Defend to the death your right to say it.

July 25, 2006

The ACLU has taken on yet another free-speech case where principle matters more than content; they are suing the government on behalf of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church.

Phelps is a sorry, miserable, disgusting excuse for a human being. He’s celebrated the 9/11 attacks as God’s judgement on a nation that tolerates homosexuality and abortion, and picketed the funerals of soldiers and gay people alike. But all of that aside, he’s an American citizen and he has a right to free speech and his religious faith, regardless of how odious that might be.

It’s easy to support freedom of speech when all those around you mostly agree; but it’s when faced with Phelps—someone who is dedicated to eradicating all of the principles the ACLU stands for—that principle gets truly tested. In a time when people are quick to shout “traitor” over the slightest criticism of the President and his policies, the ACLU is going to court to protect the rights of a man who despises them.

That, not blind loyalty to a political figure, is real dedication to American principles.

Posted in Politics