Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Jon Green, noting hateful responses to the Board of Supervisors’ World Hijab Day proclamation on the County Facebook page, rejects intolerance and hate speech and releases the following statement.

“The First Amendment protects people from being censored by the government, among many other great and important things. One protection it does not offer, however, is freedom from consequence.

“For those who are posting vile, Islamophobic, misogynist comments on our recent World Hijab Day proclamation, I hope your conduct causes you shame and embarrassment from your friends, family and coworkers. I hope social pressure causes you to rethink your ways.

“I am proud of the many proclamations the Johnson County Board of Supervisors adopts throughout the year. These public statements of our values show, week in and week out, our commitment to a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible community.

“Proclamations recognizing the many groups in Johnson County that add to our diversity highlight the important contributions every resident brings to share with us all, including Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab. Indeed: that is their first amendment right, and I will work to protect it with as much vigor as I will protect the right of trolls on Facebook to be idiot chuds.”