Dear Editor:
Regarding T. Weed and free speech.
Hearing different opinions is not only a right, it is a sign of a good, healthy society. But T. Weed is not taking part in a debate, he is expressing his support of suicide bombings and proclaiming his own desire to be a suicide bomber. That makes me wonder if it’s even safe to allow him to walk the streets of our community.
On the day of Mathew Shepard’s funeral, the Rev. Fred Phelps and his community showed up at the church where poor Shepard lay in state and tormented Shepard’s parents. According to Phelps, his right to “free speech” superseded the rights of the bereaved parents to attend their son’s funeral in peace. Only last week, Phelps showed up at a NYC Fire Dept. event, his followers holding up signs proclaiming “Thank God for 9/11,” “God Hates America,” “FDNY Fags”. As is always the case, he came dangerously close to inciting a riot.
No one has the “right” to recklessly promote hatred and violence, or to deliberately incite people against each other. If you think I’m wrong, try phoning in a fake bomb scare to the White House or City Hall. See if babbling about “free speech” protects you.
We have become a nation without standards. A nation where anything and everything, regardless of how anti-social, regardless of how dangerous, has become acceptable. It is this total lack of standards that has allowed Al Quaeda to infiltrate our country and kill 3,000 of our citizens. It’s time for standards of decency to return to our society. While Weed has a right to disagree with Israel and the USA, he has no right to openly support and encourage violence. It’s time to shut him up once and for all. To do anything else is irresponsible.
David Alexander Nahmod