Israel v. Palestine - Free Speech on American Public Transport

[peacetraveler22]

Readers occasionally make comments to me that free speech in America is dead. If you still believe this, take a look at this shocking ad I saw plastered on a Metro bus in Washington, DC this morning. I could hardly believe it. The advertisements are reportedly the work of Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, controversial founders of the organizations "Stop Islamization of America" (known as "SIOA") and the American Freedom Defense Initiative. Geller also operates a website and blog called "IslamicJewHatred.com" here. To see a statement like this on transport buses in ultra-liberal and culturally diverse Washington, DC is surprising. Yet this appears to be the shock value tactic of this organization, who also ran similar ads in New York City. The banner below became the subject of a heated court battle with New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority system last year, when SIOA attempted to buy ad space which was rejected on the ground the advertisement contained disparaging content.

SIOA sued the NY Transportation Authority on freedom of expression grounds and won. The ads eventually appeared in NYC subway stations. The organization currently is engaged in a similar battle with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority who refused this same ad.

Geller and SIOA's position in such matters is that they "aggressively seek to defend our nation's Judeo-Christian moral foundation in courts all across the nation." She even went as far as organizing protests against Park 51, a mosque/community center located two blocks from the World Trade Center. Speaking of September 11, SIOA also ran this ad in NYC.

On the other side of the battle, anti-Israeli groups like "American Muslims for Palestine" plaster anti-Israeli sentiments in NY subway stations.

Another pro-Palestine banner placed in NY subway stations.

From a legal and civil liberties perspective, it's all quite interesting. I've said numerous times that I advocate for all freedom of expression, no matter how controversial or idiotic the statement. It's the reason I've never once banned any troll from my blog, although I've been tempted to do so on many occasions.

Do I like seeing political advertisements during my already stressful morning commute? Absolutely not, but it's the price you pay to live in an open, free society. Having recently visited this region of the world, I can say the sentiments expressed in these ads are very real and palpable. It's part of the reason for my delay in writing my travel reports. The issues dramatically impact the daily lives of all people - both Israelis and Palestinians - and realistically I see no peaceful resolution during my lifetime. It's almost surreal to visit a country where a separation wall is still in place, where someone's designation on their identity card determines which borders they can cross, and how they are treated to a large extent.

I've never once seen a political ad of this nature in the Moscow metro or on a Russian bus. Do they exist? Should they? Discuss.

Comments

[skvorets1989.livejournal.com]

Because Yanukovich was in power at the moment and he didn't complain back then that some unknown people dressed like his special forces are killing protestors without his order. Only much later he started to sing this song.

Because Avakov's version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmtWw-mJ_bg) of those events seems to me much more plausible than Zakharchenko's version. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju-1X9hxdzM).

Because you can never be sure that by killing so many people you will only make protesters more outraged and not simply frighten them into retreat.

Because that corresponds very well to other things Yanukovich did, such as berkut driving people out of the town and making them stand naked on a snow.

[pin-gwin.livejournal.com]

These are versions and presumptions. I am not taking any of them before investigation is over. Is there any real progress in it?

[skvorets1989.livejournal.com]

How can I know?

[pin-gwin.livejournal.com]

Than you better not state that Yanukovich did what he, in fact,is yet suspected in doing. Otherwise you may be blamed in slander and reputation damage.

[skvorets1989.livejournal.com]

If I don't know what is the progress in studying of the North Pole can I still say it is cold there? Of course I don't know details of the investigation but I know enough to say that those were Yanukovych's murderers.

[pin-gwin.livejournal.com]

This is not relevant example. Even more, there could be relatively worm days even there.
Sorry, I do not think that flooding here is a good idea. Have a good day.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I don't mind debates between readers in my comments, as long as you are respectful to each other. You're a good boy or girl, and have mastered this skill. :) Btw, one of the main purposes of including the First Amendment/freedom of expression rights in the U.S. Constitution was to permit citizens to openly criticize government and politicians.

[pin-gwin.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I am simply older and therefore I see more than one side, probably because I lived through some revolutions during my life in Russia and Soviet Union (and even got a bullet hole in a driver side door of my car) and I know how different could be thoughts of what was happening just few years after from what I was thinking in a process. The same is true about living in US( it was a job immigration), like watching all that fake about Iraq WMD. I am still sorry for Collin Powell making his presentation in UN on the subject...
Than comes ten of thousands Americans killed there, countless and counting victims of Iraqis citizens. There were people, trying to oppose but nobody listen. Freedom of speech is a wonderful idea, however, there are so many dishonest content producers that I do not take anybody's word on anything and do not make quick conclusions. Freedom of speech is really abused in US and therefor inflated, on international issues in particular. It is not working well but at least it does exist, that is for sure.

Wow! Great!

[xpo-xpo-xpo.livejournal.com]

It's clear that people in Cocoanut Grove were killed by the orders of Roosevelt: indeed, it was in 1942 and Roosevelt made no statements he is innocent!