People arrested for reading the Constitution

[ajk19]

It’s one thing if the rules are made clear (as they are here), but in a public place such as that, as far as I know there are no such rules. So in that case, free speech is being taken away best I can tell.

Why would it be a big deal anyway, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay any attention to it then. If they’re being forceful about it, like constantly mentioning it to you, even if you’ve made it clear you aren’t interested, then perhaps that’s another matter.

 

[gilliam]

It’s one thing if the rules are made clear (as they are here), but in a public place such as that, as far as I know there are no such rules. So in that case, free speech is being taken away far as I can tell.

I think Code Pink knows the rules about holding rallies and protesting in Washington DC. They have been doing it for years. In their case, ignorance cannot be claimed as an excuse.

 

[ajk19]

Wasn’t referring to that, was referring to the Ron Paul incident.

 

[Thekla]

Sounds like mostly sound advice to me…other than the “carrying signs” comment.

I really dislike it when people are shouting each other down and disrupting other people’s events.

What about these people? Wasn’t it their event too? “two people arrested for refusing to cover their anti-Bush T-shirts at a Fourth of July speech at the West Virginia State Capitol in 2004.”

What did they do wrong? Wear t-shirts? It was on the 4th of July and outside on the grounds of the WV State Capitol. Is there no place safe for free speech anymore?

I’d hate to think of you, Robert, as part of some sort of “rally squad.” Politicians ought to have to take it from whoever wants to dish it out. Otherwise, we are just letting them become spoiled, soft, and prissy.

 

[Melissa]

Well, based on the video alone (I’m trying to find a reputable article about the event), there was a “pro-war rally”, including Senator Lieberman and Senator Graham, and the protestors of this rally were warned that signs and assembly were okay but people who disrupted the rally with boos and loud reading would be arrested.

The Code Pink people were trying to drown out the speakers. They were arrested. Big whoop.

Shouting people down is a method that groups like Code Pink employ to try to deprive people they disagree with of their free speech. I think such action is deplorable, whatever side of the debate it comes from. Civil debate is encouraged…not shouting people down or drowning them out.

Thanks for tracking down more info. This answers the questions that the video raised as to what had actually happened before.

And ajk19–the baiting, IMO, comes from the tone of voice which just oozed belligerence. Those who were arrested know full well that they were not being arrested ‘for reading the Constitution’ but for creating a public disturbance by means of loudly reading off the Constitution in an effort to keep others from being heard.

To treat the Constitution as a weapon to silence others by shouting over them is deplorable. As I tell my own children–being capable of reading is not enough, you must understand what you read. Code Pink apparently needs to learn that same elementary-school lesson.

Permits are required for purposes of maintaining public order, not to silence anyone (that’s why anyone who follows procedure can get one, including neo-Nazis, KKK, a plethora of others with whom I am in vehement disagreement as well as those groups with whom I agree.

 

[didymus]

Ok I can sort of see why they may have been arrested, if they were asked to keep quiet and all this. But let me ask you, since when do you need an actual permit to protest somewhere (as mentioned in the article)? I think that’s ridiculous.

Any lawyers present please correct me but I think the gov’t is allowed to enforce “time, place & manner” restrictions on demonstrations as long as they are not overly burdensome and are applied fairly to all.

Thus permits are okay as long as the gov’t isn’t granting them to one side & refusing them to another. It’s also for security reasons – requiring protesters to remain a certain distance from the White House, Capitol or wherever. IMO, this has been abused of late, restricting demonstrators to “free speech zones” * far away from the event they are protesting.
*