Rudy loses another free speech battle...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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From The New York Post:

SHEET HAPPENS: JUDGES OK MASKED KKK RALLY

By TOM TOPOUSIS and CLEMENTE LISI

Two federal judges ruled last night the Ku Klux Klan can rally in Manhattan tomorrow wearing hoods and masks - saying the city had no right to deny a protest permit to the white-supremacist group.

Two counterprotest groups that had been denied permission to demonstrate were also given the green light after negotiations with the city in and out of court yesterday.

The city - which tried to bar the Klan from wearing masks - immediately appealed.

“This is another example of the ideology extended from the '60s,” Mayor Giuliani said. “The ruling says people don’t have to take responsibility for what they say or what they do even as they support organizations that encourage anti-Semitism, anti-Catholicism, racism and hatred.”

Norman Siegel, director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, who represented the Klan in Manhattan federal court, called it a “win for the First Amendment.”

“The court clearly recognized a First Amendment right to anonymity,” he said.

The KKK’s request for a permit to rally outside state Supreme Court at 60 Centre St., from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow was rejected by the NYPD, which cited a state law barring demonstrators from wearing masks.

The NYCLU agreed to represent the Klan and the counter-protesters.

“The right to hold a peaceful demonstration in the streets of New York is a fundamental right,” Siegel said in court.

Jeff Berry, the National Imperial Wizard of the American Knights of the KKK, tried to paint a picture of a kinder, gentler Klan, summoning the words of a black police-beating victim.

“Rodney King said it great,” he said. “Why can’t we all just get along?”

City lawyer Daniel Connolly defended the anti-mask law, saying it was designed to protect citizens because the masks could embolden protesters to commit crimes - but the judges did not appear to buy the argument.

Earlier, the counter-protesters reached deals with the city.

A group led by Assemblyman Scott Stringer (D-Manhattan) can protest outside 60 Centre from noon to 1 p.m. with amplified sound and, after that, without microphones.

The Partisan Defense Committee can protest two blocks away, outside 100 Centre St., and then march to the Klan’s rally site.

The Jewish Defense League was denied a counter-protest permit, but vowed to be there.

“We will be counterdemonstrating with or without a permit,” Rabbi Yavok Lloyd said. “If blood has to be shed so be it.”

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Yer pal,
Satan

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Well, if Farrakhan was allowed to have a rally in New York, ya gotta let the Klan have theirs. Can’t see much of a difference.

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I thought there was a federal “mask statute” passed eithin the last few years. Am I misremembering?

Giuliani’s campaign people must have informed him that he could win the hearts of more voters by tilting Quixotically at the Klan’s windmill than by standing up for their Contitutional rights. Unfortunately, they may be right.

Rudy had to have known from the outset that he could not win this battle. The only motive I see is perceived political gain.

The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik

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I think it’s great. Let these idiots demonstrate. Let them do things like quote Rodney king.

Just make sure the counter-protestors get to respond.

I wish I was there. These people are the worst example of humanity.

You say “cheesy” like that’s a BAD thing.

5

Who is the moron advising Rudy that he can win votes by trampling on the constitution?

Since I’m not from New York, I kinda hope the little putz gets elected to the senate, just so he can be put in his little place by the new democratic majority leader.

Therealbubba

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Oh sure, thanks alot, like we really want him as our Senator.

As an aside I saw a CBS News poll in the paper in the past week that said both Guiliani and Hillary Clinton’s approval ratings are down. The kicker was is that it was a national poll. What is going here? The last time I looked it was a statewide race not a national one.

As for the KKK… If this is a state law (and maybe a federal law) did the judge mention whether the law is unconstitutional thus turning the law into ineffectual garbage?

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Much as I despise the KKK and what they stand for, I’m glad that they are being given the chance to protest.

The fact that Rudy is being shown up as the annoying little prick that he is? Well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Waste
Flick Lives!

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I heard around 4:00 EST (on NPR) that the Appellate Court ruled that the protesters could NOT march with their masks on. Seems there’s a law dating back to the mid-1800’s that outlaws such things. It was passed so the police could identify nary-do-well-ers as they were causing mischief.

Will the KKK marchers appear without their sheets? Will Rudy show up with elephant dung slung on him?

The saga continues…

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Yeah, you gotta let them march. One of the problems of having freedom is that morons get it, too.

If it were me, I wouldn’t organize a demonstration against these white-sheeted pinheads - I’d get a huge crowd of spectators to point and laugh, giggle, snigger, guffaw and generally ridicule the Klan as it marched past.