May 27, 2019 Letter to the Editor The Star Ledger New Jersey Advance Media

May 27, 2019

Letter to the Editor

The Star Ledger

New Jersey Advance Media

RE: “Anti-Muslim Flyers” – Which part of the First Amendment gives you the most problems? Some comments on hurt towel-head feelings, geese and ganders, and why are modern American Liberals now in favor of prior restraint? And all this from a guy from Bayonne.

Sirs, madams, & undecideds,

Didn’t the Supreme Court rule that people dressed up as Nazis could march through a section of Skokie, Illinois known to be filled with Holocaust survivors?

Has Billingsgate been gentrified?

Didn’t the New York Times support slavery in 1864? Didn’t they acquiesce on calling Lincoln a “baboon” the same year?

Is there no more Bedlam to retire to?

Do hate crime laws stop hate crimes? 

If I were to mention that 1287 years ago radical Islamic terrorists were raping, looting, and pillaging their way across Europe would that be anti-Muslim and a hate crime?

If I were to mention that 448 years ago radical Islamic terrorist were planning to invade Rome where they would, rape, loot, and pillage after they stables their horses in the Sistine Chapel would that be anti-Muslim and a hate crime?

If I were to mention that 336 years ago radial Islamic terrorists were going to conquer Vienna where, in addition to their usual schedule of cross-cultural mayhem, including but not limited to rape, looting, and pillaging they were going to kill Bach, would that be considered anti-Muslim and a hate crime?

I think at one time truth was an absolute defense against libel. 

Don’t let my use of the subjunctive fool you. 

The above things, acts of feral savagery, happened just as surely as Brother Henri Verges, FMS, was hacked to death on May 8, 1994 – martyr is such a harsh verb/noun, isn’t it? – by radical Islamic terrorists. Would that be considered anti-Muslim? Would that be a hate crime? Would that make me a repeat offender, a serial hate mongering criminal?

Did the Jews who were sliced and diced in Pairs because of a G-d Damn cartoon deserve to be sliced and diced to teeny-weeny pieces with no regard to the rules of kassruth? If I mention it does that make it anti-Muslim and a hate crime.

20 years ago Nat Hentoff told me if I were to get arrested at a town council meeting in Lauderdale by the Sea for defending the First Amendment he would write a column about me. I told him, like Lincoln, if it weren’t for the honor I’d rather walk.

But that was me. You’re a newspaper. 

It’s what makes you different from a drug store or an ice cream store.

Bill Belicheck said it better.

DO YOUR JOB.

KEVIN SMITH

WARRIORBARDIT@BELLSOUTH.NET

PS – 1287 years ago? Tours

          448 years ago? Lepanto

           336 years ago? Vienna

         Look them up