THE TRAMPLING OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

This isn't surprising, but still needs to continually exposed. It seems the liberal activist judges in this country need to be made to take high school civics. I have posted numerous times before about the abuses of the judiciary and Federal government in denying Christians First Amendment rights.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF; OR ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Rather plain English, very easy to understand? Definitely. But not to Federal district judge Paul D. Borman or the City of Dearborn, Michigan. Pastor George Saieg, a Sudanese Christian who immigrated to the United States to escape the violent and murderous persecution of Christians in the Sudan, was threatened with arrest by Dearborn Police for passing out Christian literature to Muslims outside of the Arab Festival there in 2009 which was in violation of an anti-First Amendment city ordnance prohibiting the passing out of literature within five city blocks of an event. Pastor Saieg has been passing out literature for years in Dearborn without any incident or interference from the government until now.

After a year of litigation, Judge Borman, a Clinton nominee (of course), sided with the city. Upon appeal, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnatti, Ohio issued a TEMPORARY ORDER stating Pastor Saieg could pass out his literature at this year's Arab Festival held in June 2010. The Court of Appeals included a statement from Elrod vs. Burns (427 U.S. 347, 373, [1976] that said the loss of a First Amendment right, "for even minimal periods of time, unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury." That was June 17, 2010.

The very next day, four Christian missionaries were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct anyway for distributing copies of the Gospel of John in English and Arabic. The video camera that was recording the incident was confiscated and as far as I know has not been returned. Below is a video showing part of this incident, and the fact police arrived in force THREE MINUTES after the arrival of the missionaries AFTER the appellate court's temporary injunction against Dearborn's ordnance.

An interesting note here. Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad has been appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. The Council provides advice and recommendations to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Neopolitan herself. As you may remember, the Department of Homeland Security under Neopolitan's leadership criminalized conservatives, Christians, Tea Party participants, and anyone who opposes the Obama administration's policies.

An examination of those serving on the Homeland Security Advisory Council reveals ties to the ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA (ISNA) and to the SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER, a far left-wing organization. Here is a fellow blogger who writes GATES OF VIENNA who researched each of the members of this Council. Click HERE to view the article. Judging from this line-up, I wonder what the real qualifications are to serve on this panel.

With every American Communist Liberties Union lawsuit, with every city or county ordnance or state law restricting freedom of speech, expression, and religion, no matter how trivial it may seem on the surface, is just another step in the process of losing these rights that are fundamental to the preservation of what freedoms we have left.

As the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said, "The loss of a First Amendment right, for even minimal periods of time, unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury."