Posted on 04/08/2020 5:27:12 AM PDT by marktwain
Screen Shot of Rusk County statement showing First Amendment threat, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten
On 30 March 2020, the Public Health Department of Rusk County, Wisconsin, issued a statement under the name of the County Sheriff and Dawn Brost, RN, of Rusk County Public Health. The statement appears to be a direct attack on First Amendment rights. From the Rusk County web page:
The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office and Public Health Department take coronavirus infection (COVID-19) seriously. We are informing the public that making false statements and spreading rumors about COVID-19 is a crime and will be prosecuted.
No Wisconsin statute is cited. Wisconsin statutes have provisions for false statements or claims by a health care provider. A search did not find a statute for false statements by a member of the public, not for spreading rumors.
Here is an image of the entire statement:
Screen shot of full Rusk County announcement, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten.
The problem with prosecuting people for spreading rumors or making false statements is it is not clear who gets to decide what is false or not.
There are often diametrically opposed statements made by different media, which cannot both be true.
The First Amendment protects speech, very widely. There are exceptions for inciting riots, slander, defamation or inciting the violent overthrow of the government. There is a provision for disorderly conduct.
None of that seems to apply to the Rusk County threat about false statements and rumors.
The First and Second Amendments are tied tightly together. Openly carrying a firearm is a strong, symbolic, political speech.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
What kind of false statements do they mean? Scams?
Maybe they don’t want people to shout “fire” in a crowded theater. But they don’t need a new law for that. All that would accomplish is an abuse of 1st Amendment rights, which maybe is the point.
I was temp banned from a forum for spreading “false” information. It was stuff about the HCQ Zpac drug and videos showing the NY hospitals and testing centers being ghost towns.
Meanwhile, the responses I got actually DID contain false information.
Even though it didn’t violate the site rules, they said I was sharing information that would cause people to act “irresponsibly”.
I don’t think you need to worry much....the 2nd Amendment rights will handle the guy visiting at the front door. But I would offer him a beer and a chance to just leave the porch in a friendly way.
Their first reaction is a fascist one. Proves they had it in them before the crisis. Elected officials flipped a switch and turned on their inner fascist. Took only a few days. They love controlling people, and that’s why they ran for public office.
Problem is, no police department is equipped to determine if a statement is right or wrong. Furthermore, a person can believe he is right and make a statement that is wrong.
Remember, some leftists have called for the arrest of climate deniers. Do not underestimate them. They now have the power.
Must be SOCIALISTS in charge of that town.
Glad we don’t live in China, or we’d see threats like that from our own government.
It’s my understanding that the County Sheriff and Dawn Brost, RN, both have the coronavirus...and caught it while visiting the local Motel 6 for a quickie.
Of course, that may be a false rumor.
Arrest me.
Everyone knows that they stayed at the Holiday Inn Express.
It’s my understanding that the County Sheriff and Dawn Brost, RN, both have the coronavirus...and caught it while visiting the local Motel 6 for a quickie.
Of course, that may be a false rumor.
Arrest me.
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