Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Burning the Quran is not a free speech right

I find the proposed “Burn a Quran Day” to be morally repugnant, even though I am not religious. That said, I have to ask whether it is an exercise of free speech or in fact something that infringes on society’s (and hence my) right to a peaceful existence?

The act of publicly burning the Quran is an open invitation for violent retaliation by some groups.

Does Pastor Terry Jones (the organizer of the burning) have the right to issue such an invitation on my behalf? If not, then I must conclude that such an act is not constitutionally protected “free speech.” If it is known that certain actions will be the direct cause of harm to others, even if done by a third party, then those actions are intolerable.

Any reasonable person can recognize that the public burning of the Quran will ignite strong emotions in Muslims. It is possibly the most insulting act that one can perform and will result in some acts of violent retaliation.

This kind of deliberate provocation with the foreknowledge of and reckless disregard for the harm that will follow must not be tolerated by any rational person or by a government that promotes the general welfare of its citizenry.

Some government agency should step in and prevent Pastor Jones from going forward with this plan. Any First Amendment issues can be argued in court, but this is not protected free speech. The government must perform its legitimate function of protecting the rights of all citizens.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy