Monday, July 23, 2012

Savagery

Pam Geller is a crazy monster.

Bananas:
A federal judge in Manhattan ruled on Friday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority violated the First Amendment rights of a pro-Israel group when it rejected an advertisement the group wanted to place on city buses on grounds that they contained demeaning language.

The group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, had proposed an ad that said, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.”

Then, between two Stars of David, the ad said: “Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.”

The transportation authority said the ad violated its prohibition on ads that demeaned individuals or groups on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin and five other specific categories. The group was given the opportunity to revise the ad, but it refused, and claimed in a lawsuit that the agency’s “no demeaning” language restriction was unconstitutional.

The judge, Paul A. Engelmayer of Federal District Court, ruled that the rejected ad was “not only protected speech — it is core political speech,” expressing a “pro-Israel perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict” and implicitly calling “for a pro-Israel U.S. foreign policy with regard to that conflict.”

As such, the judge held, the ad “is afforded the highest level of protection under the First Amendment.”
The article has more on the rationale, which seems asinine to me. If no government agency can block free speech, however, I assume government employees will be able to say whatever the fuck they want with no consequences, right?

Whoops, wrong link.

14 comments:

Smut Clyde said...

I get that demeaning distinct groups on the basis of "race, color, religion, national origin" is OK (as long as you have a political agenda), and look forward to the day when the MTA is forced to accept advertisements from Neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

mikey said...

On the other hand, if a Palestinian organization wanted to place an ad that said "Support Palestine. Help Defeat the Fascist Netanyahu" well, that would be deeply offensive due to its inherent anti-Semitism, which is recognizable whenever you say anything negative about the current Israeli government...

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

“In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.”

The ghost of Robert E. Howard weeps.

tigris said...

“In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.”

So, wait, which was which again?

Smut Clyde said...

At least there will be less frothing from wingnuts that any description of them that they don't like is a Blood-Libel, when there are MTA billboards all over New York reviving the *original* Blood Libel.

Smut Clyde said...

So, wait, which was which again?
The side performing ethnic cleansing in the interests of Lebensraum.

M. Bouffant said...

So I can spray paint a hakenkreuz on any MTA (L.A.'s transit system is also known an "MTA.") bus advert for a fascist corporation or movie & it's protected political speech? Good to know. And being over 18, I can get all the cans I need.

Be right back.

Smut Clyde said...

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.

Sounds better in German.
Put another way: Always support the colonial invaders.

Suttree said...

Freedom of speech for thee not for me. www.democraticunderground.com/121811965

Suttree said...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/121811965 Maybe this one will work.

Substance McGravitas said...

Those are followable, but you have to type them like this to make them work:

<a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/121811965">Here is the link.</a>

That ad is funny.

bjkeefe said...

At first, I thought the picture on the right was Michele Bachmann.

Wonder who, if either, would be more upset about that.

Substance McGravitas said...

Michele I'm sure. I think Pam's already a little more lizardoid.

bjkeefe said...

That IS one way to look at it. But I think Pam's still a little vain about her looks, and would simply not care to be mistaken for that shrewish skinny shiksa.

I mean, Minnesota. Long Island. Hello?