or doesn’t mean.
I have been following this case intently: CNN article on Klan trial
To those who believe they are justified in acting against a person based on their looks or behaviors, speech or clothes, take note: The United States was founded on the principle that ALL men are created equal, and deserve equal protection under the law.
It is distinctly un-American, even anti-American, to take action against (or threaten or harass) a person whom you assume to somehow be in violation of, or outside the protection of, “the law.”
To assume that a person is an illegal immigrant (in this case), and then to attack that person, is contrary to all the protections and rights set forth in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. Absent the prevention of immediate physical harm (i.e., self defense), individuals do NOT have the right to take the law into their own hands… and they never have the right to harass, intimidate or attack another person.
I note that the defendants in the case took full advantage of their rights under the law… but cared little for the rights of their victim.
As a mother and a person who works with children and youth, I am angry that anyone would attack a child or teen. They are lucky that I am not in charge of setting the penalty for this case! These men in particular, and people who do things like this in general, are not just acting illegally, they are cowards…
A true “American” is neither a coward nor a vigilante. The rule of law is essential for the maintenance of a strong democratic republic. And respect for human life is essential for the maintenance of a safe, productive society.