"Religion: Islam"

AP CAPTION: 20 months ago: This registration document, made available on Jan. 24, 2007, by the Fransiskus Assisi school in Jakarta, Indonesia, shows the registration of Barack Obama under the name Barry Soetoro into the Catholic school made by his step-father, Lolo Soetoro. The document lists Barry Soetoro as a Indonesian citizen, born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, and shows his Muslim step-father listed the boy's religion as Islam.(AP Photo/ Tatan Syuflana)

Truth Squad this.

If prosecutors are going to threaten those who "lie" about Obama, I guess we'll just have to start preparing the truth-is-a-defense-to-libel ground.

A lot of people thought that even though the Danish cartoons may have been excessively provocative, the fact that the cartoons were met with a threat of violence demanded they be displayed. If only to send the message that threats would not shut down free speech.

I hope many of the same people react similarly here.

Even those who believe that calling Obama a Muslim is an unjustified smear should acknowledge, I hope, 1) there is certainly enough question about Obama's early upbringing that to threaten prosecution for noting these questions is out of line, and 2) such threats must be demonstrated to be not only outrageous but guaranteed to result in the opposite outcome than the threats are designed to produce.

I hope I don't need to remind anyone that George W. Bush has been called 1) brain-damaged from cocaine overdose 2) a war criminal and 3) a murderer throughout his candidacy and term of office without threatening to prosecute any of his critics.

Are the rules different for Barack "Religion: Islam" Obama?

posted by Ace at 04:50 PM

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