Replies

Ok - let me explain again...

The people that will block entrances (an illegal act) or perform sit-ins or other civil disobedience aren't affected by the *laws*. They are willing to break laws, so it doesn't matter if you put laws in place that say you must get a permit to demonstrate. They have no regard for the law, so they will break it anyway.

Even if they get a permit, they will still be hell-bent on disrupting - which isn't covered under the permit - so they'll do it anyway.

So, in the end, when it comes to "assclowns," PERMITS DON'T MATTER.

Soooooooo... the people that get hurt by excessive government control by of our right to assemble are the people who have to go through all of the trouble of obtaining a permit (the time and fees) so that they can hold a peaceful demonstration. This is directly analogous to the gun issue in NJ. Criminals will get guns no problem, but me - the law-abiding guy - has to wait 3 months and pay hefty registration fees to obtain a firearm. The criminal doesn't have to go through any of that, only the good guy does.

The same goes for the demonstrators. The good guys have hassles and fees... the bad guys will just break the laws if they see fit.

Get it?

Yes, I get it -- this all about your obsession with gun laws.

I'll tell you what: when it's YOUR city that's about to be under siege and have to pay through the nose for the privilege, *then* you can lecture us about the "rights" of rioters and thugs.

As I once told a pro-abort type at my old job, nothing -- not even rights explicitly stated in the Bill of Rights -- is absolute and without restrictions. (He was staunchly against *any* restrictions on abortion, fearing that it would lead down the "slippery slope" to banning it, so he instead supported infanticide [partial birth abortions].)

Just as I am free to stand outside and yell my support of Bush from the nearest corner, I can't block a building's doorway or a subway entrance to do it. I also can't violate noise ordinances.

What permits *will* do is allow the NYPD to get at something of a handle on who's going to be where and when, and plan appropriately.

And all this is on top of trying to watch out for and prevent potential terrorist acts. Get real already.