting their feelings, is not. We shouldn't have to remind him of this, he's supposedly an educated man.

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