Even Ignorance Deserves Constitution’s Protection

For several days last week, Orange County residents watched with varying levels of disgust as two small groups of people played out an exercise of ignorance and intolerance.

The principals were the Institute for Historical Review, which claims that the Nazi Holocaust was a hoax, and six members of the Jewish Defense League, who tried to block an institute meeting because they consider the group to be an anti-Semitic organization disseminating a message of hatred.

As it was, the institute, which was trying to hold its annual international convention in Orange County, was bounced out of three hotels because of pressure and threats of confrontation raised by the JDL.

No matter how reprehensible, erroneous and ridiculous the institute’s beliefs and agenda, it had every right to hold its meeting. And the JDL had the right to picket the session. But the league was out of touch with the U.S. Constitution in thinking that it had the right to try to stifle the constitutional guarantees of free speech and assembly. Other Jewish organizations in the county, just as upset at the institute’s ridiculous claim, decided to simply ignore the conclave.

If groups or individuals can silence anyone whose opinion they don’t like, everyone loses. The JDL was successful in forcing several hotels to turn away the Institute for Historical Review. But the institute was able to hold its private meetings. If it hadn’t, much more than a conference would have been lost.