Mark Levin loses it

Hard-right commentator Mark Levin lost it Saturday night on his show "Life, Liberty and Levin" on Fox News. He claimed that there are "terrorist-promoting faculty" and "terrorist-linked student organizations" at U.S. universities. He charged that millions of illegal immigrants had coming from terrorist countries and receiving welfare from the government. 

The most unhinged thing that Levin declared on Saturday was that terrorist-influenced groups are chasing Jewish people in our cities as if there is a "Kristallnacht every night." During Kristallnacht, more than 1000 synagogues were burned or damaged, 7500 Jewish businesses were looted, 30,000 Jewish males aged 16-60 were arrests and almost 100 Jews were killed. Has there been even one incident that has approximated a Kristallnacht in this century? 

Further, Levin ranted that nothing was being done about these abuses because people were using the excuse of the First Amendment -- that the propaganda and verbal attacks were protected. Levin then went through a list of unprotected speech (defamation, threats) and included hate speech. I am surprised that Levin doesn't know this, but hate speech is protected by the First Amendment. Hate speech that includes calls for imminent violence or threats to people is not protected, but not hate speech in general.   

Levin, who has programs on both Westwood Radio and Fox News, was chief of staff for former Attorney General Edwin Meese, and then eventually became president of right wing Landmark Legal Foundation, so he should be familiar with First Amendment law. But, Levin has never let facts get in the way of a good narrative.