Kim DuToit rant on freedom to protest

A very excellent rant from Kim DuToit regarding the segregation of political protestors: bq. When Bush travels around the United States, the Secret Service visits the location ahead of time and orders local police to set up "free speech zones" or "protest zones" where people opposed to Bush policies (and sometimes sign-carrying supporters) are quarantined. These zones routinely succeed in keeping protesters out of presidential sight and outside the view of media covering the event. bq. When Bush came to the Pittsburgh area on Labor Day 2002, 65-year-old retired steel worker Bill Neel was there to greet him with a sign proclaiming, "The Bush family must surely love the poor, they made so many of us." bq. The local police, at the Secret Service�s behest, set up a "designated free-speech zone" on a baseball field surrounded by a chain-link fence a third of a mile from the location of Bush�s speech. The police cleared the path of the motorcade of all critical signs, though folks with pro-Bush signs were permitted to line the president�s path. Neel refused to go to the designated area and was arrested for disorderly conduct; the police also confiscated his sign. Neel later commented, "As far as I�m concerned, the whole country is a free speech zone. If the Bush administration has its way, anyone who criticizes them will be out of sight and out of mind." Kim's comments are classic: bq. "Protest zones"???? Here's the money quote out of the article: bq. "As far as I�m concerned, the whole country is a free speech zone." bq. Precisely. Now let me tell you why this nonsense sets my teeth on edge. He goes on to issue the following Public Statement: bq. If I feel strongly enough about the actions of any government body that I feel the need to make a public protestation of my opposition, I'll do so. I won't ask permission, and I won't protest where you say I should, nor will I allow you to dictate what I may or may not say. I will protest as I've always done -- peaceably -- so if you wish to prevent me from doing this, do not even think about using violence against me. I may have allowed myself to be arrested once before, but I won't do that again. bq. I represent no physical threat to anyone, no matter how bitterly I may disagree with them, so whatever I say (or write) is about as far as it goes. I'll exercise my First Amendment rights as I do all my Constitutional rights -- responsibly -- and under these circumstances, I bitterly resent any and all attempts by government or its agents to infringe them. bq. However, be aware that if I've faced down the loathsome apartheid goons before, I'm sure as hell not going to be afraid of or intimidated by you, either. I don't care about all your silly reasons for trying to abridge my right to speak, or to assemble peaceably. If I feel that strongly, I will demonstrate my opposition, and there's not a single fucking thing you can do about it. That's my own, personal line in the sand, and it's called the First Amendment. Step over it at your own peril. bq. And a pox on your "free speech zones". Well said!

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This page contains a single entry by DaveH published on January 8, 2004 12:20 PM.

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