Southbury leaders denounce political sign depicting swastikas
Local leaders with the Board of Selectmen denounced the sign, which they said was put up Saturday at Playhouse Corner, a well-known rally spot in town.
Author: Elisha Machado (FOX61) Published: 10:26 PM EDT July 28, 2021 Updated: 10:27 PM EDT July 28, 2021
(My comments to the foolishness of the political correct “woke” people involved in this story are in bold & italics.)
SOUTHBURY, Conn. — A banner depicting swastikas and comparing the Democratic Party to Nazis is sparking public outrage in Southbury.
According to SCOTUS in Snyder v. Phelps, 562 U.S. 443 (2011) this banner is protected free speech under the 1st Amendment.
Local leaders with the Board of Selectmen denounced the sign, which they said was put up Saturday at Playhouse Corner, a well-known rally spot in town.
Connecticut Dems posted a picture of the sign on Twitter. The sign has since been removed from Playhouse Corner.
The sign was especially upsetting for Southbury resident Daniel Sternthal.
“It made me upset because whoever put up the sign has no idea what Nazism is all about. I was born in Israel. I know what Nazism is firsthand. Most of my family was demolished by Nazis.”
As upset Mr. Sternthal may be by seeing a swastika, he has no constitutional authority to ban the use a swastika. Nor is it of any importance that a person who uses a swastika must understand “what Nazism is all about.” As heartbreaking as it was for Mr. Sternthal family to be killed by Nazis, the US Constitution does not permit gatekeepers of constitutional rights based on personal experiences.
The chair of the Connecticut Dems released a statement on Twitter saying quote: “The Southbury Republicans’ use of universally-recognized symbols of anti-Semitism is hateful and wrong.”
Was this a Southbury Republican rally where/when the banner was erected?
Palin Smith with Connecticut for Trump tells us he frequently rallies at Playhouse Corner but he said the person who put up this sign is not part of his group. He thinks he knows the person who put up the sign after seeing something similar at a rally in Portland a few months back.
“Any display of a Nazi swastika goes too far,” Smith said. “Because there’s such a stigma attached to the Nazis in World War II before in the extermination of whole groups of people that it is just abhorrent to us as human beings whether you’re on the left or the right. What they did was try to stir things up and I wasn’t there to stop him.”
Palin, this is your opinion and you are entitled to have/express your opinion. However, the same law of the land that allows you, Mr. Sternthal, Mike Rosen and the chair of the “Connecticut Dems” to lament the use of a swastika on a banner is the same law of the land that allows the owner of the banner to use the swastika. It’s a two-way street…and you emotional-driven people need to understand this concept. Law is law, its not about emotional-driven democracy.
Yes, Palin. I am sure the owner of the banner intended to “stir things up”–that is the point of political speech!
And when did you become the political-correct police officer? I’m greatly offended and angered by the LGBTQRSTUV community for using the rainbow as its logo. I’m greatly offended and angered by planned parenthood makes a sizeable profit murdering pre-born human beings daily! Why are you, Daniel Sternthal, Mike Rosen and the Dems chair not condemning the abhorrent killing of innocent life that is happening today and every day in Connecticut? Maybe the murder of innocent life does not matter to you ying-yangs anymore….
Local leaders say this kind of hateful rhetoric is not welcome here.
“We will defend your first amendment rights to free speech, your political ideologies, you have a right to them, but this crossed the line from political ideologies into the ideology of white supremacy and white nationalism which is not acceptable in Southbury,” Rosen said.
Mr. Rosen, you do not get to determine which speech crosses the line. Lament all you wish regarding the display of swastikas, but the use of them on this banner is protected speech under the 1st Amendment. Please read and study (or consult with legal counsel) Snyder v. Phelps, 562 U.S. 443 (2011) before you make yourself a bigger jackass than you already have. Apparently, it’s not a requirement to have cognitive reasoning skills to be elected to the Southbury Board of Selectmen… Btw, I find it ironic that you, Mr. Rosen are trying to feign anger over “hateful rhetoric” while serving on a governing board that calls itself, “Board of Selectmen”! Chauvinism at its finest, I would think.
Rosen said they are exploring potential legal options to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
Yes, Mr. Rosen. Please explore potential legal options so that your Marxist’s ass can be taught a legal lesson!!!
Conclusion: 1) The use of swastikas is protected free speech. 2) Everything listed on the banner is factually correct.
To the owner of the banner, keep up the good work communicating truth during this time when everything is turned upside down.
KEEP STIRING THINGS UP!!!
Palin Smith, was this your political rally where/when this banner was placed?
Why apologize, Palin Smith?According to SCOTUS in Snyder v. Phelps, 562 U.S. 443 (2011) this banner is protected free speech under the 1st Amendment. Does Mr. Smith oppose the US Consitution?
Excuse me, Palin Smith, but what you think is human decency DOES NOT TRUMP THE US CONSTITUTION!
3 Comments
Dave, thanks for putting my friend in his place. Palin attempted to have a similar sign removed from a Portland CT rally he was running along with me. I told him he can object to what it says but he can not tell ___ to remove it . The sign remained up during the entire rally. Apparently Mr Smith has a short memory. Thanks
S.O.
My message to those of you who are ignorant of history, I urge you to look back in history…In 1933 Germany, when Hitler came into power”… He promised the people a new Germany of wealth and prosperity by controlling all media… He silenced all his political enemies with false charges against the state… He then took away private ownership of guns… He then requested of his followers to turn on one another…He then took away free & fair elections…I ask you, Doesn’t any of this remind you of what’s happening today in America with the new progressive Democratic Party? I’m in no way supporting the Nazi emblem that was placed on the sign, in fact I’ve stated publicly it should have been the Chinese or Russian Flag showing, they are America’s Enemies… I truly believe this is the message the person wanted covey to the public…
Chris Ford, a.k.a. Palin Smith is a pandering jackass, who regularly offends normal, decent folks – particularly women – as I have witnessed first hand. His hypocrisy is evident to thinking people, as his comments here demonstrate.
Looking at the message, correctly comparing the current incarnation of the Democratic Party with Fascists is apropos. The way the DNC cheated Trump out of his win in last years’ presidential election is right up the NAZI playbook. ANYONE censoring our free speech is copying Joseph Goebbels book burning tactics. The corrupt Biden administration is turning police into Gestapo, threatening Nuremberg Code-violating forced injections of a poisonous nous experimental drug.
Perhaps if Mssrs. Smith and Rosen would stick to the facts, and not lower themselves to the liberal Cancel Culture tactic of distorting facts and using emotional slander, perhaps they could understand the accuracy of the comparison. Sadly, I already know how these attention-seekers will respond: with feigned indignation.