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OPINIONS
[ Monday, Sept. 27, 2004 ]

Letter to the Editor
Christian group had rights to free speech

In response to both Jonah Thompson's and Joanna Allgood''s letters to the Collegian on Friday, I'd have to say that I am utterly surprised at their comments that demonstrate their general ignorance of not only the First Amendment, but of the general world around them. First off, to declare the Warneckis as militants is to ignore the true problem of militant religion. If you want to go see militant "Christianity" I suggest you go to Nigeria where "Christian" militias regularly attack Muslim villages or revisit the past in Yugoslavia where Serbians (Christians) slaughtered Albanians (Muslims). I don't believe I have to point out what militant "Islam" has resulted in. If you consider someone yelling "Obey Jesus or Perish" at you a terrorist or militant consider yourself lucky. You can deal with it. The Warneckis did not infringe anybody's rights. The First Amendment's true power is not its ability to protect the speech we all agree with; it is its ability to protect the speech that is controversial - the speech you are now advocating to ban. If you want to weaken the Warneckis' freedom to speak you thereby will also weaken your ability to speak and assemble freely when you find a cause for which you believe in. Who needs the Patriot Act to erode our freedoms when we have overly sensitive college students? You have failed the basic test of freedom - the inability to acknowledge someone else's right to express their beliefs.

Justin Lehman
class of 2004



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