From: "nu-monet v4.0"
Newsgroups: alt.slack
Reply-To: like.excess@sex.org
Date: Tue, Feb 12, 2002
http://www.counterpunch.org/blair1.html
Criticize Cheney, Go to Jail
Two Days in the Life
of an Environmentalist
By John Blair
Day One
Tonight I was arrested for nothing more than exercising
my rights as a citizen in what I thought was a free
country. Dick Cheney came to my town to stump for one
of the Environmental Dirty Dozen, Indiana 8th District
Congressman John Hostettler.
I had made up a sign which stated, "CHENEY-19th Century
Energy Man." The event was held at the convention center
across the street from Evansville's government center.
I walked down the street with my sign in hand to a
location that I thought would at least be visible to the
people entering the $100 to $1000 event.
As I stood across the street from the people who were
entering the event, I was approached by a plain clothes
policeman. The cop confronted me saying that Protesters
were not allowed in that area. I asked why since it was
clear that everyone but protesters were allowed in the
area in which I was standing. In fact, the whole incident
took place as the public employees who worked at the
government complex walked by without being accosted by
the police at all.
It was clear that I was singled out only because I had
a sign.
In the course of our conversation, several other cops
surrounded the scene, more out of curiosity than anything
else. I surprised myself with my calm demeanor but I will
admit to asking several questions concerning the 1st
Amendment and why others were allowed in the area and I
was not.
The main cop informed me that if I did not go more than
a block away to the area he apparently had just arbitrarily
decided was to be used by protesters, that I would be
arrested. I complied and started to walk away. When I
turned to ask if it was OK to go to the parking lot where
hundreds of people were, either leaving work or arriving
to attend the event, he instructed his uniformed men to
arrest me.
They failed to read me my rights. They even talked among
themselves what the charge should be. Finally they decided
to say it was "disorderly conduct."
An 87-year old man who was standing there with me observed
the whole thing and told the local media how shocked he was
about the whole thing. I was shocked too. I was not in the
least belligerent, although I did ask questions of the
officer who ordered my arrest.
What I was arrested for was exercising my rights, not
necessarily to protest since I had done none of that. No,
this was a preemptive arrest to assure that no one going
to the event would see any protesters let alone hear any
protesters.
I have learned a lot about civil liberties in my years as
a photojournalist and as an environmental activist. I also
understand the need for security, especially for people
like the VP. However, I was singled out simply because I
was carrying a sign that showed my disdain for Cheney.
That is something that certainly falls within the realm of
rights our country's founders fought to attain.
If you can be confronted by a cop simply because you are
carrying a sign, then it won't be long before you will be
subject to arrest for writing a letter to the editor or
speaking out about injustice. If I had been in an area
that was cordoned off or otherwise secured, there may have
been reason to tell me to leave, indeed I may have been
subject to arrest. But none of the people passing by were
confronted by any authority. They did not have a sign
stating their views. They were not exercising their free
speech.
Frankly, I felt as if this must be akin to the silence
that was mandated by the Taliban towards Afghani women.
Events such as this will certainly quell the prospect of
protest of all official actions. I fear, that we have
become just what Osama Bin Laden wanted us to be when he
ordered the attacks on 9/11.
I am going to plead, "NOT GUILTY" when I am required to
go to Court. I will never say anything more accurate in
my life.
Day Two
It was difficult sleeping last night. I stayed awake
questioning whether this was all worthwhile. I awoke
early to make my court appearance on a disorderly conduct
charge. I got to court to find that the prosecutor had
decided that my charges should be increased to a Class A
Misdemeanor called Resisting Law Enforcement instead of
the lesser charge. So now I am facing what could be a
year in jail for my political crime of carrying a sign to
a political event...
--
"YOU BELONG TO US NOW!"
"GET DOWN WITH MY SICKNESS!!"
--Kino Beman, brand name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: P51D
Did he wear condom?
P51D
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: kconvery@ioma.com (The Bishop)
This is the same Web site that published the cock-and-bull story
about the "Green party member and organic grower" who was supposedly
harassed at the airport by National Guardmen she had just finished
harassing. In other words, we can rest assured that this is utter
bullshit.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "nu-monet v4.0"
The Bishop wrote:
>
> This is the same Web site that published the cock-and-bull
> story about the "Green party member and organic grower" who
> was supposedly harassed at the airport by National Guardmen
> she had just finished harassing. In other words, we can rest
> assured that this is utter bullshit.
Now waitasec. Two things in that argument are strained:
1) If she actually *was* harassed, for whatever reason,
even being an asshole, was the story false, or just one-sided?
If the latter, then it's not a lie, just prejudiced.
2) Granted that this tale is told (allegedly) by the arrestee,
I have heard very similar tales told about Secret Service busts
during political events during the previous administration.
Why should they have changed policy now? Hell, one poor
Chicago man got some notoriety by quoting Limbaugh at a Clinton
Town Hall, and had to run for congress before they would drop
the felony charges.
--
"YOU BELONG TO US NOW!"
"GET DOWN WITH MY SICKNESS!!"
--Kino Beman, brand name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: stheno
The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.