FEMA worker ordered home (in handcuffs, for anti-bush t-shirt)

[flatbroker]

Sorry about breaking the rules. I'll take the mod's advice and try again. See link:
http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2004070734

[Lautremont]

1. I particularly like the exhortation

to "buy patriotic gear" in the ad on the second page. If only the Ranks had seen that ad in time!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. From the end of the article

Robert Bastress, a West Virginia University law professor who specializes in civil liberties, questions whether people like the Ranks can be legally prohibited from wearing anti-Bush shirts or buttons.

“Obviously, you have a right to engage in nondisruptive protest,” he said. “If you were legally there, you cannot be asked to leave because of whatever message is on a button or a T-shirt or a hat.”

He said key questions are “whether the was a public forum, whether you were lawfully there and what was the manner in which you were engaging in your expression.”

Event organizers could prohibit signs, designating a place where people could carry signs. “But they can’t make those decisions based on what the content of any sign says.”

[leQ]

11. they never mentioned whether the ranks had tickets or not

wouldn't that have solved the question of tresspassing?

[mongo]

14. Well if they were in there presumably they had tickets.

I wonder if they have a court case for unlawful arrest.

[Hoping4Change]

3. WTF. The outrages just keep piling on.

[snooper2]

4. More great Texans!

Texas is going blue.. okay, it's a dream, but I am seeing more Kerry bumper stickers than Chimpy and Dick boy.

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Shirt or Tresspass?

The story you link says they were arrested for Tresspass and refusal to leave a No Tresspass area. I didn'ty see anything in the story stating it was only concidered tresspass because of the shirts they were wearing.

[Kolesar]

12. The story implies they were "alone" in a "no trespass" area

"On Sunday, Charleston Police Sgt. R.E. Parsons said Nicole and Jeff Rank were in a no-trespassing area and refused to leave."

I suspect that the thugs defined them as trespassing in the ticketed area for wearing a "Hate Bush" t-shirt.

[atreides1]

6. At least now we know

Where the future Gestapo HQ for WV will be located, don't we?

[colonel odis]

7. good move, republicans!

the more they pull crap like this, the better swing voters and moderate republicans will see the bushies for the scum they are.

[snippy]

8. How many times has this happened?

This is the third or fourth story I have seen in the last week about people being arrested for failing to support Bush at one of his appearances. The DNC should be shouting about this. If a democratic president did this the RNC would be calling for impeachment.

[Rose Siding]

9. They were ticketed for tresspass?

At the Capitol while others there weren't? They'll face a world of hassle (like losing their positions!) but that won't stand up.

[Noxmtbnk]

20. It's obvious they are Anti-American...

...therefore, no matter where they are in the U.S, they're tresspassing.

[2Design]

10. the rise of the third reich and people are not listening....

people keep saying this is not like germany...but this is how it begins and it is rising....

[cybildisobedience]

13. let's contact the reporter

The phone number is listed at the end of the article. We should contact him and thank him for reporting this. I called the AP reporter who wrote the story that appeared the other day in a W. Va. paper about a couple taken out of a Bush speech in restraints because they were wearing anti-Bush t-shirts.
She told me I was the only person who called her.
We need to let these few brave reporters who are attempting to get the truth out there that they are appreciated. This particular reporter said Bush supporters were SCREAMING at her because she was interviewing the two individuals who had been removed. They get so much hate and vitriol from that side -- we should at least send some appreciation from ours.

[bullimiami]

15. How many * supporters do you think they arrested.

at Kerry rallies?

None?

[Massacure]

16. I remember seeing something on on of the discovery channels

about the primaries. It was a Dean rally and there was a Kerry supporter right by the stage. Dean called for security and they removed him. Dean made a joke of it after that.

[theHandpuppet]

17. Also note this bit buried towards the bottom...

The White House coordinated the president’s visit to the state Capitol. Organizers described it as a presidential visit, not a political rally. State and federal funds were used to pay for the presidential visit.

WTF!!!!!!!! This is an outrage!!!!

[frankly_fedup2]

18. I would IMMEDIATELY contact John Edwards . . .

and ask him if he knows any good trial lawyers and then I would sure their arses off.

Yep, that would make their position pretty clear!!!

[havocmom]

19. SS #s for tickets and umbrellas now banned / tee shirts not banned

<snip> Those who attended Bush’s speech were required to have tickets that were distributed by various employers in the area and by the office of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

<snip> Those who applied for tickets were required to supply their names, addresses, birth dates, birthplaces and Social Security numbers.

<snip> A two-page document given to ticket holders said they were prohibited from bringing certain items to the event, including: weapons, video-recording equipment, food, beverages, umbrellas, signs and banners. T-shirts, political buttons and lapel pins were not on the list of prohibited items.

[ElementaryPenguin]

21. HOLY SHIT!!!

Didn't we have a friggin' Constitution we used to have to abide by - not so long ago?? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON??? Is it my imagination, or have we already allowed the fascist neocons to steal this country? Would freepers appreciate being arrested for wearing an anti-Kerry or Clinton t-shirt? This door swings both ways!

:wtf:

[cthrumatrix]

22. we now have dress rules and censored media...are thoughts next?

[havocmom]

23. They can get lists of what you are reading so as to guess

what you might be thinking.

Who knew libriarians (putting up posters advising readers the Patriot Act permits borrowed book histories to be searched) would end up as shock toops in the battle to save America? God bless them, everyone.

[llmart]

26. Thank you from a librarian.

Just about every library employee where I work is anti-Bush.

[stickdog]

30. Reading is fundamental. Illiteracy is fundamentalist. (nt)

[llmart]

32. Good one!

We have some fundamentalist families who come in the library and the women have their long skirts (so do the young girls) but they're checking out the bodice rippers like crazy! Can you spell "hypocrisy"? They almost always home school because they don't want their precious little darlings to be sullied by rubbing elbows with the regular kids.

[merci_me]

24. YEE HAW!!!! GO TEXANS!!!

I get so tired of taking hits because I live in Texas, and I'm a yankee to boot! Lots of us were begging the rest of the country in 2000 to PLEASE, look at the REAL record and just listen to how purely stupid Dubya is.

So, now you see a couple of Texans from Bay City escorted away in handcuffs. We warned the country in 2000 and we are still kicking and screaming. THANK YOU, Nicole and Jeff Rank, Bay City, Texas for going up north and making a statement. Bet you had no idea how many people would know about that little t'shirt.

[Laughing Mirror]

25. Important story. Needs national attention.

Pass it around to people you think may be able to use it in some way. Excellent piece of reporting.

[geniph]

27. I can't help but suspect

that the whole charge of "trespass" is because they weren't in the designated "free speech gulag" but were in the general area with everyone else. Now, everyone knows we can't let the petulant little fratboy see any protesters - he might blow a gasket and drop the F-bomb on mike, and we can't have that, now can we?

This is sick, just sick. Do I still live in the United States of America, or am I in Ceaucescu's Romania?

[NNN0LHI]

28. The terra-ists hate us for our freedoms. Yea, sure n/t

[Emillereid]

29. I recently returned from the mountain area of North Carolina where I met

a woman who told me that this kind of suppression of alternative political views is rampant. She told me that a professor of 15 years was booted out of a local community college for daring to have different views (democratic) -- the stress of the event apparently killed the man. She also said that when she had worked for the social services she was told that if she wanted to keep her job she would keep her party affiliation to herself -- she is a democrat! When being a democrat in America is grounds for job dismissal I think this country has already crossed the rubicon into fascism!

[stickdog]

31. Irony Alert!

From the very speech Bush gave that day:

On this 4th of July, we confirm our love of freedom, the freedom for people to speak their minds, the freedom for people to worship as they so choose. Free thought, free expression, that's what we believe. But we also understand that freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.

Funny, I always thought the United States was a First Amendment Zone:

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0125-02.htm

[Judi Lynn]

33. Simply unbelievable. HOW can they justify the handcuffs

in this situation? Something is wildly wrong.

Thanks for the article.

[wackywill]

35. When they haul

Chimpy and F*** Boy away on Jan 21st I hope they put those handcuffs on rrrrreal tight.

[screembloodymurder]

34. When the justice system fails to apply equal justice under the law

it's time to take to the streets.

[Lisa0825]

36. Just plain scary.

:scared:

[wishlist]

37. N. C. Republican Social Security manager said bumper stickers not allowed

She told a recently hired employee that political bumper stickers are not allowed on their cars (knowing that most employees there are Democrats and will be putting Kerry/Edwards stickers on their cars- some already have!) They are federal employees and park in a privately owned parking lot. Hatch Act and union regs clearly state that that this is allowed since it is outside the workplace. This long time manager knows better but was trying to intimidate a new employee.

Fortunately the older union affiliated employees set it straight! These employees are sick and tired of having to look at the huge portraits of Bush and Cheney in their office since 2001. No other Administration has ever issued such a huge portrait of the Pres or any portrait of the VP before to be hung in Social Security offices.