After being convicted and sentenced to probation in 2007 for paying people to vote in a Benton Harbor recall election, Edward Pinkney wrote an article in a small Chicago newspaper saying the judge who handled the case could be punished by God with curses, fever and "extreme burning" unless he changed his ways.
Another judge considered the article a threat and sentenced Pinkney to three to 10 years in prison for violating his probation. Pinkney, who says he's a Baptist minister, and his attorneys say he was only paraphrasing some Bible verses from the book of Deuteronomy.
"The court properly recognized that serious constitutional questions are raised when a minister is thrown in prison for predicting what God might do."
Does this mean the guy has a direct line and can predict what "God" will do?? He is probably as good at predicting as all the other skypilots are. Has anyone actually seen a prediction by a Bible-Banger ever come true?? The guy sounds delusional to me. This shows that the ACLU will work for anyone, no matter how much of a nutjob they are if it looks like there is a case.
That's one scary situation. It would only be a threat (in my eyes) if this preacher had an inside track with "God". Yep, the ACLU will defend anybody.
ReplyDeleteI have been a proud card carrying member of the ACLU all my adult life. I met Romero a few years ago here at an annual meeting. One of my closest friends was the executive director of the ACLU in New Orleans. Now that's a difficult job.
ReplyDeleteThe ACLU used to bring me out of my chair screaming at actions like that. Then I began to realize, they only enforce equal application of the law to all, regardless of stature/position/beliefs/ to the best of their abilities. Today, I have a lot of respect for them - far more than I hold for our court system!
ReplyDeleteEven nuts need civil liberties. The ACLU does not discriminate between protecting liberals or conservatives. Since "freedom can't protect itself", the ACLU is truly a principled all-American organization.
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