While many Americans are calling for greater unity in the country, anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan is in Tehran spewing his usual hateful message including reportedly leading a chant of “Death to America” and calling America the “Great Satan.” Despite the reprehensible comments in support of a nation that spreads terrorism and oppresses its own people, I still believe that it is protected speech despite the existence of the Logan Act, which makes it illegal for citizens to intervene in disputes or controversies between the United States and foreign governments. That Act is widely viewed as unconstitutional and has never been used to convict a single U.S. citizen since it was enacted in 1799.
Farrakhan pledged to fight the enemies of the Iranian people and said “I would like to stay alongside you to stop their plots.” On the issue of the new sanctions, he said that this was just the “Great Satan” being the “Great Satan.” He calls upon Iranians to remain steadfast in their movement to create Islamic governments throughout the world and to combat the United States in its efforts.
Farrakhan presence and commentary in Iran is the greatest possible defense for our nation. Surely some Iranians might marvel at the fact that such comments against their own country would lead to arrest if not death. So the country that Farrakhan denounces is the country that allows a hate-spewing anti-Semitic hypocrite like him to continue to speak and thrive.
That does not mean that the rest of us cannot, again, denounce Farrakhan and his Islamic movement. Indeed, leaders like Bill Clinton has been recently criticized for sharing a stage with Farrakhan (even though he once compared Hillary Clinton to Hitler). The stage at Aretha Franklin’s funeral also featured Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson who have previously appeared with Farrakhan as has Barack Obama. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the Democratic National Committee deputy chair has also been criticized for his past association with Farrakhan, though he later denounced Farrakhan’s views. That includes a private dinner of Ellison with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Farrakhan in 2013.
Yet, we can condemn the speaker without criminalizing the speech. That is what distinguishes us from the clerics of Iran. Freedom.
Long live Farrakhan!!! White people’s enemies are not Black people’s enemies. Black America has ZERO to do with White America’s wicked foreign policies which ill-affect other people and nations. Remember that. Thank you.
Mespo, spot on.
I wonder how Bill Clinton feels about sitting with him at Aretha Franklins funeral? Oh I forgot, Bill Clinton was the first black president.
Farrakhan’s an obvious traitor in the moral sense if not the legal one. The ancient Romans had a unique way of punishing traitorous citizens like Farrakhan who consorted with the enemy. Under the lex maiestatis, the prisoner would be stripped naked and his head would be held by a large two-pronged wooden fork. He was then whipped by the emperor’s executioner or other citizens until he died. (Contrary to popular lore, Roman citizens of the honestiores class were never crucified as that ignominy was reserved for alien enemies of Rome and the lowest class of its citizens, the humiliores). After death, all his properties were forfeited to the empire and his will and testamentary documents were declared void.
A lot to admire about the folks who ruled the world for a 1000 years.
FARRAKHAN IS 85 YEARS OLD!
ONE MIGHT QUESTION HIS RELEVANCE
Even in his prime, Louis Farrakhan was a fringe character at best. But he’s now an elderly fringe character. I seriously question if Farrakhan has much relevance in contemporary American politics.
But it appears Professor Turley wrote this column for the purpose of linking Farrakhan’s name with Clinton, Obama and Ellison. And ‘coincidentally’, Donald Trump just reimposed trade sanctions on Iran (after discarding the nuclear accord Obama worked so hard to construct).
So this column serves a double purpose. It links Farrakhan with key Democrats one day before the midterm elections. Plus it reminds us how ‘evil’ Iran is for hosting Farrakhan and letting him chant, “Death To America”. We’re supposed to bristle at this outrage while thinking, “Yeah, Trump ‘should’ reimpose trade sanctions”.
“after discarding the nuclear accord Obama worked so hard to construct”
Yep, it took many people and fork lifts to load how many billions onto a plane, to appease his brothers? Hard work indeed.
Ron, that was Iran’s money. Funds that Jimmy Carter froze back in ’79.
Peter Hill – you do know that David Benson is 85 when you are talking about 85 year olds being irrelevant?
False.
PCS just Makes Stuff Up.
David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me twenty-two citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament) and the source of a quotation, after twenty-one weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – citation, please. We are not taking your word for it any more.
he’s not fringe in the midwest or chicago a city of 2.7 million.
you don’t seriously think they all just like obama and oprah do you?
farrakhan commands a lot of respect that never gets mentioned on tv
it’s easy to understand why. he’s not under control, thats why. ‘
he is a nationalist and they don’t like nationalists
kind of like marcus garvey. he was a black nationalist, and the communists wanted the black folks to be weaponized against whites. so they put down the nationalists, and elevated the marxist parasite types such as WEB Dubois
one of his late in life exploits was to join the Communist party officially after having served it for decades
http://movies2.nytimes.com/books/00/11/05/specials/dubois-communist.html
the mass media can’t control Farrakhan so they degrade him habitually.
LF is not a politician but he is a leader. i know people think he is just awful. Especially white folks who are scared of him. The big fear however should not be from order it should be from disorder. And if the NOI is anything it is an island of order in a sea of disorder. A drive down the length of Stony Island tells you all you need to know.
If you want a really bad black leader from chicago and Obama will not suffice, let me give you a name: Harold Washington, he ruined the city and it took a long time to recover
I find his speeches interesting. ‘d rather have a chat with LF any day than the likes of Oprah. But, most of America just loves her idiotic show. It alternates between boring, feckless nonsense and sugary sentimentality. By contrast, LF’s speeches will wake you up!
Given Nation of Islam Representative Louis Farrakhan’s incitement to war, 25 million extant enemy illegal aliens in America, unconstitutional sanctuary cities harboring enemy troops, treasonous local officials in open revolt against the Constitution and invasion forces looming on the border, President Trump has the same rationale and justification for issuing “proclamations” as Abraham Lincoln and the same rationale and justification as Barack Obama for issuing executive orders.
President Trump, declaring a condition of insurrection, rebellion and military invasion, must issue a proclamation and executive order for suspension of habeas corpus, deportation of rebels and illegal aliens, arrest and incarceration of local officials in sanctuary cities, restrictions on the the vote, and military repulsion of the invasion forces looming on the border.
Gob Bless the United States of America.
i found an interesting infobit on wiki about LF. ironic in light of current conversations
“Malcolm X’s death
Many, including Malcolm X’s family, have accused Louis Farrakhan of being involved in the plot to assassinate Malcolm X.[55][56][57][58] For many years, Betty Shabazz, the wife of Malcolm X, harbored resentment toward the Nation of Islam—and Farrakhan in particular—for what she felt was their role in the assassination of her husband.[59] In a 1993 speech, Farrakhan seemed to acknowledge the possibility that the Nation of Islam was responsible for the assassination:
We don’t give a damn about no white man law if you attack what we love. And frankly, it ain’t none of your business. What do you got to say about it? Did you teach Malcolm? Did you make Malcolm? Did you clean up Malcolm? Did you put Malcolm out before the world? Was Malcolm your traitor or ours? And if we dealt with him like a nation deals with a traitor, what the hell business is it of yours? You just shut your mouth, and stay out of it. Because in the future, we gonna become a nation. And a nation gotta be able to deal with traitors and cutthroats and turncoats. The white man deals with his. The Jews deal with theirs.[60][61][62]
During a 1994 interview, Gabe Pressman asked Shabazz whether Farrakhan “had anything to do” with Malcolm X’s death. She replied: “Of course, yes. Nobody kept it a secret. It was a badge of honor. Everybody talked about it, yes.”[63] In January 1995, Qubilah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, was charged with trying to hire an assassin to kill Farrakhan in retaliation for the murder of her father, for which she believed he was responsible.[64][65]
In a 60 Minutes interview that aired during May 2000, Farrakhan stated that some of the things he said may have led to the assassination of Malcolm X. “I may have been complicit in words that I spoke”, he said. “I acknowledge that and regret that any word that I have said caused the loss of life of a human being.”[66] A few days later Farrakhan denied that he “ordered the assassination” of Malcolm X, although he again acknowledged that he “created the atmosphere that ultimately led to Malcolm X’s assassination.”[67]
The Great Santini makes sanctions….
A long, long time ago–before something called “political correctness” destroyed politically oriented comedy (as well as much non-political comedy for that matter)– TV was actually funny and even a theme like “Death to America” was funny, as the example below demonstrates.
One of my favorite SNL skits.
HILARIOUS but nobody can make good comedy like that anymore
Richard Pryor himself is banned