The First Amendment Applies To All Americans, Not Just Conservatives
Bill Ayers, who became a political football during the presidential campaign, was denied entrance into Canada where he was to speak at the University of Toronto.
Jeffrey Kugler, the executive director for the Center for Urban Schooling at the University of Toronto, said Ayers was deemed not admissible after being pulled aside by Canadian immigration officials while trying to clear customs at the Toronto airport.
Ayers was told he could request a hearing, but that would require detention and a two week wait. And he is being protested by conservatives at St. Mary’s College in San Francisco, even though it is a private university. Led by former talk show host Melanie Morgan, they want to deny him the right to be heard.
“This domestic terrorist is coming to St. Mary’s College (a Catholic University in the San Francisco Bay Area) to spew his anti-American, leftist trash talk. His right to (hate) speech is guaranteed by the very soldiers whom he plotted to blow up back in the 1960s.
“We need to deny him a soap-box,” Morgan said. In swipe at liberals, the group calls itself “The Simple Justice … Not Social Justice Coalition”
Funny, that when conservative David Horowitz launched “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week”, Morgan was among those talk show hosts challenging progressives to support his right to speak, asking:
For the Ahmadinejad- loving collegiate crowd, here’s a chance to test how much they truly support free speech on campus. When the tables turn, will university “progressives” show tolerance for other viewpoints, or erupt in a state of rage?
But Morgan would like to deny Ayers a right to be heard. Last I checked, the Constitution applies to him, too.
BRAVO Ms. Morgan !!!!!!!
January 19th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
First off Alan, that is Canada. You want us to tell Canada who they can let into their country?
Secondly, how many times have we seen guys like David Horowitz shouted down and have pies and such hurled at him whenever he has been invited to speak at college campuses here in America. I have seen the the “free speach” shouted down many times by the Progressives on out own campuses. I have seen that state of rage from the liberals on our campuses whenever conservatives are invited to speak. I have seen the progressive liberals trash and burn conservative newpapers on campuses in America.
So, it is the progressive liberals who go into a state of rage and will not allow the other, ie. conservative, viewpoint to be heard.
The last time I checked, Alan, the First Amendment applies to conservative voices as well.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
But the first amendment doesn’t apply to Canada. If Bad Mr Frosty’s fellow countrymen don’t want him to enter, it’s their right. Ayers is a jerk, after all (that’s for you, Karthik, wherever you might be).
And the first amendment most certainly does apply to those folks who want to protest against him.
But Morgan would like to deny Ayers a right to be heard. Last I checked, the Constitution applies to him, too.
Your sentence structure is a bit confusing, but if you are saying the constitution applies to Morgan, and his first amendment rights to protest against Ayers, I fully agree with you!
January 19th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
See, Willy – another thing you and I agree on!
January 19th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
There you go Cara. America’s Constitution stops at our boarders. Canada has their own.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
As for Ayers…good!
ummm…St. Mary’s is private property. They cannot allow or allow whomever they wish to speak. Sorry, Alan!
January 19th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
But I thought we were the leaders of the free world. ;)
January 19th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
We are Placefield. But as leaders of the Free World, we cannot tell other nations who they can and cannot allow into their country.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I was joking Willy.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
It happen in CANADA. Heck they deny Richards and Jagger for being to high into CANADA a long time ago on tour.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
The Patriot Act rendered the ‘constitution’ USELESS ! As the democrats voted overwelmingly to make it permanent ! But dam those tax cuts !
Canada don’t want our trash, but; they can dump theirs here! Very liberal huh? [ Ca. dumps millions of tons of trash in Michigan landfills yearly] !
If it wasn’t for America, Ca. would be a third world country, 3/4 of Ca.’s population live within 100 miles of the USA. border. Priceless they don’t Bill Ayers !!! LOL !
January 19th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Sorry Placefield. I didn’t see your little smiley face. I should know better.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Melanie Morgan is crazy.
She’s almost as nuts as Monica Crowley. Not only do they look and sound much alike, but they think alike.
Blondes. You can’t live with ‘em, you can’t live without ‘em.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
There are times when I really wish all these people with so much to say would just load up their guns and start shooting—then, one way or the other, it’d be settled, and I could get back to my Häagen-Dazs.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
the 9/11 hijackers came thru our Canadian border?
January 19th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Alan, do you plan to interview Mr. Horowitz about any of this?
January 19th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
So what if Canada doesn’t want him there. he’s a jerk. A private college can ask or deny whomever they want to speak. And those students have the right to protest a jerk like Ayers.
Free speech is a beautiful thing. The funny part is, not everyone wants to hear the garbage this guy spews.
January 19th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
It’s Canada’s choice if they want him or not.
Personally, I don’t know why some of my fellow liberals defend this guy? Sure, I think the conservatives were way out of line to continually make the Obama / Ayers connection much bigger than what it was. But, why would anybody go out of their way to overly defend Ayers is beyond me.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Danielle, I agree with you on your last sentence.
But, do you remember how George W. Bush was taken to the wood shed when he spoke at Bob Jones University?
January 20th, 2009 at 8:43 am
When did they move San Francisco to Cananda? I didn’t get the memo!!
January 20th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
We could only hope that would happen David.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Willy, you ever been to San Francisco? Don’t knock it unless you’ve been there. And don’t give it to Canada! That would give Canada two of my top three cities!
And they don’t deserve it, eh.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Yeah we already got Moosejaw, Pugwash and Dildo, we’re fine thanks.
Although I like Vancouver TOO…
January 20th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Canada has its laws, and the USA has its own. Get over it already. I thought it was pretty damb funny when they denied Martha Stewart Entry because of her record. Its really there business not ours.
January 21st, 2009 at 3:15 am
Cara,
I have never been to San Francisco, but my favorite former band is from there.
What are your other two cities in your top three?
No, we can keep SF. There are a few things that I would change about that city if I were king for a day.
January 21st, 2009 at 8:59 am
San Fran, Vancouver, Amsterdam
Rome might knock out one of those top three on any given day though…
Try to go to SF at some point, Willy – it really is a great city.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:08 am
San Francisco is a great city. Live about an hour north of it myself. Been to Vancouver and it was great as well. Unfortunately I have never made it to Europe yet so can’t can’t comment on any of there cities. Actually only been out of the States three times; Panama, Jamaica and Canada.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:18 am
Melanie Morgan does NOT want to deny Ayers free speech rights. St.Mary’s is the target of her anger and rightfully so. She wants St. Mary’s to look at dis-inviting this revolutionary thug. Those who engage in spectacular violence, intimidation and fear have no place at a Catholic University (or anywhere else) whose core values are diametrically opposite of Bill Ayers. Remember, Ayers has not apologized for his violent past, and in fact has stated he “wished he had done more (bombings)” Bill Ayers has now been dis-invited to two colleges, one in Illinois and one in Nebraska. Let’s add to the list.
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:53 am