Police Officer Tramples First Amendment Speech
There are A LOT of good, good polices officers out there. But this officer (in a rather calm and matter-of-fact manner) basically abuses this man’s free speech by forcing him to take down a sign he was holding up at last week’s town hall meeting with Representative Jim Moran in Virginia. Do I think the sign is particularly effective or in good taste? No. But I don’t think the officer had any right to actually ask this man to take the sign down or leave or even threaten arrest. My only sympathy is that the officer was just “doing his job as he was told.” But that still ain’t mean what he does is right:
While I can understand, “just doing his job”, I believe these statements pretty much show his attitude.
If you put it back up, I can charge you with what ever I want.
and best of all
but this is America, “It ain’t anymore.”
Huh?? I understand “different” standards of freedom of speech have been upheld for students, but I don’t understand the point the one man was trying to make about different standards for schools when a public rally is being held there by a political representative. IF this is true, maybe that’s exactly why the representative had the rally there instead of in a public venue.
This really, really disturbs me. I am a resident of Fairfax County and have have lived in northern Virginia for over twenty years, and in all of my dealings with our police here I have found them to be without exception reasonable, courteous, and extremely scrupulous both as to their duties and as to the limits of their authority. Would that all public servants were held to such a high standard.
I very much hope that this officer is disciplined and corrected as to both and that an apology is forthcoming. Anything less would be an unworthy reflection on the excellent force of which he is a member.