LTTE: Shedding a Shirt and Some Rights

[UpInArms]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49310-2003Oct31?language=printer

On Oct. 25, the current erosion of civil liberties in the United States affected me personally. After attending the antiwar rally on the Mall, my daughter, granddaughter and I decided to go to the food court at the Ronald Reagan Building. As we passed through the security checkpoint at the building entrance, a guard politely informed me that I'd have to put away my poster, which read, "End the Occupation of Iraq." I had no problem with that, so I rolled up the poster and stashed it in my tote bag.

I also happened to be wearing a T-shirt over a turtleneck. The shirt is red, with "Unite to Fight Imperialist War" printed in 3/4- inch black letters, arranged in a seven-inch circle around an image of two clasped hands - - one white and one black. On the back, it says "No Imperialist War" in 19 languages. It was when the guard informed me that I'd have to remove my T-shirt that the exhilaration of the day faded. I explained that, in wearing the shirt, I was exercising my right to freedom of speech as guaranteed to U.S. citizens under the Constitution. He said he understood that, but that I had to remove my shirt before he could allow me to enter the building. Not wanting to involve my daughter and granddaughter in a scene, feeling sickened, I removed my shirt.

...more...

[TreasonousBastard]

1. But...

"they hate us for our freedom."

[ithacan]

3. but the "they" are the right wingers in our own country...

ironic ain't it

[ccinamon]

2. here's the correct link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49257-2003Oct31.html

[benfranklin1776]

4. More repression from the keepers of the new BFEE police state.

Nothing like a little suppression of speech to honor the constitution. Content based herding of protestors into first amendment zones, now blatant suppression of constitutionally protected speech on federal property. Couple that with scripted press conferences and a deliberate effort to dictate content of network programming (Make Ronnie beatified or run a disclaimer) and it shows that there is no limit to how far these people will go to suppress political speech and suppress speech they do not like. It is definitively time for a court challenge to the antispeech policy of the building while we still have a first amendment.