Has anybody been hassled by the police for their political views?

[Cascadian]

This is a question I have to ask. A while back I was wearing my "Bush International Terrorist" T Shirt going to the grocery store and this big cigar chomping cop walks by, sneers at me and says "You have a lot nerve wearing that shirt. You ought to be supporting our president!". I just looked at him thinking "Oh crap. What's next?" . He did not do anything else and we parted ways. He muttered something to himself as he walked away. I didn't hear what he said. I am lucky that was the only exchange that came from that. It could have gotten ugly.

I would like to hear from people who have had similar experiences with the cops. Maybe a t-shirt, an anti-bush or pro-Democrat bumper stickers got their ire.

And this is not to paint people in law enforcement with the same brush. Some are good hard working people who follow the rules and do the best they can but there is still a hardcore, right-wing element that permiates the law enforcement profession. Those are the types you have to watch your back for.

Love to hear your stories.

John

[proud patriot]

1. I think they avoid pulling me over

:D I make a great effort to obey traffic laws
and get a good driver discount on my insurance.

a few of my Bumper Stickers ,
"Has Anyone seen my Constitutional Rights?"
"proud to be American"
"Kerry"
"It's The Constitution Stupid"
"Honor Vets Wage Peace"
"TOOL"
"PUNK VOTER"
"NOFX"
"Sublime"
"I don't have to like bush to love my Country"

[Paranoid_Portlander]

4. "I have my attorney on speed-dial."

Actually, I don't even own a car. But that would make a good cop-deflecting bumpersticker (maybe).

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. I have

I got pulled over in early 2002 for having a bumper sticker that says "Like Father Like Son: One Term" and "My President went to Crawford, TX on vacation for two months and all I got was this lousy double-dip recession". Cop pulled me over and lectured me about supporting the President in a time of crisis, then gave me a ticket for being 4 MPH over the speed limit. :eyes:

[Meldread]

3. OMG!

I so would have went to someone higher up in the Police Department about that and if that fails then I'd go all the way to the top. If nothing could be done I would have went public in the local Newspaper, and maybe even file some type of harassment charges against the Cop, just to piss him off.

Next time something like that happens, get a name and a badge number.

[havocmom]

7. Definately! Take it to the top cop AND local press/radio

Anyone in a US military cannot engage in political debate while in uniflrm and I would think most police departments have similar standards. It yours doesn't, time to make noise.

If you are gonna make noise, make LOTS of noise. Take a cue from Embassador Wilson: if you are gonna be a target of bullies, be an extremely visable and well known target. Bullies hate it when their activities get dragged out into the open. They just don't operate well in harsh light.

[Djinn]

10. take it to the press

but I wouldn't bother with referring it to the top cops - they do sweet FA if one of their own beats the crap out of someone, they're unlikely to waste much energy on some over zealous right wing cop spouting his views off, and to be fair to them (to show I'm not blatantly anti-cop) with limited resources they probably shouldn't.

I tend to get left alone these days, maybe because I'm in work clothes more often than not and as a result look pretty conservative but when I was younger we'd get pulled aside a lot - nothing major just constant "what's your name what are you doing stuff" that was probably more to do with genral power tripping than anything else.

Protests are another matter (although I often go to them in work gear too) where there's always a few coppers a bit over eager with the baton twirling, horse charging method of "crowd control".

[havocmom]

14. Always good to go through the proper channels.

Otherwise they end up playing the victim role: We never had any complaints about ***** before? We would have done something had we known...

Several cops in my clan and some, even some at the top are actually good guys. There is a chance one might make headway going through channels. I do feel strongly that it is good to take the press along as a backup to force good cops to clean house if needed. Trust me, good cops want the bad ones out too.

[Djinn]

16. to what outcome

in more extreme cases, where police have been accused of violence, even when they have a record of complaints it's incredibly rare when the cops don't close ranks and generally magistrates etc take the side of the police. And the person that made the complaint finds themselves harrased for months or years by every copper under the sun. In instances of a cop lecturing you for not "supporting the president" what's going to actually happen other than a waste of your own time.

[havocmom]

18. Had a brother in law who helped clean up a police force

There are good guys out there.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

11. You gotta remember,

this is early 2002. Right after 9/11. We were in a total free speech lock down. Who'd have believed that unless there were other such reports? It was my word against a cop's, and guess who was going to win. I guarantee you, not me. So I took my $60-something ticket and went on my way.

[havocmom]

5. Somebody get Pitt in here

You all recall the night a cop was parked outside his apartment, don't you? Think it was after book 1 came out.

[Piperay]

6. Way back during the Raygun years

I had an anti-nuclear bumper-sticker on my car and the cops were always pulling me over for all kinds of little crap that was ridiculous, then when they had me stopped they would look all over the car trying to find something they could really get me for. All the times I was stopped they never could even find anything to give me one ticket for, it was just harrassment. :-(

[Pallas180]

8. Look for the article on 2 ppl arrested for anti-dimson tshirts-Judge threw

the charges out.

Seems the Secret Service had been passing the word to cops -
and this Judge made it clear that there was still a First
Amendment in this country and ordered the Secret Service to STOP
such actitivity.

I think it's prolly important to find that and post it BIG
on its own thread.

Dirty dogs..destroying the Constitution!

P.S. - I'd answer politely with a smile that I support my
country and the Constituion of the United States and any President
who does also....

let the cigar chomping jackboots think about that.

[murielm99]

9. My husband works third shift and stops at a little convenience

store in town every morning after work.

He has a bumper sticker that says "Lick Bush, Beat Dick."

Apparently, someone in the store complained that it was obscene.

We live in the country. A cop followed him all the way through town.
He was careful to stay right at the speed limit.

When he got to the edge of town, he pulled over and stopped. He got out of his truck, and started to walk back to the cop. The cop got out, and told him someone complained. He was laughing really hard.

My husband said the people in the store must have dirty minds. He is just a Democrat, stating his preference.

We got stopped in Wisconsin for speeding, too. We were speeding, probably about 15 mph over the limit. I can't stay the ticket was not legitimate. We were driving my car that has a bumper sticker that says, "Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican."

Funny thing, though. I know my husband has a lead foot, but we go to that part of Wisconsin, and have never been stopped before!

[TryingToWarnYou]

12. Sounds like intimidation to me....

In Texas, that could be considered Official Oppression.

Grab his name, his badge number and write down his comments. Contact his departments internal affairs office, or, if they dont have one, the media.

§ 39.03. OFFICIAL OPPRESSION. (a) A public servant
acting under color of his office or employment commits an offense if
he:
(1) intentionally subjects another to mistreatment or
to arrest, detention, search, seizure, dispossession, assessment,
or lien that he knows is unlawful;
(2) intentionally denies or impedes another in the
exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power, or immunity,
knowing his conduct is unlawful; or
(3) intentionally subjects another to sexual
harassment.
(b) For purposes of this section, a public servant acts
under color of his office or employment if he acts or purports to
act in an official capacity or takes advantage of such actual or
purported capacity.
(c) In this section, "sexual harassment" means unwelcome
sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature, submission to which is made a
term or condition of a person's exercise or enjoyment of any right,
privilege, power, or immunity, either explicitly or implicitly.
(d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor

[goddess40]

13. Trouble with police

Last fall during our weekly antiwar protest one of our group was attacked. We called the police. The one that came said, "We don't have to protect you people." My husband told his friend who is a detective on the local force. The detective went to the Chief of Police who called a meeting of and told the patrolmen they did have to and would protect all protesters.
Over July 4th at our place of protest the city put up a large tomb with flags to signify our fallen troops. During our protest a cop came and said we couldn't be there at that time. One of our protesters who is a vet told him we had permission from the city and the Chief of Police to be there. The cop left saying he would be back. He never returned. You have to call their bluff because most of the time they are lying.

[G_j]

15. yes n/t

[LoZoccolo]

17. Very lightly.

I was out petitioning to get Dean on the primary ballot and these undercover cops were arresting someone by the elevated train station! Anyways, one of them said something like "Go Bush, I'm for Bush!" but it wasn't really agressive or anything. We ended up talking while they're cuffing this guy and he was like "The way I look at it is this...do you believe in 9/11?" and I was like "oh that's such horse shit!" and he actually smiled a little cuz I think he thought it was funny I called him on it right away. We talked a little bit more and it ended in disagreement, but without incident.

[leftofthedial]

19. yes. 1972

Spiro Agnew came to my small, benighted hometown to give a campaign speech (not long before he was sent to prison). This was the biggest thing that ever happened politically in that backwater. I was in high school at the time.

Literally seven of us in the whole frigging town went down to the courthouse where the rally was and protested with signs and a couple of antiwar chants. Probably 3 or 4 thousand people were there. Before the event even got started, the cops rounded us each up individually, put us in squad cars and drove us aimlessly around town until the event was over.