Jarret Liotta’s support of legislation banning public displays of the Nazi flag — spurred by an incident in Fairfield last December, and reported 2 days ago on “06880” — has drawn this passionate response from Westporter Eric Burns.
In 1978, as an NBC News correspondent based in Chicago, I was assigned to cover a march of neo-Nazis through Skokie, Illinois. The Nazis had chosen Skokie because it had an extraordinarily high number of Holocaust survivors. The American Civil Liberties Union supported the Nazis, and helped persuade local authorities to permit the march.
I watched the whole thing. I wrote about it. I reported on it that night for “NBC Nightly News with John Chancellor.” Viewers saw the so-called Nazis: young, tattooed, their faces twisted into sneers. They saw the Holocaust survivors — old, wrinkled, their faces contorted in pain and bewilderment. Viewers could hear, in edited fashion, the vile obscenities that the Nazis spewed at the Holocaust survivors; they heard the whimpers and occasional tormented shouts of their victims.
I interviewed some of the former, holding my breath, looking away. I interviewed some of the latter. They wondered whether their suffering would ever end.
I lost all respect for the ACLU that day, and have not changed my mind since. Faced with a choice of supporting the civil liberties of villains or victims, it chose the latter. The group’s definition of civil liberties, not only then but in many instances since, is an obscenity as grotesque as anything uttered by the Skokie Nazis.
Free speech? Is that the right the ACLU supported? Why did it not take the side of the Holocaust survivors and support their right not to be singled out for vilification by thugs?
In truth, the march in Skokie was not an issue of free speech at all. The Nazis could have spoken freely in literally thousands of different forums.
No, the issue in Skokie was one of pain, pure pain, nothing more.
The Nazis petitioned for the right to cause it.
The ACLU supported them.
A judge supported the ACLU.
That is what happened in a suburb of Chicago more than 30 years ago, and it is the story I recall most vividly in my entire career in journalism.
Sadly, until we as a country outlaw the Neo-Nazi movement (like Germany does) and all the garbage they bring with it, the ACLU will need to support their rights, as they would protect & fight for yours.
Mary Ann West
The ACLU supported the parade because this country supports the freedoms not found in other countries. That is why hate groups like the Teabaggers are also allowed to spew their venom. However, I wonder why the Holocaust victims, or anyone else, gave credibility to this parade by watching. It would have been very effective if everyone in Skokie had boycotted it.
Bobbie,
The Tea Party movement is about smaller government, fiscal responisibilty and individual freedom, not a government nanny state. Which was what this Country was based on, including God. Sorry if that offends you.
And besides, what does a gay derugatory term, teabagger, have to do with anything?
You should really educate yourself by attending a Tea Party and making your own judgements.
What hate and venom are they spewing?
My wireless keyboard has been acting up and I should have checked before I posted. Here it is correctly.
The Tea Party movement is about smaller government, fiscal responsibility and individual freedom, not a government nanny state. Which was what this Country was based on, including God. Sorry if that offends you.
And besides, what does a gay derogatory term, teabagger, have to do with anything?
You should really educate yourself by attending a Tea Party and making your own judgments.
What hate and venom are they spewing?
What hate and venom? How about pictures of President Obama as Hitler or the Joker, or calling him a Communist, or stating tht he was born in Kenya, along with depictions of him as a witch doctor? Or shouting down their congressmen at Town Hall meetings? I could go on and on, but it probably wouldn’t convince you, anyway.
And you never saw that with President Bush?
If you google Bush as Hitler you get many more hits than you do with Obama is Hitler.
If it takes shouting at our congressmen to get their attention, then so be it. And for the record, it worked!
But I probably can’t convince you with the facts and truth, that’s something you’re not really interested in.
How do you feel about congress NOT voting for Health Care (ObamaCare) WITHOUT voting for it, yet passing it?, i.e. The Slaughter Rule.
And for the record, most people refer to Obama as a Socialist not a Communist. Due to his taking over, banks, auto industry, student loans, now health care, just to name a few. For many this is a path to ‘soft European socialism’.
There’s a very funny scene in the Blues Brothers movie involving the Skokie Nazis.
But back to the point …
Eric, thank you for your story. When I had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Rep. Jim Himes about this issue two weeks ago, he brought up the Skokie Nazis as a sort of counter-point question to my proposal. I will forward his office this link in the hopes of encouraging their involvement …
Meanwhile, I hope everyone will join me in contacting their state legislators in the hope of creating legislation to ban the public display of the Nazi flag in CT.