Freedom of Speech - What Happened?

[theyeti]

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0617-02.htm

Mauricio Rosas had gotten a fistful of tickets to the June 4 Bush rally by simply requesting them at the Legends Field box office. The event at the publicly financed stadium had been publicized as open to any member of the public who wanted tickets, and Rosas said he was handed tickets with no questions asked about his political beliefs or affiliations.

On the day of the event, as he and his friends walked toward the stadium entrance with protest signs written on letter-size paper, a Tampa city police officer called out: "You can't go in there with those signs." But since he knew his First Amendment rights, Rosas said, he just kept on walking. Inside, on the stadium field, his small sign reading "June is Gay Pride Month," was dwarfed by the sea of large pro-Bush signs. Still, he and his friends kept their signs raised.

This is where the news footage picks up: Rosas and his friends are nearly surrounded by pro-Bush ralliers with whom they are engaged in heated conversation -- something to be expected for counterprotesters. Then, a Tampa police officer arrives, and a man in a business suit with no discernable authority directs the officer to the three counterdemonstrators by pointing and saying, "This one, this one and this one." According to Rosas, the suited man told him, "Get rid of the gay sign, take a Bush sign and you can stay."

Also on the tape, which is full of jostling and was periodically interrupted by Bush supporters thrusting their signs directly in front of the camera lense, a Tampa police officer can be seen calling for backup and telling the counterdemonstrators if they get rid of the signs they can stay. No one with a pro-Bush sign is similarly confronted. As they are arrested, Rosas says the crowd taunts them by chanting, "We don't want queers here."

http://madison.indymedia.org/feature/display_printable/17662/index.php

When I heard about the Bush rally in La Crosse Wisconsin I thought it would be a great opportunity for my children to be able to see the President. I was able to get five tickets so three of my kids were planning on going, along with Tyler who was one of their friends. One of my children had the great idea of making a t-shirt for each of us to wear into the rally. There was nothing anti-Bush on any of our shirts, instead the slogans expressed our views of the war in Iraq. Tyler used his shirt to express his pro-Bush feelings. I gave each of my children and Tyler a disposable camera to use before we tried to go to the Bush rally and suggested that they take pictures of anything that interested them.

I had been in line with four children to go see President Bush. I was wearing a white tshirt underneath a black button down shirt and when the lady who was checking IDs saw the white collar, she asked me to unbutton my shirt. I did and as soon as she saw the writing on the tshrt, she hollered for security. The guy who is shown in the blue and green jacket came over and grabbed the tickets from my hand. He looked at my shirt and asked how did I get tickets these tickets. I told him from the LaCrosse Republican Party headquarters. He said "We don't want people like you here and ripped my tickets in half. The children with me included Jacob-14, Matthew-12, Billy-9, and Tyler-12. Tyler was very upset because he was wearing a tshirt to support Bush and really wanted to get into see the president. Jacob was planning on writing about the presidential visit for an extra credit project and Matthew and Billy wanted to see him just for the experience.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=4&u=/ap/20040705/ap_on_el_pr/bush

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Defending the war in Iraq (news - web sites), President Bush (news - web sites) said on Independence Day that America is safer because Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) is in a prison cell.
...
Two Bush opponents, taken out of the crowd in restraints by police, said they were told they couldn't be there because they were wearing shirts that said they opposed the president.

OK, I'm really curious now. Am I just overreacting? Is this not like the 60s and 70s where you had to be arrested to make your point about civil rights? Is this not like China where you are arrested for simply stating you are pro-democracy?

I'm not that old, and I wasn't around for the civil rights movement or Vietnam or Tiennamen Square. But am I on okay footing with this?

[CuriousG]

Those were harsh reactions, but I'm sure the argument is going to be made that these people were removed for their own safety. I think it's admirable to display your opposition at such a rally, but remember mob mentality. It's almost asking for trouble, especially when bringing your children there. I don't think that was very bright on the part of the father to have him and his children wear anti Bush apparel to a pro Bush rally. While they are expressing their rights according to free speech, he knows regardless of his words or actions, he can't be responsible for the reaction of all the pro-Bush people that are going to be there. Just my opinion though. However, I agree that these are definitely free speech infringements.

[theyeti]

Good point about safety. Having the kids take part probably wasn't too smart. But also, the people who actively counterdemonstrate like that are probably going to know the risks going in - and if they get assaulted, it's not as if the other person can claim "but he disagreed with me!" as a defense.

[mec]

I remember that the Clinton Town Hall meetings were pretty well controlled too. The various protestors were kept well away from the main event.

[mec]

http://snopes.com/politics/religion/denton.asp
Vietnam War Hero deemed too counterrevolutionary for California Assembly.
The Urban Legend site generally stays away from anything that portrays the democratic party in a negative light but they sure did expose this one.

[theyeti]

Sounds to me like the entire session was cancelled, not just Denton's part in it.

The Democratic leadership refused to allow him on the Assembly floor and there will be no 4th of July celebration.
...
I told the [Washington Times] reporter that we passed a resolution honoring the holiday, which was, in and of itself, a significant change from Assembly sessions of the past few years.
I then noted that though the original ceremony that was to include Mr. Denton was indeed cancelled, there was a possibility that we could still have a ceremony honoring the holiday later in the week, but still prior to the actual July 4 holiday.
I then noted that the holding of such a ceremony was contingent upon the budget situation being resolved.
The budget situation has not yet been resolved and so the additional event was not held.

It says that he was only supposed to be "a part" of a 4th of July celebration, so there were probably others that were snubbed as well.

[mec]

it sounds like there might have been others but he is targeted as being uncommitted to separation of church and state:
"The Democratic leadership refused to allow him on the Assembly floor and there will be no 4th of July celebration. A memo from the Democratic speaker's office said "problems have arisen both with regards to the spirit, content and participation of various individuals with regard to the ceremony." Apparently, they said that he did not believe in the "separation of church and state" and they didn't like the policies he supported as a United States Senator and therefore they would not allow him to be on the Assembly floor or to speak. "

The Scopes for today references a rumor that President Bush repeatedly said "Feces" instead of "Fetus" in a recent speach. They deemed that story False.

Urband Legends is either getting fair and balanced or has become a reactionary running dog of republican imperialism.