FFRF Co-President Dan Barker got into a lively debate with Fox News host Tucker Carlson on May 25.
Carlson had Barker on for about six minutes to discuss the Memphis, Tenn., school where a teacher-led bible club was shut down after FFRF complained.
Carlson was adamant that teachers have a right to run a bible club at school in their off-hours, but Barker corrected him on the constitutional issue. Of course, Carlson didn’t give in and held steadfast to his incorrect interpretation of the First Amendment.
“There’s a difference between free speech and government speech,” Barker said. “When those teachers are at school, they are the government. . . . Saying it’s voluntary does not make it legal.”
“You bullied them into it,” Carlson responded after Barker said, “The school did the right thing (by suspending the class).”
Several FFRF members who saw the clip on Fox News sent positive feedback.
“Great work, Dan! It takes guts to go on FOX and take a stand for the truth,” wrote Steve Siebold.
“Many thanks to Dan for his effective debate, however brief, with Tucker Carlson,” Willaim Sperber writes. “FFRF is a most necessary organization to help protect our constitutional rights.”
Of course, for every positive note Dan and FFRF received, there were three times as many who wrote with hateful or negative messages that deserve a place in Crankmail (strong language alert!).
“PULL YOUR EMPTY HEAD OUT OF YOUR LYING COMMIE ASS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR PATHETICALLY STUPID EXCUSE FOR A LIFE AND KILL YOURSELF YOU BRAIN DEAD SUBHUMAN ANTI-AMERICAN MARXIST PIECE OF SHIT! The First Amendment of America’s Consitution guarantees freedom OF religion, NOT freedom FROM it! If you didn’t like the club, don’t attend of send your kid! You disgusting VERMIN on the left have no fucking right to shut down things just because you don’t like them! CREATURES as STUPID as you should be fed feet first into wood chippers to be ground up into fertilizer!”
