Ironic Surrealism brings us the latest on the self-censorship front.
Marines Ban Father of Serviceman Killed on USS Cole from Expressing Opposition to Islamic Terrorism
Since 2001, Nieto has displayed various decals on his vehicle expressing anti-terrorist sentiments, such as “Remember the Cole, 12 Oct 2000,” “Islam=Terrorism,” and “We Died, They Rejoiced.” On July 31, 2008, two military police officers (MPs) issued Nieto a ticket for displaying “offensive material.”
In mid-August, after Nieto refused to remove all “offending” decals from his vehicle, the Base Magistrate issued Nieto a written order, ordering him to remove his vehicle from the base until all decals were removed and banning his vehicle from all other federal installations. The order in effect prevented Nieto from driving his vehicle to Arlington National Cemetery (a federal installation) to visit the grave of his fallen son.
As a result of the Marine Corps’ action, the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this week filed a federal lawsuit against the Camp Lejeune Commanding Officer and the Base Magistrate on behalf of Nieto in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The civil rights lawsuit challenges the military’s ban on Nieto’s speech on the basis that it violates Nieto’s constitutional rights to freedom of speech and the equal protection of the law. Read the rest.
Freedom of speech, one of the rights Nieto gave his life for.