A July 20 letter, ”Disturbing freedom,” precisely illustrates how misinformed most Americans are about their rights. In rendering its decision, the Supreme Court said that the man arrested for burning a cross on another`s lawn was arrested for the wrong reason. Since he was prosecuted for violating a St. Paul hate-crimes statute, he was, in essence, prosecuted for exercising his right to free expression.
However, one cannot trespass on another`s property, disturb the peace and damage that property. These are the crimes that man committed; these are also the crimes for which he should have been prosecuted.
The right to swing my arm does indeed end where the other fellow`s nose begins. However, if I were to hit that fellow, I would expect to be prosecuted for battery rather than for choosing to swing my arm.
