Hairstylists and others weigh in on canceled Koran burning

I thought this article was interesting, especially since it was from the perspective of people living in Gainesville. My favorite quote was from a 25-year-old Hair Stylist:

"I go back and forth," said Chris Leggett, 25, a hair stylist who grew up in Gainesville and was between customers at Hair Hunters, a mini-mall salon about a mile from the Dove church. Although he said he thinks Jones is "an idiot" for the Koran-burning plan, Leggett found himself in recent days wondering what the big deal was about an isolated incident that the whole community had rejected? A girl he knew burned the U.S. flag right after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and it was a big controversy in Gainesville for a couple days, but it blew over.

"What's the big deal? He might have a point," Leggett said. "We allow people to do whatever they want, why can't he? People do whatever they want to us, burn flags, why can't [Jones] strike back? Why can't we just let him do his thing in the corner?"

Another stylist, 59-year-old Mike Bennett, said he was disturbed that Dove was being presented as a face of Gainesville Christianity. Both men were annoyed to hear chat on talk radio that "makes Gainesville look like a bunch of rednecks," Bennett said.

I'd argue that Pastor Jones wasn't really doing "his own thing in the corner." He was trumpeting the thing far and wide. But Mr. Leggett's remarks are still worth noting in that the formula he uses is the same one that ACLU and other libertine fanatics use to justify many types of subversive behavior. Flag-burning is, of course, the common analogy, and Mr. Leggett provides a personal example. Did the ACLU step up to defend the proposed Koran burning? The answer is yes, but with added remarks of it being ugly, disgusting and vile. I don't know if they do that when they defend flag desecration and gay pride exhibits, but I'm guessing they don't. It's sort of a bonus you get if you're on the same side of the ACLU politically that you don't have to suffer their obligatory derision.