Arrested for Holding Impeach Bush Cheney Sign at NC State Fair

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

Freedom of speech in North Carolina isn't free - you have to buy a "permit".

NC Peace activist Andy Silver was arrested last week-end for holding an "Impeach Bush Cheney" sign at the NC State Fair.

This article seems to try to marginalize Silver, to have you associate him with some sort of rag tag nuts.
They would not want you to know that this man is a highly educated professional who happens to stand up for what he believes in.
(An old concept, but some still remember it).

Photos show fair's most unwanted list

Andy Silver was booted Saturday for carrying a sign that called for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Silver is with the Grassroots Impeachment Movement.

"I was told I can never come back to the State Fair," Silver said.

"They said they needed to expel me because my sign might anger people

and that someone might attack me.
I was told I would be arrested for trespassing and taken to jail if I came back."

Police say Silver got the hook when he refused to give up his sign.

This makes at least the second arrest in North Carolina of persons arrested for displaying "Impeach Bush Cheney" signs.
The other one was Jonas Phillips, arrested after displaying “Impeach Bush/Cheney” sign on overpass this August.


Silver's honesty, integrity and bold excercize of his first amendment rights - frightens the media and journalists of today,
who are muzzled on a daily basis.

Today's media and reporters can only envy this modern day hero, the "every day citizen" who showed more guts in one day by holding a sign at the State Fair then they may collectively demonstrate ever in their entire careers.

If you want to write a letter to the editor of the News and Observer commending Andy Silver and perhaps tell them
that he should be commended for standing up for what he and many others believe, click on this link.


(edited to correct broken links)

[Richard Steele]

1. K&R

[Swamp Rat]

2. This the second thread in GD about this.

GOOD! because it deserves attention!

:kick:

[rusty quoin]

3. Yes, that is a brave man, but the link didn't work.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. thanks, fixed. Andy is my friend. n/t

[rusty quoin]

7. They require so much info and no statement that it won't be public info.

[Usrename]

12. Andy has another friend right here, although I've never met the guy.

:thumbsup:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

5. Arrested for what??? His own protection, right? What BS.

Son, we're going to lock you up and keep you safe from the people who might hurt you?

:shrug: MKJ

[CoffeeCat]

6. So, we no longer have 1st Amendment rights?

This is so scary.

We live in a country where people are arrested for holding
up a political sign.

Doesn't that just scare the shit out of everyone?

It sure as hell should.

[WCGreen]

8. Many people pay to display and promote themselves or their product

at State Fairs...

If everyone else has to pay to get the privilege of getting their message to a paying audience, why shouldn't the guy with a political sign have to pony up as well...

We started back in 1994 promoting the democratic party at our county fair by renting space for the week...

No one told us what we could say just that we had to keep from infringing on other booth space...

We registered voters and passed out helium balloons and did a good job of getting our message out...

All the candidates came to campaign at a certain time...

It was a good thing we had going there...

[RufusTFirefly]

9. He wasn't actually arrested though, was he?

Perhaps you think I'm a quibbling troll. Make no mistake: the First Amendment ramifications are chilling regardless. But I don't think he was actually arrested. He was kicked out of the fair. Facts matter in the reality based community.

[struggle4progress]

10. Slightly off-topic: Anybody have experience trying to do political work at the Fair?

I tried it a few times, something like fifteen years ago and concluded it wasn't really a very promising venue: most folk seemed to be there to ride the rides and stuff themselves with fried twinkies.

Back on track: Of course, it's silly and disgusting that Andy got kicked out. If this had happened earlier, or had become widely known earlier, there might have been time to get the word out and organize a group of folk to wear impeach T-shirts or some such.

[Senator]

11. K&R&Impeach

[CT_Progressive]

13. Man, I would love to have this happen to me!

I sure could use the 7 billion dollars I'd win in my lawsuit!

Oh well, back to work for me, I guess.

[WinkyDink]

14. Proud to say MY fair---Allentown, PA.---had a full display table for "Veterans Against the War",

complete with impeachment items!

[Fly by night]

15. Andy likes to do this sort of thing.

I appreciate his efforts at the NC State Fair. I didn't appreciate him loudly interrupting one of the speakers at the National Election Reform Conference in Nashville in April, 2005 (a speaker who was accomplishing much in the election integrity world) because of a problem Andy was having in North Carolina with a single member of that speaker's organization. I had to ask Andy to cease and desist. He stormed off in a huff, though (since we didn't ban him for life), he was back in the Conference within an hour to hear Cynthia McKinney speak. He also finally spoke with the speaker he had interrupted to learn that her organization allows local autonomy and thus uses tact and persuasion (rather than fiat) to correct problems like Andy referenced. The speaker also offered to intercede to resolve Andy's complaint and concerns.

Had Andy allowed the speaker to answer him when he disrupted the Conference, he would have gotten the same response. Even with that personal experience, however, I will say that I hope the God(dess) continues to bless the hot-heads, even the "inconvenient" ones.

[Wednesdays]

16. "They said they needed to expel me because my sign might anger people

In other news, the Justice Department ordered all left-leaning web sites shut down indefinitely, including Democraticunderground.com, and canceled all shows that host liberal commentators such as Keith Olbermann. "It's for the good of the country," a department spokesman said. "If we let those sites and shows continue, people might become offended and angry..."

[fed-up]

17. thank-you Andy!!! nt

[allisonthegreat]

18. reminds me of the ex-police chief in our city

bothering anti-war activists/marchers after they had a city permit to congregate in a public area...me thinks that is why he is the ex-police chief!

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Is it fascism yet?