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.'"
bttt
Why apologize - GWB is too nice sometimes, certainly he must have made the Capitol police apologize. From Michelle Malkin's site Feb 1, "SHAME ON LYNN WOOLSEY" Lefties are screaming Gestapo state, Sister Toldjah reports in a big round-up; she points to a commenter at Patterico's who cites the relevant law governing conduct at the Capitol: TITLE 40 - PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PROPERTY, AND WORKS SUBTITLE II - PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WORKS PART B - UNITED STATES CAPITOL CHAPTER 51 - UNITED STATES CAPITOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS … Sec. 5104. Unlawful activities … (2) Violent entry and disorderly conduct. - An individual or group of individuals may not willfully and knowingly - … (C) with the intent to disrupt the orderly conduct of official business, enter or remain in a room in any of the Capitol Buildings set aside or designated for the use of either House of Congress or a Member, committee, officer, or employee of Congress or either House of Congress; (D) utter loud, threatening, or abusive language, or engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress, or the orderly conduct in that building of a hearing before, or any deliberations of, a committee of Congress or either House of Congress; … (G) parade, demonstrate, or picket in any of the Capitol Buildings. +++++++++++ Source url: http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/40C51.txt Note also, that displays are covered in some more detail with this language later: ++++++++++ (2) display in the Grounds a flag, banner, or device designed or adapted to bring into public notice a party, organization, or movement. ++++++++++
We're sorry Ms. Sheehan. You can go back in now.
Your tagline would seem to make you un-Christian. As a matter of fact, it's downright offensive.
I am a Christian.
Very serious one, in fact. Converted from Judaism (flirted with Orthodoxy, in fact, for several years, lived in Israel). My faith that Jesus was/is the Christ is so strong I pretty well alienated my whole family.
And, curiously, I've gotten about 100 posts, public and private, mainly from Christians, who love my tagline because they, too, are disgusted by the holier-than-thou attitude of so many at FR.
As a Christian, I KNOW I am no better, in God's eyes than anyone, and it is only through grace that I am a marginally acceptable human being.
Hence the constant rib of holier-than-thos. And hence the tagline.
I am sorry you are offended, but it stands.
Thank you for the expplanation. Matter of fact, as I read your reply, I realize that I'd be in full agreement with your sentiment. As it turns out, I understand the irony, and I fully agree with you on the holier than thou attitude of free-per-land. What it says, I think, is that FR is out of touch.
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