Blasphemy - still illegal in the US!

[Huntster]

Originally Posted by Huntster
And probably would, too, even though he was clearly asking to get knocked off the podium.

So you'd condone violence against those who don't believe what you do?

Of course not.

But I'd laugh like hell if someone who begged to get his ass knocked off his high horse recieved his silly request.

 

[Huntster]

Originally Posted by Huntster
Example:

Now I suppose you'd demand the arrest and criminal prosecution of the Marine?

I would support it, yes. The Marine should have been taught (and assuming this really occurred was) that his duty is -among other things - to defend the Constitution of the United States. Freedom of speech is a part of that Constitution (Amendment 1) as is freedom of religion. The Marine would be choosing his religion over his duty to his country. Not a good Marine.

In the example, the Marine's religious persuasion and beliefs weren't outlined. And the Marine didn't punish the professor for exercising his right to free speech, he was just doing what the professor asked for in lieu of God.

Now, had the professor insulted the Corps.................

Yup.

Thems would be fighting words, for sure.........

The legalities would come later.

 

[Foster Zygote]

It's a joke.

It's a bad joke. Don't Marines take an oath to defend the Constitution? If you change the professor to a civil rights Freedom Rider and the Marine to a Klansman and alter the subject of the dispute a bit it still plays out pretty much the same.

Edit: Doh! Fuelair beat me to the first point.

 

[Foster Zygote]

In the example, the Marine's religious persuasion and beliefs weren't outlined. And the Marine didn't punish the professor for exercising his right to free speech, he was just doing what the professor asked for in lieu of God.

Ah! Now this is all perfectly clear to me. Thanks.

 

[JamesDillon]

To return to the point of the original post, which drkitten already addressed, a judicial opinion (or the evolution of a constitutional doctrine) recognizing a statute as unconstitutional does not have the effect of removing that statute from the books, it simply renders it unenforceable. Sometimes Congress or the state legislature will repeal the statute, but sometimes not. A legislature may choose to leave an unconstitutional statute on the books so that, if the court decision holding it unconstitutional is ever reversed, the legislature doesn't have to pass the statute again-- it can just go back to enforcing it. Sometimes, as is quite likely the case here, the legislature simply has better things to do with its time than clearing the statute books of old laws that the state has no intention of trying to enforce.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Hmm....

Dear Ignoramus:

The Commonwealth of Massachusettes is not "The US." In America, laws on the books (repealed or not) vary from state to state. Laws applicable to the US are statutes of the US code at the federal level. You cite a Massachusettes law and claim it is a law in The US, which is an entire country.

This thread's title is evidence of your stupidity. Head out, sport.

DR

 

[Ducky]

Of course not.

But I'd laugh like hell if someone who begged to get his ass knocked off his high horse recieved his silly request.

So you do then at least tacitly support the marine assaulting someone simply for what they say or believe.

 

[Foster Zygote]

Dear Ignoramus:

The Commonwealth of Massachusettes is not "The US." In America, laws on the books (repealed or not) vary from state to state. Laws applicable to the US are statutes of the US code at the federal level.

This thread's is evidence of your stupidity. Head out, sport.

DR

Last I heard, Massachusettes was "in the US" as the title of the thread says.

 

[Darth Rotor]

So you do then at least tacitly support the marine assaulting someone simply for what they say or believe.

Do you tacitly support professors behaving like complete jackasses in the execution of their professional duties?

DR

 

[Ducky]

Do you tacitly support professors behaving like complete jackasses in the execution of their professional duties?

DR

If they're tenured there's not a whole lot to do about it, however tyhe professor didn't break any laws there pal.


ETA:

I also don't see anything in this urban legend that shows the professor was doing anything but ranting in class. That's not against the law, and if his rants are against policy, then it is very simple to make a complaint to the university president.

 

[69dodge]

And probably would, too, even though he was clearly asking to get knocked off the podium.

He wasn't asking to get knocked off the podium by anyone who wanted to knock him off the podium. He took it for granted that everyone hearing him would realize that he didn't want to get knocked off the podium, and therefore his asking to get knocked off the podium specifically by God would clearly demonstrate his disbelief that there exists any God to knock him off the podium.

Surely this is obvious?

 

[Darth Rotor]

If they're tenured there's not a whole lot to do about it,

Good point.

DR

 

[Darth Rotor]

He wasn't asking to get knocked off the podium by anyone who wanted to knock him off the podium. He took it for granted that everyone hearing him would realize that he didn't want to get knocked off the podium, and therefore his asking to get knocked off the podium specifically by God would clearly demonstrate his disbelief that there exists any God to knock him off the podium.

Surely this is obvious?

Just to play along


Can you prove that this hypothetical Marine was lying if he tells you God told him to comply with the professor's wishes?

DR

 

[joobz]

If they're tenured there's not a whole lot to do about it, however tyhe professor didn't break any laws there pal.


ETA:

I also don't see anything in this urban legend that shows the professor was doing anything but ranting in class. That's not against the law, and if his rants are against policy, then it is very simple to make a complaint to the university president.

it depends if it was a state university or not. and what the class is. In a class on religion, it'd be on par. If it was a course on metallurgy, well he'd be a bit out of line. Not worth suspension, but still. there are situations where abuse of authority is of concern.

The inherent message of the story is what I take the strongest offense to. Professors are morally currupt eggheads who don't deserve respect and wish to oppress the god fearing public.

There seem to be more instances of fundementalist religious teaching encrouching on students to the point of exclusion and ridicule(see story on teacher forcing muslim girl out of class for not being christian) that makes me find these types of stereotypical stories a little annoying.

 

[joobz]

Just to play along


Can you prove that this hypothetical Marine was lying if he tells you God told him to comply with the professor's wishes?

DR

Yes, God told me he never talked to that guy. Said he's kind of a dipstick.

 

[Ducky]

it depends if it was a state university or not. and what the class is. In a class on religion, it'd be on par. If it was a course on metallurgy, well he'd be a bit out of line. Not worth suspension, but still. there are situations where abuse of authority is of concern.

The inherent message of the story is what I take the strongest offense to. Professors are morally currupt eggheads who don't deserve respect and wish to oppress the god fearing public.

There seem to be more instances of fundementalist religious teaching encrouching on students to the point of exclusion and ridicule(see story on teacher forcing muslim girl out of class for not being christian) that makes me find these types of stereotypical stories a little annoying.

Agreed.

 

[Dustin Kesselberg]

I wouldn't demand it, but the professor is well within his right to press assault charges.

The story smells like a urban legend.

If it happened, the Marine would of been arrested on assault charges regardless of if the processor 'pressed charges'. The prosecutor would of pressed the charges. In things like assault, Even if the person who is assaulted does not want to 'press charges' the prosecutor can still press them on behalf of the state.

Think murder charges. If someone is killed they obviously can't press charges. Or another example is domestic violence where the wife refuses to 'press charges' the state will.

 

[wollery]

Or another example is domestic violence where the wife refuses to 'press charges' the state will.

Since building a case would pretty much require the wife to give evidence against her husband it pretty much always requires the wife to press charges. The state will rarely waste it's money charging someone with a crime that the victim and (usually) only witness of won't testify to on the stand.

 

[Huntster]

Originally Posted by Huntster
It's a joke.

It's a bad joke.

Not in my opinion. Tomorrow, I'll ask a couple of Marines what they think of it. My bet is that they'll laugh their asses off.

Don't Marines take an oath to defend the Constitution?

Yup.

What does that have to do with knocking the hell out of somebody who asks for it?

If you change the professor to a civil rights Freedom Rider and the Marine to a Klansman and alter the subject of the dispute a bit it still plays out pretty much the same.

Yup.

The professor asked to get his ass knocked off the podium, then it happened.

Hey; God works in strange and wondrous ways.............

 

[Huntster]

Originally Posted by Huntster
In the example, the Marine's religious persuasion and beliefs weren't outlined. And the Marine didn't punish the professor for exercising his right to free speech, he was just doing what the professor asked for in lieu of God.

Ah! Now this is all perfectly clear to me. Thanks.

Is it?

Did someone here in the United States ask God to fly a couple of hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center?

Explain your clarity, please..............