A political arrest?

This courtroom sketch shows Nakoula Basseley Nakoula talking with his attorney Steven Seiden, left, in court Thursday Sept. 27, 2012. The U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal on Thursday determined the California man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that inflamed parts of the Middle East is a flight risk and ordered him detained. (AP Photo/Mona Shafer Edwards)

We have freedom of speech in America. The GOVERNMENT cannot go after an ordinary law-abiding citizen for speaking or even for making a film that sends demonstrators on a rampage against US embassies.

But freedom of speech doesn’t protect you from every consequence of exercising that freedom.

So on Thursday, Mark Basseley Youseff, alias Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, alias Sam Bacile, the producer of the “Innocence of Muslims” was arrested in Los Angeles and denied bail.

He was arrested for violating the conditions of his parole after serving time for check fraud. Among the conditions was that Mr. Nakoula, or Youssef or Bacile, or whatever his name is, not use an alias, AND not use the Internet for five years.

But as all the reports point out:

“His arrest has noting to do directly with the film.”

Nothing to do with the content of his movie:

“He is on his way back to federal prison because he violated eight different segments of his probation when he pleaded guilty to frauding banks and numerous individuals,” said another report.

But it’s not about the movie. Because in America, as long as it doesn’t involve kiddie porn, you can make any kind of insulting movie you want, and while the critics may savage you, the government can’t touch you.

I just want to point this out because as the reporters have also told us:

“There are many people around the world who will be watching to see what happens.”

And the world needs to understand that we do not have political prisoners here. We are not a nation that arrests people for bad films. We do want the world to understand that. Right?

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