Cheers as McCain Supporter Arrested
Here’s your free speech. Here’s to America.
I didn’t support McCain or Obama, but if this is what we can expect for speaking out against the “President of the World,” then I’m not at all excited for the future of this country.
Tags: 1st Amendment, America, Free Speech, Future, McCain, Obama, Police, Police State, President, Protest, Rally, US, YouTube
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Free speech gone? Really?
How was this video obtained? No officer appeared to prevent or destroy the showing or taping of the entire incident.
While I don't support the rough attitude of the officers, one has to question rather they actually protected or hassled this mccain supporter.
There's too much this video doesn't show. Like what was the man doing before it cuts to the scene with police talking to him. I agree with common sense though: who wouldn't expect what appears to be a predominantly black area of Philadelphia to be ecstatic and practically in riots after the historic election of the first black president? Also, who would seriously think it safe to go into such a crowd as a white man with mccain shirt, effectively saying screw you guys. In dealing with riots, hasn't safety always come first over free speech?
See definition of disturbing the peace:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disturbing_the_peace
“or using offensive words likely to incite violence.”
The camera man is also heavily biased. He asserts, without offering any evidence, that the celebrating crowds are behind a conspiracy to stage a “post-modern coup.” Are you implying that the election was a fraud?
No, no, no, no. Andy is right on this one. That man is a white American and should be able to walk down the street wearing whatever kind of shirt he pleases on whatever street he wants on whatever night it happens to be. Are you two so blind you can’t see that? What, are those your sunglasses you have on? Well, take them off! Have a gander at what is going on here. If you want to wear a shirt with, I dunno, freakin’ ducks on it, that’s your right! The Gestapo shouldn’t have to show up just because you’re doing so!
What’s next? A man gets arrested for taking a piss on the sidewalk? If so, well, I’m not excited about the future of this country either.
I can't watch this video right now, but I'm pretty sure no one said anything about white entitlement, Daisy.
You're right on the fact that the government's job isn't to protect us from our own free speech. If the guy has the balls to wear the shirt (which wasn't racist, btw) then let him. If he was attacked do you blame the victim? Apparently others feel that way because he was attacked by the police and carted away - yet they blame the victim.
Precisely Andrew, precisely! Do you remember Die Hard 3? When Bruce had to wear the sign in Harlem around his neck to appease the terrosit? The government didn’t step in to protect him! He was just a bad-ass motherf****r who took care of his himself. That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout! That’s how it SHOULD be. Why can’t everyone just see? Ugh.
And, another point, you’re right that the shirt wasn’t racism. Of course, ALL WORDS CANNOT BE RACISM!!! That’s what people do not understand anymore. Words are just words! Either ink on paper, or breaths escaping your body. Racism is hitting someone with a baseball bat. That, my friends, is what racism is. It’s wrong, and it shouldn’t happen. What happened here was not racism. No one was hit with a baseball bat, or any other sort of object.
Of course we all know how this ends:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112864/plotsummary
Anyway, yeah the disturbing the peace provision does say we blame the 'victim' provided the 'victim' is stupid: ie: doing things to endanger their own well being or that of others.
What exactly are you even trying to say here?
The point I’m making, Ryan, is (maybe slightly off topic, but it’s a good segue) that many people on this site (like you, AliciaO, Common Sense) don’t understand the root of what “racism” *is*. My grandfather was a terrible, terrible racist. On Friday and Saturday nights he was never at home when my dad was a kid. Rather, he was out beating people with bats and sometimes with a lather belt if he was wearing a tighter pair of pants. Obviously, I am not proud of this. This is like a urine stain on my families history. But he was a product of his time, and back then that sort of behavior was tolerated, and even considered normal.
Anyway, my point is that when people SAY things, that isn’t racism. Air escaping from your lungs cannot pick up your grandfathers leather belt and beat you with it, now can it? Once you grasp this (very basic) concept we can continue this discussion like intelligent adults with some “common sense”…
Words can be racism. Actions can be racism.
Wow, I don't even know where to start here Ms. Yang or how to react. Maybe I'll reference one of Andy's other articles:
http://riseuprochester.org/2008/08/22/how-to-de...
Seriously are you on drugs?
I am on *some* prescription meditation from my hysterectomy, but I don't at all see how that is relevant to what we are discussing here. The point is you still don't understand what RACISM IS. And, I'm sad to say, as much as I usually agree with everything Andrew says verbatim, I don't think he fully grasps the concept either. He certainly has a better idea than you do, sir, but I think I need to help him along a bit further.
Andrew, explain to me this. If racism can be words in addition to actions (a point I am NOT (NOT, NOT, NOT) conceding mind you (conceding is bullshit, BTW. No one should ever concede things unless faced with the threat of death)) HOW can those WORDS (those simple bits of AIR from your LUNGS that before you formed them into “meanie words” were just gas in your belly possibly next to lunch your mom made for you in your lunch pail) pick up 2x4 and beat your skull in? Beat in ANYONE's skull of ANY race? AIR CANNOT BE RACIST!!!!!!
If you can adequately explain that psychics of that to me, sir, I will have conceded this point (and THAT will be a first for me). I respect your views beyond these others, and I eagerly await your reply!
You have a severely warped sense of judgement. Could someone please sort Ms. Yang out here? As a first step I'd recommend reading this:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/discrimination
In this world it would be impossible to prove that free speech is gone.
If the camera gets busted this claim of a violation of free speech would just be hearsay and discarded. Somehow, if the camera survives, then free speech wasn't violated?
Websites, websites, websites. Doesn't anyone read BOOKS anymore? I'm sure Andrew DOES. Well, if you take the actual TEXTBOOK (see also: a book with text) definition of racism it states it clearly. I'll copy this word for word for you from my edition of “Newbury-Swanson: The English Language- 2007 Edition”:
“Racism: the practice of commiting voilent acts towards someone of another race (see, also RACE).”
And this is from an actual BOOK. OK? A BOOK! Do you know what those are, Ryan? Do they have those in whatever crackden you're living in?
Exactly! We need to start *destroying the cameras* of those making the documentarys to prove this point! I know it sounds insane, but it's for the greater good. If we destroy their cameras, they'll cry censorship, and then our point stands. Yes, Andrew, I am with you!
You are NOT with me. You are a provocateur. I don't know who you are or why you're trying to set us up here, but NOBODY is suggesting any type of property destruction on this site. Notice the slogan at the top of the page.
You will be banned from commenting if you continue to incite this kind of activity.
No, you are completely misunderstanding me. I am peaceful, and never for violence. I am a WOMAN, and I don't like violence in the streets. That's my POINT.
We're losing the point here. The end point is that freedom of speech is not gone. Absolutely, if I were a cop and saw this situation, especially since the guy is carrying a sword (the video taper SUGGESTS it is a plastic toy sword), I would get worried.
Clearly, the man was trying to incite violence and was also carrying a weapon. Why would I not want to jump in and prevent this? Notice the police didn't ask him to take off his shirt, just to leave the area.
NO! You are ABSOLUTELY WRONG! So wrong it hurts my grandmother! So WHAT if the man was carrying a samurai sword, plastic or not? It wasn't out, and he wasn't threatening anyone with it. It was stored in his shirt, which is the proper way to store samurai swords (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/499107/hattori_ha...). He may have been on his way home from his job at a Sushi restaurant, and this happened to be the part of town he lives in. EXCUSE HIM FOR NOT VOTING THE SAME WAY AS EVERYONE ELSE AROUND HIM, AND BEING PROUD OF IT! THAT'S WHAT FREE SPEECH IS, LOOK IT UP (http://www.freespeech.org/fscm2/genx.php?name=home).
If I'm walking down the street in my McCain shirt on Conkey Ave with a pocket knife (not a switchblade, but a regular SwissArmy knife), does that make me dangerous? This man is the picture of mental stability (http://www.moe.org/diary/images/Photo%20Library...). The facist Gestapo-esque police officers probably got a message from Führer Obama himself to tie this man up. In fact, IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE HE IS STILL ALIVE?
You're in kind of a conundrum here, posting an article about freedom of speech, yet removing user comments?
Free speech may not be dead in America, but it sure is on riseupRochester.org. My comments on the board that is lamenting the death of free speech are being censored for being different than that of the moderator. I'm going to submit my thoughts on this subject (and on what is clearly a sham of a website in general) to the D&C, and get their opinion…
Free speech may not be dead in America, but it sure is on riseupRochester.org. My comments on the board that is lamenting the death of free speech are being censored for being different than that of the moderator. I'm going to submit my thoughts on this subject (and on what is clearly a sham of a website in general) to the D&C, and get their opinion…
To correct Ryan's misconception about the event, this was NOT a predominately black area of the city. This was right in front of City Hall, in the middle of downtown Philadelphia, in a business/commericial not a residential district.
It may have been a different story if he had gone in their neighborhood to taunt them, however since this was “neutral ” territory, he had every right to be there as they did.
To correct Ryan's misconception about the event, this was NOT a predominately black area of the city. This was right in front of City Hall, in the middle of downtown Philadelphia, in a business/commericial not a residential district.
It may have been a different story if he had gone in their neighborhood to taunt them, however since this was “neutral ” territory, he had every right to be there as they did.
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