So let's get this straight Sarah (may I call you Sarah?). You fiercely defend talk show host Laura Schlessinger's repeated use the "N-word" on her radio program because of her First Amendment protections but oppose the exercise of Muslims' First Amendment rights to build a Mosque near the 9/11 site.
To review the recent Palin Twittergrams: re:Schlessinger: "Don't retreat...reload!" (What does that even mean?) and her constitutional privileges "ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence her" (which is almost 2cute, but hey, the Freedom of Expression she cites for Schlessinger applies 2her2.)
But when the Mamma Grizzly roared from her cave at Fox News about the lower Manhattan Islamic Center, that was a "stab in the heart" which didn't deserve the Freedom of Religion in that same very same opening sentence in the Bill of Rights.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
It almost fits into one of Palin's beloved Twitter messages. In a tweetshell it guarantees the rights 2worship, 2speak freely, 2report the news, 2peaceably assemble and petition.
I hope this doesn't get to complicated but it's the Second Amendment that has been ruled to allow Palin and her posse something to "reload."
What is always amazing us how politicians engage in constitutional expedience, citing that precious document when it suits their posturing and ignoring or distorting it when it does not.
That is hardly unique to those on the Right. The Left and even what remains of the Middle ground are all littered with inconvenient principles that didn't fit a point-of-view. And before we get to hard on elected officials and the wannabes, we should note that Supreme Court justices do it all the time and so do judges on all the lower courts.
It's really dangerous when someone is pandering to emotions and prejudice. It's not just Palin. In the case of the Mosque the national political zoo is full of panderers.
We need to take a breath. When someone can excite her followers by resisting a house of tolerance but supporting the use of the "N-word", we have to have to examine our INtolerance as well as those who make it a habit of exploiting it.
They play a dangerous game with their First Amendment right to free expression, but all of us have the right to express our rights to reject their rabble rousing.
Follow Bob Franken on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frankenb
(1) The Tanton network-FAIR-Eugenics agenda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvBwuAtetl4
(2) Tom Metsker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKpzwDUafRY&feature=related
Whether or not it should be built is another matter.