Arrested!
Posted on 02/01/2006 3:27:09 PM PST by LouAvul
WASHINGTON - Capitol Police dropped a charge of unlawful conduct against antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan Wednesday and offered apologies to her as well as a congressman's wife after they were ejected from President Bush's State of the Union address for wearing T-shirts with war messages.
Police removed Sheehan and Beverly Young, the wife of Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young, R-Fla., from the visitors gallery Tuesday night. Sheehan was taken away in handcuffs before Bush's arrival at the Capitol and charged with a misdemeanor, while Young was not arrested.
Capitol Police did not explain why Sheehan was arrested and Young was not. However the unlawful conduct charge against Sheehan was being dropped, according to Deputy House Sergeant of Arms Kerri Hanley. And in a private meeting Wednesday, Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer apologized and planned to issue a statement, Rep. Thomas told reporters.
"They were operating under the misguided impression that the T-shirt was not allowed," Hanley said Wednesday. "The fact that she (Sheehan) was wearing a T-shirt is not enough reason to be asked to leave the gallery, or be removed from the gallery, or be arrested."
A foreign-born American citizen who was the guest of Rep. Alcee Hastings (news, bio, voting record), D-Fla., also was taken by police from the gallery just above the House floor, Hastings said Wednesday.
The congressman met with Gainer and said he also requested a meeting with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., about the incident.
"I'd like to find out more information," Hastings said in an interview, identifying the man only as being from Broward County in Florida. "He is a constituent of mine. I invited him proudly."
Sheehan's T-shirt made reference to the number of soldiers killed in Iraq: "2245 Dead. How many more?" Capitol Police charged her with a misdemeanor for violating the District of Columbia's code against unlawful or disruptive conduct on any part of the Capitol grounds, a law enforcement official said. She was released from custody and flew home Wednesday to Los Angeles.
Young's shirt had just the opposite message: "Support the Troops — Defending Our Freedom."
The two women appeared to have offended tradition as much as the law, according to several law enforcement and congressional officials. By custom, the annual address is to be a dignified affair in which the president reports on the state of the nation. Guests in the gallery who wear shirts deemed political in nature have, in past years, been asked to change or cover them up.
Generally, the House's sergeant at arms sets out rules at the House speaker's direction. The Capitol Police enforce them and the Secret Service evaluates any threat to the president. Rules dealing mainly with what people can bring and telling them to refrain from reading, writing, smoking, eating, drinking, applauding or taking photographs are outlined on the back of gallery passes given to tourists every day.
However, State of the Union guests don't receive any guidelines, Hanley said. "You would assume that if you were coming to an event like the State of the Union address you would be dressed in appropriate attire," she said.
Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, had been invited to the speech and given a ticket by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif.
Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said police warned Sheehan that displays such as her T-shirt were not allowed.
Sheehan said she had one arm out of her coat when an officer yelled, "Protester." She said she intended to file a First Amendment lawsuit over the episode.
Young was removed from the gallery during Bush's address and told she was being treated the same as Sheehan.
Her husband was angry about the way she was treated.
"Because she had on a shirt that someone didn't like that said support our troops, she was kicked out of this gallery," Young said on the House floor Wednesday, holding up the gray shirt.
"Shame, shame," he scolded.
Mrs. Young was sitting about six rows from first lady Laura Bush when she was asked to leave. She argued with police in the hallway outside the House chamber.
"They said I was protesting," she told the St. Petersburg Times. "I said, 'Read my shirt, it is not a protest.' They said, 'We consider that a protest.' I said, 'Then you are an idiot.'"
Just as long as they used the tazer, dismissal of charges is OK.
I love the smell of electricuted hippie in the morning.
Very funny that Sheehan got tagged, but supporting the troops is a protest? One thing this country has lost...common sense!
The full body cavity search may have been a bit extreme.
This works quite nicely. She didn't get to make her protest, and now she can't use her arrest to get more press time by challenging it in court.
Poof! She's vanishing. Never should have annoyed Hillary, I tell you.
Nobody is even reporting on it today............before they dropped the charges.
Thanks. That's a mental image I really didn't need.
No liberal would vote for a hippie who can't even get arrested.
No, it's the Botoxer primary challenge they see as a threat.
Outflank on the left --- sure bet in the Dim primaries, especially in CA.
Of course, even in CA, someone as dumb and leftist as Shehasbeen could not get elected.
And now I guess the Rats in Congress will demand that this change when it's THEIR guests who want to wear inappropriate tee shirts.
And I'd like to know if the guest of Congressman Granier (sp?) who was asked to leave is the scowling Arab who was sitting on the Democrat side of the room.
The shame is on you and your wife Mr.Young. The police should not have to apologise for doing the right thing.
Like the woman who was thrown off the airplane for an inappropriate T shirt. She had no class and obviously since only your wife and Cindy Sheehan showed up in T shirts she and Cindy have no class either.
The SOU address is no place for T shirts. If someone had shown up with a Confederate T shirt on the whole mess would be up in arms. If any t shirts are allowed then all T shirts must be allowed and if you havent class enough to recognise that then you dont belong in the House.
I salute your wife for supporting the troops, but she should pick a better place to do it . How about at Walter Reed on any Friday night. I am sure the freepers there would welcome her.
He knew the risk when he signed up and he paid the ultimate price for the United States of America - May God grant his soul eternal rest.
As for his mother, she needs a genuine ass whupping from at the hands of the young man's father.
Jihad Cindy should not be there. I consider her to be a security risk. And if she takes one step towards the president the secret service should do what their trained to do.
It is pretty obvious why they dropped charges, they didn't charge the republican's wife, so they either had to charge both of them or neither, they chose to drop charges on the Cindy Dog, the best of a bad situation.
lol!
The guidelines have always been there, but some people think guidelines apply to everyone else.
I agree. She's starting to remind me of Squeaky. Obsessed stalker.
Arrested!
A caller into Matt Drudge's readio show on sunday night said the same thing.
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