Veiled

By Crispin Sartwell

"It's a command of Allah. I veil to obey the Lord," said Sultaana Freeman at a hearing to determine whether she has to allow her face to be photographed in order to get a Florida driver's license.

Meanwhile, a lot of people, including many Muslims, have expressed their skepticism about her approach. The Florida Assistant Attorney General Jason Vail (no relation) argued in court that "this is a public safety issue." Hogwash. No one will feel, much less be, endangered by Ms. Freeman's veiled license.

But even if there were some minuscule issue of public safety, I wonder whether you think the Constitution's provision of religious freedom is subordinate to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' licensing regulations.

In my view, Sultaana Freeman's sincerity is obvious, and her actions are obviously in keeping with the teachings the brand of Islam to which she subscribes.

Indeed, I don't know whether you've lately been put on the typical Bataan death march through the labyrinthin halls of your local DMV. These folks evidently believe that they should be the ultimate regulators of our tiny, pathetic lives. But even in their arrogance, indifference to individuals, and overwhelming stupidity, they might draw the line at the fundamental freedoms that are asserted by the founding document of our republic.