AG Loretta Lynch Won���t Be Stopped By That Pesky First Amendment

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Speaking in front of the Muslim Advocates Dinner this past Thursday evening, Attorney General Loretta Lynch made comments seen by many as startling, given their clear affront to the First Amendment, as well as to the concept of free speech, more generally. Lynch, in her remarks, stated that the Justice Department will ���take action��� as a result of what she termed ���anti-Muslim rhetoric��� and ���violent talk.��� Said Lynch, ���Now obviously this is a country that is based on free speech, but when it edges towards violence, when we see the potential for someone lifting that mantle of anti-Muslim rhetoric or, as we saw after 9/11, violence against individuals��� when we see that, we will take action.���

Whenever I hear or read a statement made by anyone that begins as a declaration of support for a constitutional right, but which is soon interrupted with the word ���but,��� that confirms for me that this person does not truly support that right. What he (or she) is really saying is that he supports the right no more than conditionally, and that, in his opinion, he should really be the one who decides those conditions are under which that right is allowed to exist.

While Lynch has since clarified her comments, now saying that she was really referring to violent action as the standard at which the Justice Department would get involved in any negative behavior targeting Muslims, that simply does not square with her earlier remarks.

For the record, Lynch, in her clarification comments, did not relate the Justice Department���s official position on violent action taken by Muslims. I���ll assume she thinks that is a bad thing, as well, but these days, and with this administration, who knows?