Schenck V. US

Donald Trump Speech In Waco, Texas A Provocation, And Should Be Canceled!

Ronald 1 Comment

Donald Trump is about to give a provocative speech in Waco, Texas, on Saturday night, around the anniversary of the right wing tragedy of thirty years ago, when federal agents engaged with the followers of the lunatic David Koresh and his Branch Davidian Cult.

This tragic event in 1993 led to right wing extremist Timothy McVeigh to plot to blow up the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995.

Waco is a touchstone for the Far Right, and portends the promotion of violence by groups like the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers.

Conspiracy theorists, and those who preach that Donald Trump is the word of God coming to save the nation and its future, causes great concern about security and safety.

The incitement of violence and bloodshed by Trump is, sadly, a sign of further troubles ahead, and the speech should be canceled as a “Clear and Present Danger”, under the Schenck V US case of 1919.

The Growing Threat Of Donald Trump Against The Life Of His Opponent, Hillary Clinton: NOT A Laughing Matter!

Ronald 9 Comments

Donald Trump has done it again–a threat against the life of his Democratic Presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton.

On August 8, Trump spoke of “Second Amendment” remedies, that those who oppose the limiting of gun rights in any fashion, and see Hillary as a threat to those rights, might have a solution to the threat, implying action against Clinton.

He was roundly condemned for this assertion, and Michael Hayden, the former head of the CIA and NSA, said if anyone outside the hall where the speech was given had said such a thing, he would be in a police wagon being questioned, and facing prosecution.

And Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, referring to the Newtown Massacre that killed 24 young children and six teachers in December 2012, said Trump was reckless and would have blood on his hands if such an event occurred.

But Trump went ahead and said on September 16 that Clinton should agree to have her Secret Service team lay down their arms and “see what happens”, so he has not learned from the earlier incident.

Trump should be told now that his freedom of speech does NOT include such reckless language that could endanger his opponent, and that if something untoward were to happen, that he could face prosecution for having presented “a clear and present danger”, under Supreme Court case Schenck V US (1919), which limits freedom of speech.

And this is all happening in the month when there were eight incidents involving President and assassination threats, and also the assassination of Huey Long in 1935, all covered in the chapters of my Assassinations book, which will be in paperback by March 2017.

The Danger Of The Westboro Baptist Church Decision: Violence Is Now Likely!

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The father of the fallen Marine, who sued the Westboro Baptist Church for disruption of his son’s funeral with anti gay hate demonstrations, now must pay court fees to the Reverend Fred Phelps, a damn shame after having suffered through having to see his son’s memory distorted by the presence of police, sheriffs, swat teams, and emergency vehicles to prevent violence.

So because of a so called church that promotes just the opposite of what religion is supposed to do, the taxpayers are stuck with a tax burden, and a family has to endure what no one wants at a funeral of a loved one, a disruption of one of the worst moments of anyone’s life!

The Marine’s father warned what is obvious: There will eventually be bloodshed as relatives of a fallen soldier will go after the Reverend Fred Phelps and his relatives with guns, and innocent bystanders at a funeral could also become victims.

As the father of the Marine said, the eight Supreme Court Justices showed no common sense in their decision.

And they forgot the basis of the Schenck V. US case of 1919, that there is no such thing as total freedom of speech, if it presents a “clear and present danger” to others. To live in an idealistic world view about the First Amendment right of freedom of speech is going to provoke more bloodshed and violence, and at some point, it will be recognized that the Supreme Court did not do the responsible thing in this case!

Rhetoric DOES Affect Public Attitudes, And Incites Unstable People: Time For Responsible And Civil Dialogue Before We Have Greater Tragedy Emerge!

Ronald 3 Comments

The tragic events of yesterday, leading to the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords; and the slaughter of three senior citizens; a nine year girl born on September 11, 2001; a congressional aide of Giffords; and a federal judge, is a warning sign to everyone that the tone and content of rhetoric DOES have a real effect on all of us, and tends to incite unstable people to violent action!

Therefore, it is essential for everyone to tone down their language and promote responsible and civil dialogue, and it is time to DEMAND that Sarah Palin behave in a civil way when she utters her never ending statements on Facebook and Twitter; that candidates such as Sharron Angle who talk about “Second Amendment remedies” be, like she was, repudiated by the voters as reckless and irresponsible; that a local talk show host (Joyce Kaufman in South Florida) who talks about the use of “bullets, not ballots” be denied the right to use the airwaves to promote her hate and paranoid behavior; that national talk show hosts, including Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, who care not a whit about building up hatred and resentment as long as they enrich themselves, be denied the right to spew their poison over the airwaves; and that politicians of all persuasions be called to account if they spread hysteria, fear, and division through their rhetoric!

Does anyone have the right to “shout fire in a crowded theater” and claim it is freedom of speech? The Supreme Court, in Schenck V. US in 1919, said NO, and that should apply to people in public office, media people, and all of us, who need to understand that responsible and civil dialogue is essential, or one day, we will have a tragedy of greater magnitude emerge, on the level of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, or a renewed concept of civil war, where everyone suffers because of irresponsible, reckless rhetoric!

The Gainesville Koran Burning: Arrest Preacher Terry Jones Under “Clear And Present Danger!”

Ronald 2 Comments

It is shocking that we still have not heard a peep from any major Republican leader about Preacher Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, who has announced he will burn copies of the Koran this Saturday evening, September 11, despite pleas from General David Petraeus, and as seconded by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Retired General Russell Honore (who led the rescue effort in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina)!

It is even more amazing that it seems that no one is willing to assert, despite the well believed fear that the Koran burning will cause a danger to American soldiers and civilians in the war in Afghanistan as well as Muslim countries all over the world, that we simply must state it cannot be allowed, instead of begging this jerk not to do it! 🙁

There is a definite way to deal with this, and we need to see some courage and guts in our public officials, and not be concerned about protests from anyone! 🙁

That is, the local authorities in Gainesville have already made it clear that they are not going to give a permit to burn the Koran under city ordinances! The pastor Terry Jones needs to be reminded of this fact in a stern way!

Then he is to be informed that should he proceed to light a match on Saturday night, the police will be present and as soon as he makes that attempt, the fire is put out with the use of aggressive force, and the pastor is to be arrested and prosecuted under the law by the county, state and national government, utilizing the concept of “clear and present danger”, first enunciated in Schenck V. US in 1919. 🙁

Pastor Jones needs to understand that his action will NOT be tolerated under any circumstances as freedom of religion or freedom of speech! 🙁

This planned action is provocative, endangers the nation’s national security and safety, demonstrates total lack of responsibility, and is a mockery of freedom of religion and freedom of speech! No one has the right to “shout fire in a crowded theater” and call it freedom of speech, and no one has the right to invoke the concept of God and provoke bloodshed and violence when it endangers the whole nation! 🙁

We have had complaints that the government is too easy at utilizing the argument of “national security and safety”, but if this situation is not an effective reason for such assertion, then nothing is! 🙁

The Danger That Pastor Terry Jones Of Gainesville, Florida Represents: Planned Burning Of Koran On September 11 Denounced By General David Petraeus!

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It is amazing how a so called “Man of God” can be so intolerant, but as is well known, this is not all that unusual! 🙁

Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, a community that houses the renowned University of Florida, is about to besmirch that university town, the name of organized religion, and arouse world wide Muslim resentment, as he plans a burning of a copy of the Koran, the Islamic holy book, at his church on the ninth anniversary of September 11!

General David Petraeus, our renowned general in charge of the war in Afghanistan, has spoken up against this action, concerned that American soldiers will be more endangered by this action, and that it will sour our efforts to improve our relations with the Islamic world, which represents a billion people in the world!

This is as evil an act as Adolf Hitler ordering burning of books during the Nazi period in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, and should be seen as “a clear and present danger”, as the Supreme Court termed it in Schenck V. US in 1919!

The action should be prevented by local authorities by any means necessary, and if actually perpetrated, should lead to immediate arrest and prosecution of Pastor Terry Jones as undermining national security!

There is no room for this kind of action in the delicate world situation we face now! Pastor Jones will be responsible for possible death and harm, and all good Christians and Jews must immediately protest his planned action! 🙁

Glenn Beck Becomes The Leading Demagogue In America! :(

Ronald 2 Comments

Glenn Beck has been on a rampage lately, condemning Christianity that promotes social and economic justice, rewriting American history to such an extent that it is unrecognizable, and critical of movements that promoted advancement of equal rights for racial and ethnic minorities, women, and gays! 🙁

When ignorant people think they are being educated about American history and religion from Glenn Beck, including on his web based university (a great money maker), we are in a sad state, as Beck totally distorts reality, and has the ability to manipulate and sway people who have no clue as to what is the truth about everything Beck enunciates!

Beck distorts the Founding Fathers, and condemns any President who promotes reform, and hails conservatives such as Calvin Coolidge, Warren G. Harding, and Ronald Reagan who set back progress in so many ways!

When Beck tried to claim, on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s I have a dream speech, that he was reviving what King did, it was a total fabrication, as King denounced states rights, which had led to discrimination, nullification and interposition claims, and Jim Crow segregation in the South! But now Beck and his Tea Party and Fox News followers glorify exactly what King denounced! 🙁

Beck is a very dangerous man, as he stirs up mostly older white people to hate everyone else, and to try to “take back” America! If those who believe in progressive reform and change, and advancement of civil rights and civil liberties remain silent, then lunatics such as Beck will succeed in distorting our freedom of religion, our education system, and our civil harmony! 🙁

Beck is exploiting for his own financial benefit and his own sick ego, and he must be answered and challenged, rather than ignoring him and giving him slack!

Beck is coming close to the Supreme Court definition in Schenck V. US (1919) of speech becoming a “clear and present danger”–that is, speech which provokes and endangers, as in the concept of shouting fire in a crowded theater! He could very well incite loony followers to engage in violence, with him having no motivation except his own aggrandizement! 🙁