When King George travels, liberties suffer

The Capital Times ^ | May 13, 2004 | John Nichols

[freeeee]

The King made a royal visit to Wisconsin last week, and as is common when monarchs travel, individual liberties were suspended.

King George Bush's bus trip across western Wisconsin closed schools and roads, prevented residents from moving freely in their own communities, and prevented citizens from exercising their free speech rights.

All in all, it was a typical George W. Bush visit.

But there's a slight twist.

People in western Wisconsin, who hold to the refreshingly naive notion that they live in a republic as opposed to an imperial realm, are objecting.

"There's a pattern of harassment of free speech here that really concerns me," says Guy Wolf, the student services coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. "If they're going to call it a presidential visit, then it should be a presidential visit - where we can hear from him and he can hear from us. But that's not what happened here, not at all."

Wolf and other La Crosse area residents who wanted to let the president know their feelings about critical issues came face to face with the reality that, when King George travels, he is not actually interested in a two-way conversation.

Along the route of the Bush bus trip from Dubuque to La Crosse, the Bush team created a "no-free-speech" zone that excluded any expressions of the dissent that is the lifeblood of democracy. In Platteville, peace activist Frank Van Den Bosch was arrested for holding up a sign that was critical of the president. The sign's "dangerous" message, "FUGW," was incomprehensible to children and, no doubt, to many adults. Yet, it was still determined sufficiently unsettling to the royal procession that Van Den Bosch was slapped with a disorderly conduct ticket.

Up the road in La Crosse, the clampdown on civil liberties was even more sweeping. Wolf and hundreds of other Wisconsinites and Minnesotans who sought to express dissents were videotaped by authorities, told they could not make noise, ordered not to display certain signs and forced to stand out of eyesight of Bush and his entourage. Again and again, they were told that if they expressed themselves in ways that were entirely protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, they would be "subject to arrest."

"Everyone understood the need for basic security for the president, but none of us could understand why we had to give up our free speech rights," explained Wolf.

La Crosse Mayor John Medinger shares that concern. The Bush-Cheney campaign leased a portion of a local park where the royal rally was held. Yet, Wisconsinites who wanted to protest Bush's visit were told they could not use a sound system in a completely different section of the park.

"I want to find out why the whole park was used when only a portion was leased," Medinger told the La Crosse Tribune. "So when demonstrators were told they couldn't have (sound) systems, the question is why."

The Bush-Cheney campaign paid a $100 fee to use one part of the park, but disrupted much of the city. Medinger is now assessing the full cost of the royal visit and hopes to deliver a bill to the campaign, which State Elections Board attorney George Dunst says the Bush campaign should pay. Other communities, including Prairie du Chien, are looking at following Medinger's lead.

But the challenge should not just be a financial one. The Bush visit attacked First Amendment rights up and down the Mississippi. A lot of people are owed apologies.

In a monarchy, of course, the King never apologizes. But in a democracy, the president is supposed to be accountable to the people.

By pressing demands that the charges against Frank Van Den Bosch be dropped and that the White House and the Bush-Cheney campaign apologize for participating in an anti-democratic endeavor, residents of western Wisconsin can, and should, take up the cause of this country's founders. It is time once more to challenge a King named George.

Caption: President Bush waves to crowds from his campaign bus as he passes through Prairie du Chien last Friday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

[Protagoras]

I did, later in the post. Read the whole thing.

It was hard to wade through the whole inane thing but I managed. I'm glad you didn't imply that anyone on FR did that. But then again, there is no proof that they didn't so I guess we must assume they did. Isn't that how you do it? LOL

[gdani]

got any court cases that say the other side can be moved only so far? Didn't think so.

Uh, yeah.

Are you aware of the most recent ruling in the Martha Burk/Masters Tournament protest case in the 11th Circuit?

Here's a clue: It wasn't the first case of it's kind.

[Protagoras]

but you're perfectly willing to assume the person was arrested for no reason outside of his sign.

I'm willing to assume you haven't committed murder unless someone can make a case to the contrary. You haven't have you? :^}

[freeeee]

Thanks so much for the picture.

You have just dispelled the notion that protesters holding signs pose a security risk.

[Dane]

But there is a growing number of people who think every time their ability to be heard is impeded it must be a First Ammendment violation

Not according to this thread. You and freeee are being ridiculed for praising the writngs, of this leftist hate America writer, but you two still keep on posting.

I will let lurkers on this thread make up their own minds.

[gdani]

....it's perfectly in line with 200+ years of jurisprudence on the subject.

Well, considering the Supreme Court didn't start addressing the free speech component of First Amendment until the early 20th century, that's quite a surprise.

[discostu]

Gosh for a guy that warns other people about not making personal attack you sure do resort to insults a lot. There was nothing inane about that post. And don't worry Protagoras if I want to accuse you of being a whining simpleton with no understanding of the Constitution I won't imply I'll say it (which I didn't, not even just now, that would be rude and uncalled for).

[Hacksaw]

Yes, I know free speech and assembly aren't important to you.

Not your version, apparently.

[HenryLeeII]

Well, given the Left's penchant for violence (John Kerry's admitted war crimes; their gleeful support of murdering children; Ted Kennedy's L'Affaire Chappaquiddick; Pete Stark's demented attacks and threats; the "mulch-assault" committed by Wanda Baucus recently; the anti-Semitic murders instigated by Al Sharpton; the murder of 55,000 Americans in Vietnam and 87 more in Waco; etc.), and their treasonous statements over the past decades, and accelerating in rate and viciousness in recent months/years, I think its only wise that the Secret Service take such precautions.

Besides, this isn't different than security for any other presidential visit in the post-Kennedy, post-Squeaky Fromme, post-Hinckley world. When Dwight Eisenhower visited Mount Vernon during his presidency he and two agents stood in line to visit the house. Sadly, our world is different now, and due in no small part to the coddling of criminals and the divisiveness perpretrated by the Left.

[discostu]

You mean where Martha Burke and six of her dyke friends held a protest and nobody cared? What was the court case, come on present some facts.

[gdani]

What was the court case, come on present some facts.

I think you're quite capable. http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/ops/200311756.pdf

[discostu]

Talk about a strawman, funny but the more of your posts I read the more you act like exactly what you keep accusing other people of. Your posts are rude, inane and obtuse, you errect strawmen, and you find it impossile to stick to the point. Come back with a copy pof the police report that says the guy got arrested for holding a sign, otherwsie you're just making assumptions. Bring facts to prove your position, I've told you exactly what I need to agree with you, it's a perfectly resonable request, I'd recommend starting your search at smokinggun.

[Protagoras]

Posting pictures of Freepers protesting Dims and liberals might be useful about now. I don't have any, do you?

[HenryLeeII]

Before you get your panties in a wad about "security during wartime", try explaining exactly what threat the people with dissenting opinions hold that those allowed to stand along the president's route (as clearly shown in the picture) do not.

I guess the same threat as the anti-infanticide protestor standing on public property outside a Kerry event was posing when the traitorous PoS told one of his goons to steal and destroy her sign. Don't take on Freepers when you don't know the facts. Lefties are crazed and violent people, with the blood of millions on their hands. Get over it!!!

[Dane]

Posting pictures of Freepers protesting Dims and liberals might be useful about now. I don't have any, do you?

And they no doubt followed the law.

Oh darn, there goes your ACLU/Libertarian party talking point.

[Protagoras]

There was nothing inane about that post.

That is a matter of opinion, and my characterization of it was just that. And obviously so. It was not a personal attack, it was an observation of the content of the posts.

I am capable of personal attacks, but I haven't made any on you.

[discostu]

Read page 5. It says content specific restriction can be made but must face "strict scrutiny". Gee, didn't I say content specific restrictions were legal? Yes, yes I did.

[freeeee]

"We saw it after 9-11 when editorialists got fired"

"we saw it when Bill Mahrer lost sponsors for saying the terrorists were brave"

"we saw it when the Dixie Chicks got boycotted for saying they were ashamed of President Bush."

"And we see it when people waving protest signs at presidential motorcades get shoved down the block."

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

[texasbluebell]

Hey, Nichols, why don't you whine louder -- maybe then the couple who were thrown in jail in Chicago when they told x42 where to go can hear you.

[R. Scott]

Clinton caused a lot of disruption when he came through Hampton Roads. The entire Interstate would be sealed from Newport News airport to Williamsburg - so he could play a round of golf.