Posted on 07/15/2006 12:29:23 AM PDT by Nonesuch
For a country that's supposed to be a "police state", suppressing individuals and groups in their right to express opposition to administration policies, the US was particular tolerant of dissent at the beginning of the Iraq War.
Some history showing the extreme restraint shown by US police forces before, and immediately after the invasion of Iraq:
1/17: Chicago - 25 protest at Federal Building, 9 arrests -- 3 members of Chicago Peacemaker Teams when they tried to enter Sen. Fitzgerald's office, 6 more in lobby. All were fined $25/ea and released. 1/18: Washington -125K gather on the National Mall, organized by Act Now to Stop War & End Racism (ANSWER). 2 arrests 1/22: St. Loius - several hundred protest, 1 arrest. 1/27: Chicago - Protesters block entrances to the Federal Building. 21 are charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass. 2/15: New York - 150K protesters. 257 arrested. minor injuries to 8 police officers and 2 police horses 2/16: San Francisco - 150K protest a possible U.S. invasion of Iraq. No arrests. 3/13: Chicago - in a protest organized by Voices in the Wilderness, 11 arrested in Boeing HQ lobby, 3/16: Chicago - 10K protest in Daley Plaza. No arrests. 3/18: Chicago - The Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism discuss protest plans, including their goals to shut buildings and create traffic jams. If the war begins on a Friday or Saturday, some protests groups say they will delay protesting until the following Monday. 3/18: Batavia - 30 members of Western Suburbs Pledge of Resistance protest Dennis Hasterts office, hold a sit-in, block the door. No arrests. 3/20: Chicago - 100K protest in Federal Plaza at 5PM. Later 10K marchers spill out onto Lake Shore Drive. Protesters confront police at Michigan & Chicago, 800 taken into custody, 543 arrests, 351 charged. 3/21: Chicago - 5K protesters. 69 arrests. 3/21: Washington - several hundred protesters, 21 arrested after laying down in the street. 3/22: New York - 125K anti-war demonstrators organized by United for Peace and Justice march from Times Square to Washington Square Park, 74 arrests, 14 police officers hospitalized after being sprayed with an unknown substance. 3/22: San Francisco - 20K protest. No arrests. 3/22: Washington - 1K protest, 1 arrest, a woman who assaulted two bicyle officers is charged with two felonies. 4/7: Oakland - 700 demonstrate at Port of Oakland. against businesses supporting the war, organized by Direct Action to Stop the War. Police eventually fire beanbag, pepper, and wooden dowel rounds. 30 arrests, 18 injured, including six longshoremen on their way to work. 6/17: Washington - Protesters from Children's Defense Fund were picketing next to the hotel. A SS agent showed them his badge and asked them to move to the other side of the street. No arrests. 6/20: Chicago - Charges against 220 of the 350 people arrested during the march 20-21st protest marches are dropped. Around 70 cases are pursued, and 53 plead guilty. 6/23: Richmond - 100 protesters are asked to go across the street from the hotel where Bush was attending a fundraiser. No arrests. ACLU objects, stating that spectators not expressing any political view were permitted to walk past on the sidewalk on the same side of the street as the hotel. 8/25: Chicago - 800 protesters gather in Federal Plaza in the Loop at noon, then march up State, Wacker, and Michigan to gather in the park at the Drake Hotel. No arrests. 10/25: Washington - 50K protest against the war, no arrests
All of the above shows remarkable restraint by the police and government.
Protesters: 2,000,00 Detainees: 2,000 Arrests: 1,200 Convictions: 100 Deaths: zero Freedom to form your own zany little "direct action active resistance front" protest group: priceless
When the Democrats had the congress in 1971, I think they arrested about 12,000 of us.
Oh... If this was a police state, or if we were Nazis reincarnated, there'd be no doubt about it.
Which is why I think everybody who says either is pathetic.
You should go to Amnesty Internationals website and look over their statistics on percentage of population incarcerated by country. Guess whose leads that list.
"Oh... If this was a police state, or if we were Nazis reincarnated, there'd be no doubt about it. "
That is a great truth you just stated.
When something is off the charts, I always assume it is a joke, I can't seem to accept that these ideas are serious to some people.
Wrong question.
Is violent criminal activity tolerated in these United States?
Are criminals who masquerade behind pretenses of freedom of speech regularly arrested and charged?
Is anyone fooled by the perpetual law breaking activity of Socialist criminals and bums?
Is everyone aware that we are a nation at war and that protesting our government and our leaders is deemed to be sedition and subject to serious penalties?
"Is everyone aware that we are a nation at war and that protesting our government and our leaders is deemed to be sedition and subject to serious penalties?"
Great example, when people say things like that, I think they are kidding.
Yes, what a fascist country is the U.S. Why there thousands of er I mean hundreds uh hmmm I mean tens of er wait a sec....NOBODY!!! has been thrown into jail for criticizing the president. Yeah, what a police state! (smirk) Yet I routinely read comments by stupid libs about living in a fascist, police state. Yeah, I know, it would be great fun to make the libs who utter those outrageous comments actually live in a real police state.
If America was a free country, I'd be able to own property.
The accusations of the Left are merely their confessions.
Excellent new prospect for Gitmo after the scum is eradicated.
No America is not really a police state, but many on both sides of the political fence have 'wishful thoughts' to that effect.
Oh come now Tom.
The question is transparently disgraceful. It's "rhetorical" and contains the indictment, signed sealed and delivered from some left wing snot nosed lame brain.
In time of great war it is intolerably insulting to this great nation.
Cut the crap.
"Is America really a police state, or is that wishful thinking?"
No America is not really a police state, but many on both sides of the political fence have 'wishful thoughts' to that effect.
Bart pounces:
Oh come now Tom. The question is transparently disgraceful. It's "rhetorical" and contains the indictment, signed sealed and delivered from some left wing snot nosed lame brain.
Sorry, I thought it was authored by Nonesuch.
In time of great war it is intolerably insulting to this great nation. Cut the crap.
No 'crap' intended, -- my comment stands. Far too many on both sides want to use war to deny liberty. - We've been 'at war' virtually my entire life. I served in the 'cold' version '55/'58.
Your dispassionate reply is disarming.
And startling in it's self composure.
Thank goodness someone is in control at times like this.
Sheepish and "in my place".
Thank you for your grace.
Is everyone aware that we are a nation at war and that protesting our government and our leaders is deemed to be sedition and subject to serious penalties?War or no war, "Sedition" is not a crime in the USA today, unless you are in the military or otherwise employed by the US government.
People are free to oppose and protest the war, are not arrested for planning, organizing, or attending these protests, yet some people still suggest America is a police state. People ask "What about the 800 people rounded up and thrown in jail for three days after the Chicago protests?". If this were a police state, those anti-war protesters would have been charged and convicted, not released on an I-bond and (in 90% of the cases) had the charges dropped.
In time of great war it is intolerably insulting to this great nation. Cut the crap.In a time of war is the easiest time for a free country to lose freedom and fall into a police state. While we are at "war" the need for vigilance is greater than at peace.
Oh please.
Disabuse yourself of the silly notion that wartime is a liesurely time to contemplate the fantasies of malcontents...ie: those morons who have the gall to demonstrate anything other than concern for our national safety and survival as well as solidarity in support of our troops and our leadership.
The time for debating the finepoints of egalitarianism is best left to effete airheads in time of peace when issues life and limb are not in threat of dire consequence.
The hard practicality of war dictates that full support of the war effort means you are either with us or decidedly against us and the consequences are crystal clear.
The hard practicality of war dictates that full support of the war effort means you are either with us or decidedly against us and the consequences are crystal clear.Sounds like you want the USA to be a police state, and if the war never ends, neither does the supression of liberty?
Either that, or it sounds like a personal threat, and we all know how FR deals with that.
Your clumsy attempt to declare my comment a threat ends with a threat of your own.
Cute.
Never one to risk taking an objective view of my comments, you delve into obvious attempts to discredit me personally which also is a violation of the TOS of FR...which you appear at the ready to tattle on.
The sum out for your quaint bit of verbal terpsicory is to totally justify treason in times of war and to attack any patriot who objects to all out attacks on our troops ,our leaders and the principles on which our nation is founded.
As this episode in our history plays out, it is you who will be greeted by large doses of reality and that is no threat. War is no place for the effete or the waspish as you are certain to be taught.
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