It wasn't a jihadist or suicide bomber who stopped the Rev. Terry Jones from torching nearly 3,000 Qurans on the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was the long arm of the law.
Jones had planned to burn 2,998 copies of the Muslim holy book – one for each victim of the Sept. 11 attacks -- in Loyce E. Harpe Park, just north of Mulberry at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Supporters gathered, but Jones never arrived.
That's because at 4:58 p.m., the 61-year-old pastor was pulled over by sheriff's deputies a couple of miles away. He was a passenger in a pickup truck driven by Marvin Wayne Sapp, 44, an associate pastor in Jones' Dove World Outreach Center.
The truck towed a large, smoker-style grill that Jones was going to use as an incinerator. In the smoker were the condemned Qurans.
So while I agree that it is a good idea that Jones be locked up, he still does have freedom of speech, so on what charge did they arrest him?
Some of the books were soaked in kerosene, said Fran Ingram, spokeswoman for the church. The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested Jones on felony charges of unlawful conveyance of fuel and open display of a firearm.
The sheriff said dumping kerosene onto the books presented a hazardous situation. “He was potentially driving a bomb around if he had gotten into a crash.”
Hey, works for me. After all they got Al Capone for tax evasion, why not arrest this fruit loop for towing a potentially explosive barbecue?
Personally I think he should be thrown in jail for simply being a douchebag, but I guess there is not law against THAT. At least not yet.
Don't worry; the ACLU will come to protect Mr. Jones. (To my mind, he is no clergyman.) That's what they did a couple of years ago when Mr. Jones showed up, armed, and parked in front of the main mosque in Dearborn, MI, on Good Friday just before prayer services were to start. The City of Dearborn reacted quickly and prevented him from causing mayhem to the Moslems gathering for Friday services and to the Christians also gathering at neighboring churches for Good Friday services. (In Dearborn, MI, various religions have co-existed in harmony for many years.) The ACLU was concerned about Jones' First Amendment rights. However, there is also provision in the First Amendment for the freedom to worship. Something that was about to be interrupted by Mr. Jones and ignored by the ACLU. It seemed to me at the time that RICO charges could have been made against Mr. Jones because he obviously crossed state lines with the intent to cause harm and he was carrying a weapon and he certainly contacted the news media in advance of his arrival - not a good combination.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
The ACLU will not have anything to say if this is a law on the books and it is fairly enforced. It has nothing to do with the 1st amendment. Hi s choice to transport the books in this way was not necessary to his 1st amend. rights - just stoopid on his part.
DeleteOK, I’m a naughty girl here, but sometimes I swing that way. I’d like to see this determined troublemaker hanging in a cell, hands tied behind his back, and it labeled a “suicide.”
ReplyDeleteWhy toss him in Jail? Give him a one way ticket to Iran. It serves the same purpose and saves taxpayers money.
ReplyDeleteThe EPA, local Dept of Enviro Management and city laws against open burning (which Mulberry should enact post-haste) might also have an ordinance or two that Jones book burning is violating.
ReplyDeleteNaturally the guy with Jones was named Sapp. There should be local laws against burning anything besides meat on a grill in a park.
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