According to a post on GodlikeProductions, the conspiracy site, this YouTube video posted June 21 shows Dearborn police officers refusing to allow three Christians to hand out religious tracts immediately outside an Arab Festival in Dearborn last Friday, June 18, according to a post on the website called Answering Muslims. The video also shows an officer temporarily confiscating the video camera from the videographer.
The dates are confusing because the YouTube site includes a link to the PDF document below that shows the court issuing an injunction on June 17, which would be one day before the incident.
CityofDearbornOrder-grantingTROJune172010
As an unrelenting free-speech absolutist, I am horrified that the Dearborn police interfered with these people’s Constitutional First Amendment rights. And as a a card-carrying atheist (well, I’d carry a card if I had one), I must admit that I tune out most of the Christians who complain about persecution in our country because, from my vantage point, Christians in the United States seem to enjoy far too much deference. But this is a case where you have to ask what public benefit could possible accrue from having taxpayers pay for so many police officers to interfere with these law-abiding citizens who were not doing anything disruptive or provocative.
Good… in a way. I think ANY religious persecution (which is what this was) should be stopped. It is anti-constitutional to persecute anyone for any religious belief. However, I am against the process, especially when the officer demanded the camera be turned off. Suddenly, it went from protecting religious freedoms to violating freedom of speech. This is an issue. I do NOT think the Christians should have been there in the first place and should have been dealt with peaceably. But to demand the camera be shut off was a violation of rights.