* An atheist who puts up a billboard in Pennsylvania showing that the Bible condoned slavery will be hit with 1) massive protests, 2) media frenzy, 3) heavy pressure on the billboard renter to pull it down — and he may do so 4) vandalism to the sign that isn’t likely to be followed up too vigorously by the police, 5) death threats, 6) job loss.

* A company that declines to make gay pride T-shirts will be hit with a “Human Relations Comission” complaint and have to shell out money for a lawyer even if they eventually prevail.

* A person who advertises a room for rent on a white separatist website will be hit with a “fair housing” complaint and dragged through that process, and the site will be forced to take down the ad. Heavy civil penalties to follow.

* Holocaust doubters seeking to meet in a restaurant may be 1) refused admission by the owners or 2) physically attacked by opponents, and the attackers ignored by federal authorities who would surely pursue with vigor a group of neo-Nazis who attacked a gathering of Holocaust survivors.

* A conservative speaker invited to a college campus is physically attacked, or the college pulls the invitation due to “security concerns”.

* A gathering of white “race realists” seeks to meet in a hotel, but threats are made to the hotel, which cancels the hosting contract, and police do nothing about it. The heckler’s veto, writ large. Oh, and you won’t hear about it in the newspaper.

* An atheist who dresses as “Zombie Muhammad” will be attacked physically, and his attacker set free by a judge who seeks to protect Muslim dignity.

I guess the bottom line is that you have free speech in America, unless you’re an atheist, white separatist, or Ann Coulter at Wesleyan.

Randy Barnett annotates the Declaration of Independence. Wally Olson reminds us of one positive consequence of independence from Britain. Federal wildlife officials cancel Oregon fireworks show on grounds that noise will disturb seabirds…….