“The effect of the law was to allow the burning of the cross on the lawn…”

Er, no.

The kids violated a city bylaw against burning crosses, and got punished. Then the US Supreme Court ruled that that bylaw was stupid and struck it down. There’s never been another cross burning since, in that well known seat of Klan power, St Paul, Minnesota.

But when has the Canadian Human Rights Commission ever let the facts get in the way of a good story/keeping themselves in business?

And anyway: so?

So some drunk teenagers burned a dinky makeshift cross on somebody’s lawn. They’re idiots and of course they scared and infuriated the people inside the house. Who promptly called the cops. The kids names were in the paper and now everybody knows they’re retarded, plus their criminal records will follow them forever. Good.

Nobody died. No one was injured. No property was damaged unless you count the chairs that involuntarily surrendered their legs in the making of the “cross.”

A really stupid thing went on for a hour, tops, then the bad guys got punished. Too bad they didn’t get shot by the homeowners.

Burning crosses don’t kill people. Laws that ban burning crosses kill people.

No, words can’t kill, either, unless (as Kate puts it so memorably) you think Harry Potter is a documentary…