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| Anti-Bush protesters sue Secret Service |
| 2003-09-23 |
| The American Civil Liberties Union (Judicial Arm of the Democratic Party) asked the federal courts Tuesday to prevent the U.S. Secret Service from keeping anti-Bush protesters far away from presidential appearances while allowing supporters to display their messages up close. Care to guess how this will go? The civil liberties group filed the lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania on behalf of four advocacy organizations that claimed that the Secret Service forced them into protest zones or other areas where they could not be seen by President Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney or be noticed by the media covering their visits. And darn it they want to see us! "The pattern we found was at presidential and vice presidential appearances, protesters were restricted to areas where they were out of sight, out of earshot and often out of mind," said Witold J. Walczak, legal director for the ACLU’s Greater Pittsburgh chapter. And this is a bad thing? "Protecting our nation’s leaders from harm is important. Protecting our nation’s leaders from dissent is unconstitutional." Said Secret Service spokesman John Gill: "The Secret Service does not comment on pending litigation. However, we have a long-standing policy of recognizing the constitutionally-protected right of the public to demonstrate and voice their views to their elected officials." Translation: Go F&^* Yourself! The ACLU complaint lists several incidents where protesters were forced to assemble blocks away from where the president or vice president was speaking, while supporters of the administration’s policy could hold their signs up in front of the building. They cited examples across the country, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Columbia, South Carolina; Phoenix, Arizona; Stockton, California; and St. Louis, Missouri. I call that prudent. The plaintiffs are the National Organization for Women; United for Peace and Justice, an anti-war group; ACORN, an advocacy organization for low and moderate-income families; and USAction, an advocacy group that supports universal health care and better public education and opposes the Iraq war and Bush’s tax cuts. Also included are the following groups: Supporters To Unify People Interested Dissidents S.T.U.P.I.D. Lesbians Or Sadists Engaging Radical Statements L.O.S.E.R.S. War Investigators Making Progress and Solidarity W.I.M.P.S. All-knowing Nobodies Usurping the System A.N.U.S. They all have a really really good chance of |
| Posted by:Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) |
| #9 "The ACLU complaint lists several incidents where protesters were forced to assemble blocks away from where the president or vice president was speaking, while supporters of the administration’s policy could hold their signs up in front of the building" eh if true then the secret service rly does not have much of a chance of winning |
| Posted by: Dcreeper 2003-9-23 11:34:58 PM |
| #8 The Secret Service has one primary mission: to protect the President. The people most likely to harbor someone that would harm the president are kept away. And this doesn't make sense because? Shakespeare was right: "First, kill all the lawyers." Start with the whiners that the Anti-Christian Lawyers' Union. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-9-23 8:05:17 PM |
| #7 "Supporters To Unify People Interested Dissidents S.T.U.P.I.D. Lesbians Or Sadists Engaging Radical Statements L.O.S.E.R.S. War Investigators Making Progress and Solidarity W.I.M.P.S. All-knowing Nobodies Usurping the System A.N.U.S." "Students Wildly Indignant About Nearly Everything (SWINE)..." All those are keepers. Don't forget Student Communists and Unified Marxists Behind All Grass-roots Statements (S.C.U.M.B.A.G.S.) Or Freedom-hating, All-protesting, Genocide-loving Students (F.A.G.S.) |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-9-23 7:59:56 PM |
| #6 Visited the Old South Meeting Hall this summer with my family on vacation. As an institution the Old South Meeting Hall (where the Boston Tea Party was begun) has allowed speakers with the most contraoversial and reprehensible viewpoints to schedule speeches. I think that is a very good thing. Nowhere in the pictures that I saw in that historic location did I see evidence that the Old South Meeting Hall was simultaneoulsy scheduled for speeches by groups that violently opposed each other. Civil debate involves speaking, listening deciding. It is doubtfull that these protesters are interested in civil discourse. They are free to publically schedule and hold their own speeches. We are free to attend or not attend their rallies and speeches as we see fit. Most college campi are more than willing to throw unlimited resources and to provide the finest facilites to allow the radicals to speak. I gain insight from hearing public figures speak and answer civil questions. Should I ever want to listen to smelly insane people scream their opinions I will tune in Jerry Springer or COPS. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-9-23 6:11:36 PM |
| #5 Hypocrisy? D'oh! at least spell it correctly when you want to throw it around so loosely. These are the same rules invoked when WJC was pres, dimwit |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-9-23 5:31:31 PM |
| #4 Curious, in this venue when a Republican administration starts impinging on individuals rights & privacy, or allows/promotes businesses to do the same it is wholly acceptable. However if a Democrat suggests doing the same then the last trumpet has sounded. Can anybody out there say "Hypocracy" |
| Posted by: DavidG 2003-9-23 5:20:29 PM |
| #3 protesters were... often out of mind," said Witold J. Walczak, legal director for the ACLU’s Greater Pittsburgh chapter. Careful, Mr. Walczak -- that could be taken as slander... |
| Posted by: snellenr 2003-9-23 5:09:58 PM |
| #2 they have a constitutional right to peaceful protest. They don't have the right to make themselves heard by everyone, especially when their close proximity to adults with weapons is just begging for an incident. For their own safety they should assemble over in that corner, out of the way....and take the giant paper mache "Bush as Hitler" puppets with you, asshats |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-9-23 4:48:06 PM |
| #1 Let's not forget Al Capp's favorite Students Wildly Indignant About Nearly Everything (SWINE)... |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-9-23 4:44:25 PM |