Opinion

Racism rights and wrongs: punished for bad speech?

The Issue: Whether the official response to EMS Lt. Timothy Dluhos’ racist tweets is unconstitutional.

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I certainly agree with The Post’s characterization of the crybaby EMT as a twit and a racist (“FDNY Honchos Slap EMS Twit,” March 25).

But, it is unclear to me the nature of the crime he committed.

His vile twitter rants are against Fire Department policy, which apparently trumps his First Amendment rights.

These constitutionally protected rants have led to the confiscation of his two — hardly an “arsenal” — legally registered rifles, thereby violating his Second Amendment rights.

Nothing in the story indicated that this man threatened to do harm to anyone.

I know that Gov. Cuomo, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Mayor Bloomberg believe that the legislature has the power to set aside the Bill of Rights, but I thought the repeal of an amendment requires passage by three-fourths of state legislatures.

Be afraid New Yorkers, be very afraid.

Robert Mangi

Westbury

On the same day The Post’s front-page story reported that the EMT was being suspended without pay for his racist tweets, your Page 3 story reported that one of Bill de Blasio’s campaign aides was caught tweeting “f–k the police” and writing of her support for Chris Dorner during his murderous rampage against California police.

The EMT — who is white — was punished by the city. But de Blasio’s aide is black — and was merely asked to take down her Twitter account when the comments were discovered.

Are offensive remarks and racism somehow worse when they come from the mouths of white people?

C. Cassandro

Merrick

According to The Post, the racist Tweeter also had his legally permitted firearms “confiscated” by the police.

I saw no account of his threatening violence.

So now, having racist ideas apparently forfeits a person’s constitutional rights.

I was taught long ago that tolerance meant putting up with ideas you found distasteful, and that the remedy for stupid speech was having a better argument.

Apparently, these are outmoded concepts.

The police will now enforce acceptable viewpoints in the name of “tolerance.”

Do we really want to continue on this path?

Laurence Deutsch

Brooklyn

For all his offensive indiscretion, the “S.O.B” poses no threat to anyone’s freedom.

Bloomberg and his gun-grabbing, surveillance-happy police do.

Bruce Brown

Manhattan

As if we don’t know that there are people who love spewing nasty racial rants.

The EMS worker who admitted to it in The Post said that we shouldn’t bother him “for the safety of my children.”

Well, he should have thought about that before. The people he is talking about have children, too.

Maybe his job should go to someone who respects his fellow men and women.

Then he uses the lame excuse that he’s been under stress.

Nancy Freedman

Bloomfield, NJ

Instead of an important political story, or even a a financial one like the Cyprus wipeout, The Post decides to isolate and highlight racist remarks.

Speech is not so relevant. Does anybody remember the saying about “sticks and stones”?

Political correctness makes us afraid of the truth.

When I was 15, a kid called me a slur and I rubbed gravel into his face. Another older, tough guy called me a name and I ran. We do what we can, when and where we can.

I do believe that Lt. Timothy Dluhos deserves some sort of punishment, but he does not merit a headline of shame.

He is an idiot. At times we are all idiots.

Making Dluhos a star will not change him in his racist heart of hearts.

Who cares? We don’t want to stand on the shoulders of his stupidity. David Lawrence

Manhattan