Crank's Rights

Cases like George Rockwell's happen occasionally, even in a society where the lunatic fringe is razor-thin. When they do, they serve to try the souls of sunshine libertarians. Rockwell is the crank leader of the American Nazi Party who, earlier this year, was denied permission to speak in a New York park. Now, with the aid of the American Civil Liberties Union, Rockwell has won his court battle and the City of New York has to issue him a speaking permit.

Mayor Wagner and outraged civic groups are protesting the court's order demanding it be over-ruled. Such hysterical reactions to Rockwell are silly. And quite apart from the publicity he gets from this opposition, publicity which his kind of movement thrives on, muzzling the Nazi leader is a violation of his constitutional right to free speech. Suppression of speech by prior restraint is an evil, and putting up with people like Rockwell is the price we pay for having defenses against it.