Prof. Defends Right to Send Feces

ABCNews.com ^ | 1/18/07 | AP

[conservative in nyc]

A retired French professor sent dog feces to her congresswoman's office after becoming angry with receiving too many mailings and her lawyer says she had a constitutional right to do it.

Kathleen Ensz faces a misdemeanor charge of "use of a noxious substance" after taking dog feces from her backyard, wrapping it in a political mailer from Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, and leaving the putrid package at the Republican's office, according to court documents.

Ensz, a Democrat, was angered by repeatedly receiving mailings from Musgrave. Her lawyer calls the poo delivery a form of free expression, protected by the First Amendment.

Patricia Bangert, one of Ensz's attorneys, admitted the act was "probably crude and boorish" but all the same likened it to a form of political protest such as Thomas Jefferson's criticism of the King of England. At a hearing Tuesday, she also cited Mr. Hankey, an animated, talking piece of human excrement depicted on "South Park," as evidence that it is commonplace to use feces to express disdain.

"Etiquette and propriety aside, it is commonplace in today's society to equate a distasteful or disliked person, situation or thing, to feces," Bangert said.

At the time of the incident last May, Musgrave's camp claimed the gesture was a political dirty trick and demanded an apology from Musgrave's likely Democratic opponent, state Rep. Angela Paccione of Fort Collins, who went on to lose the election to the incumbent. Paccione's campaign denied any involvement.

[conservative in nyc]

My copy of the Constitution seems to be missing the part that says you have a right to leave dog poop at a Congressman's office.

[lightman]

I'm sure the ACLU will take up the cause.

[Frank_2001]

That's because they didn't have Congresscritters at that time;))

[bnelson44]

It's unsanitary and can cause harm on others by being unsanitary. On those grounds alone, it is not a 1st Amendment right. She should have visited the civics teacher before committing the crime.

[Charles Henrickson]

Poo ping.

[Diogenesis]

"Golly gee. I love being a Democrat. No laws apply to me."

[happinesswithoutpeace]

"she also cited Mr. Hankey, an animated, talking piece of human excrement depicted on "South Park," as evidence that it is commonplace to use feces to express disdain."


ROFL.

[BusterBear]

What about a dead rat or a little noose wrapped up in silk?

[niobe527]

Good thing she didn't have the flaming bag of poo... they'd throw arson charges on her too.

[nopardons]

Exactly so.

[I see my hands]

To: Prof. Kathleen Ensz; Patricia Bangert Esq.

Fine by me. What are your home addresses?

[Reaganesque]

Can you imagine the shrieks of "Hate Crime!" had this been a Republican sending feces to a Democrat? Instead, it's the Democrat's right to behave like a petulant five year old. Tolerance is a one-way street, don't you know?

[STE=Q]

"Kathleen Ensz faces a misdemeanor charge *of use of a noxious substance* after taking dog feces from her backyard.

She has no such free speech "right" if she has created a public hazard by sending a noxious substance.

[BlazingArizona]

The only way to rectify this situation is to send this woman a stern warning on double-ply paper via Brown (you know, UPS).

[Reaganesque]

Further information from AP (via Breitbart):

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's re-election campaign was already heated, and it just got smelly as well: Her staff accused a Democratic activist Thursday of leaving an envelope full of dog feces at Musgrave's Greeley office.

Musgrave spokesman Shaun Kenney said someone stuffed the envelope through the mail slot in the door on May 31 and then sped away in a car. Kenney said most of the preprinted return address was blacked out, but staffers used the nine-digit ZIP code to trace it to Kathleen Ensz, a Weld County Democratic volunteer.

Ensz told The Associated Press she left the envelope at Musgrave's office but said it "wasn't in the office doors, it was in the foyer." Asked what she meant by the act, she declined comment.

Kenney demanded an apology from Musgrave's likely Democratic opponent, state Rep. Angela Paccione of Fort Collins.

Paccione spokesman James Thompson denied the campaign had anything to do with it.

"We find that kind of act to be completely deplorable," he said. "We're not in the business of dirty tricks like that. This type of thing is really out of our control, but of course we'll do anything that we can to discourage this."

Thompson said Ensz, vice chairwoman of a state Senate district committee for the county Democratic Party, has no formal ties to the Paccione campaign.

Kenney said police were asked to investigate. A police spokesman did not immediately return a call.

-------

So, she wasn't part of the campaign, but she was/is a big shot in the County's Democratic Party. Funny how ABC skipped this info.

[spunkets]

"Ensz, vice chairwoman of a state Senate district committee for the county Democratic Party"

Yes, very curious why AllBsConstantly would leave that out.

Nice catch.

[conservative in nyc]

To be fair to ABC, I think Breitbart's AP article is from June, not this month, when Ensz went to court. It is the AP that omitted Ensz's Democrat party ties this time. Most of the other AP stories on Google News about this are identical to the ABCNews.com version.

[Cinnamon]

I agree with her... quickly someone get her address! let's all exercise this poop right... mail her a ton of manure right to her porch.. LOL