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In Vermont, a Raw Attack on Free Speech
American Thinker ^ | 1 Apr, 2022 | John Klar

Posted on 04/01/2022 3:19:25 AM PDT by MtnClimber

The legislature has cooked up a plan to arrest anyone who makes politicians or certain groups feel 'uncomfortable.'

Vermont’s social justice legislators have launched a transparent and illegal assault against free speech liberties.

Vermont’s Senate has amended the state’s assault statute mightily. S.265 seeks to heighten penalties for threatening with the

intent to terrify, intimidate, or unlawfully influence the conduct of a candidate for public office, public servant, election official, or public employee in any decision, opinion, recommendation, vote, or other exercise of discretion taken in capacity as a candidate for public office, public servant, election official, or public employee, or with the intent to retaliate against a candidate for public office, public servant, election official, or public employee for any previous action taken in capacity as a candidate for public office, public servant, election official, or public employee, shall be imprisoned not more than two years or fined not more than $2,000.00, or both.

In other words, Vermont seeks to send citizens to jail for threatening political leaders for twice as long as if they physically assaulted them! Political speech is the very highest and most protected form of free speech in American jurisprudence: Vermont now has more upside down than right side up laws, and the whole bizarre circus is unraveling.

A Shakespearian character famously proclaimed “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Now, under Vermont’s new law, that statement could land someone in jail, especially if one of the faux lawyers in the legislature says they feel threatened – the revised statute will criminalize threats against “groups of people,” possibly even when they aren’t present. These legislators do not seek to shield public servants from unprotected threatening speech, but to intimidate the public for engaging in protected speech that criticizes social justice.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: communism; freespeech; vermont

1 posted on 04/01/2022 3:19:25 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

The left tries to intimidate conservatives.


2 posted on 04/01/2022 3:19:36 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on mycreen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Have 30 people show up and surround them and say “I’m not threatening you, I’m not threatening you...”


3 posted on 04/01/2022 3:23:15 AM PDT by HYPOCRACY (This is the dystopian future we've been waiting for!)
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To: MtnClimber

Neighbors moving to Florida told me yesterday that the State is overwhelmed with refugees from Blue States. I wonder why.


4 posted on 04/01/2022 3:32:57 AM PDT by laconic
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To: MtnClimber

I think it started with the Second Amendment — the right that “shall not be infringed” and the Liberals decided that there were about 10,000 ways in which they could infringe it.

Now they have moved on to the First Amendment. They “shall make no law” and the Liberals have decided that there are about 10,000 ways in which they can make laws to get their political opponents to shut up.

We don’t have a Constitution any more.


5 posted on 04/01/2022 3:36:53 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (It's hard to "Believe all women" when judges say "I don't know what a woman is".)
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To: MtnClimber
They need a safe room.


6 posted on 04/01/2022 3:40:48 AM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: MtnClimber

https://openstates.org/vt/bills/2021-2022/S265/

Above has a link to the text of the bill.

There is wordage in it to provide protection for Constitutionally protected activity and speech.

But since Deep State now decides what that is...


7 posted on 04/01/2022 3:44:17 AM PDT by mewzilla (We need to repeal RCV wherever it's in use and go back to dumb voting machines.)
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To: MtnClimber

Ethan Allen is rolling over in his grave.

So much for the Green Mountain Boys. If thay put up with this, then the fight for Constitutional Republics is OVER!

THIS SHALL NOT STAND!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Mountain_Boys


8 posted on 04/01/2022 4:22:04 AM PDT by Candor7 (ObamaFascism:https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Vermont has had the most liberal gun laws in the country.

It is also the home of the purest democracy in the country; their annual Town Meeting Day.

It has been invaded by New Yorkers and CT refugees in the corridor from Stowe to Burlington. We used to call that “Newhart” Vermont. The rest of the state would rival West Virginia in it poor, rural areas.

But, the state is full of welfare recipients and ner’do wells. The tax structure is horrifying. The schools are not great. If you did not grow up there, it is not a hospitable place to move.


9 posted on 04/01/2022 4:34:03 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: MtnClimber

.


10 posted on 04/01/2022 4:36:54 AM PDT by sauropod (So may we start? When can we start?)
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To: MtnClimber
If the 1st Amendment allows people to burn the American flag (as ruled by SCOTUS) then it also allows me to openly express a wish that psychopaths like Biden,Bella Pelosi,Occasional Cortex (AOC) and others would die in a fiery plane crash.
11 posted on 04/01/2022 4:55:29 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Balloting)
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To: MtnClimber

Bttt


12 posted on 04/01/2022 6:25:37 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there..)
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To: Vermont Lt

Pretty much in a nutshell.


13 posted on 04/01/2022 7:22:12 AM PDT by VTenigma (Conspiracy theory is the new "spoiler alert")
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To: HYPOCRACY

“I’m not threatening you, I’m not threatening you...”
= = =

But two negatives make a positive, so that ends up being a threat.


14 posted on 04/01/2022 7:46:42 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob (My /s is more true than your /science (or you might mean /seance))
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