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Saturday, May 26, 2007


Court: West Point Can Deny Access To Smelly Anti-War Hippies

The correct ruling, in my estimation:

West Point — A federal appeals court today upheld a decision giving the U.S. Military Academy authority to ban political protesters on Graduation Day.

Goshen civil rights attorney Michael Sussman and the Democratic Alliance of Orange County had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to overturn a federal judge’s decision barring them from campus.

Their request would have required West Point Garrison Commander Col. Brian Crawford to open the gates to roughly 1,000 anti-war demonstrators tomorrow.

But in a decision issued today, the appeals court reaffirmed the Academy’s long-stated position that it is a non-public forum exempt from some forms of free-speech.

The left’s reaction will be “B-b-b-but, free speech!,” but this isn’t a free speech issue.

What people often forget is that while we do have the right to free speech, that right doesn’t necessarily trump other rights enshrined in the Constitution.  Such as the right to peacefully assemble, which is exactly what the West Point graduation is.  A peaceful assembly of graduates and their families.  They have a right to do that, and they have a right to not have it disturbed by a bunch of whining, self-important Cindy Sheehan wannabes.

Does this tick you off? Click here to email your elected representatives right here on Say Anything, or comment below.

Comments

Definitely the right ruling. Here at Penn State, we have a lot of very prominent ROTC students, and I for one am always proud to see them on campus.

They’re a visible reminder of the type of lives that many of our college peers are choosing to lead in defense and promotion of the United States.

Unfortunately, most anti-war activists, despite what they might say, are de-facto anti-troops as well.

Tom Shakely on May 26, 2007 at 10:47 am

Orange County, New York?  One call to Paul senior and Mikey and the graduation ceremonies at West Point would have been the last thing on the anti-military protesters’ minds.


“Capitalism is optimism monetized.”

Bat One on May 26, 2007 at 11:37 am
Avatar for jpe

They have a right to do that, and they have a right to not have it disturbed by a bunch of whining, self-important Cindy Sheehan wannabes.

That’s not the court’s reasoning, of course, but same result regardless.

jpe on May 26, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Avatar for DayTrader

I was born in Warwick and raised in Goshen nearly 60 years ago.

Back then it was dairy farm country and had lots of families who were touched by WWII and the Korean War.

These kind of people would have thought they were up against what they met at the gate if they had done something similar back then, in fact it probably would have been more than a war of words.

Now I go back and it’s the land of girly-men and I wonder if I made the wrong turn and ended up in Key West.

DayTrader on May 27, 2007 at 05:31 am
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