Immigration T-Shirt Spat at Maryland Mall

By P.J. ORVETTI

“Maryland is in the midst of a debate over whether to follow Arizona in adopting a strict new law on illegal immigration. One thing that shouldn’t be up for debate is whether it is OK to express an opinion about whether such a law would be a good idea.

But the management of Francis Scott Key Mall in Frederick isn’t so sure. According to the Frederick News-Post, mall owner Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust has asked the owner of the Antietam Gallery custom framing gallery to stop selling “Maryland Stands With Arizona” T-shirts out of his shop.

Immigration is a complex issue. Many come to the United States illegally out of desperation, risking a journey that is fatal for some, and taking the least desirable jobs at the lowest pay if they make it.

But nations have the right and the obligation to set limits on immigration — those of Mexico are much harsher than those of the U.S. — and those who have come to the U.S. through legal means are right to be angry by the millions who broke the law to get here.

What is not a complex issue is whether we have a right to talk about it. The mall managers and others who would take offense at Kehoe’s shirts may not like restricting entry into the U.S., but they have a very odd idea about what that same country is all about.

“It’s not about the T-shirt,” Kehoe told the News-Post. “It’s about people being victimized by political correctness and people feeling they are not able to speak the truth about things.”

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Immigration-T-Shirt-Spat-at-Maryland-Mall-103262574.html