Posted on 08/30/2009 10:59:15 PM PDT by Phree Non-Phixion
In this video at Representative Jim Moran’s (D-VA) town hall meeting on ObamaCare held at South Lakes High School in Reston, VA, many people were left outside when the school filled to capacity.
School security officer Wesley Cheeks, Jr. did not like a protester’s anti-ObamaCare poster which used one of the viral "Joker" graphics.
Officer Cheeks told some town hall protesters to put away their signs or he’ll "charge them with trespassing or whatever he wants."
Then, when a protester said to Officer Cheeks, "This used to be America!" his response was: “It ain’t no more, OK?”
Pro-Obama Cop to Protester: "This Ain’t America No More"
Since it’s public property, and a public occasion, I would naturally expect and understand that the civic authorities and their agents have the right to set and enforce standards of behavior in that time and place.
Behavior was never the issue, except for Cheeks’ illegal threat of falsified trespassing charges. Cheeks should have been placed under Citizen’s Arrest, tried, and fried for that violation alone.
Further, Cheeks admitted that the *CONTENT* of the poster, a silly picture, was his reason for picking out that one single poster for government censorship.
Regulating behavior is what good cops do.
Regulating content is what bad cops do.
Public property means PUBLIC and so is “owned” by the people. If there is on the books a statute prohibiting hand held signs in the area which I think would be unconstitutional anyway, that is one thing but I rather doubt that was the case since there were other signs this moron cop wannabe ignored.
What should happen (but won’t) is the person who was forced to take down his sign should file a suit against the cop wannabe if only to force him to court and to incur any expense associated with going to court. His employer should also be bombarded with calls demanding the fool get bounced (I called, had to leave a message)
“Try to keep things straight.”
Well get this straight!
Americans are not going to stand for suppresion of our 1st ammendment right to free speach and expression. We should bring a thousand signs just like the on that offended the Barry mo! Sooner or later actions like this from the Obot will start something real ugly!
Rent-a-cops aren’t allowed to threaten arrest.
“Cheeks should have been placed under Citizen’s Arrest”
Call Citizen Gomer Pyle to arrest him
We need a “little less talk, and a lot more action”. This has all gone far enough.
Then you "naturally expect and understand" things exactly backwards. It's precisely BECAUSE this was a public political event that Cheeks was dead wrong. In the U.S., it's private property and private events in which the hosts may control political expression based on their own preference.
Secondly, it was not "behavior" that the rent-a-cop took issue with. Cheeks was selectively "enforcing" an arbitrary standard of his own making on the spot. His own words reveal he was applying his own standards, his own rules, and his own illegal tactics.
And you defend this guy? The only possible criterion on which to cut the guy any slack whatsoever would be to attribute his behavior to ignorance of the Constitution and the law rather than disdain for it. So which one of those excuses applies to you?
My father has told me about a humorous thing that happened while he was at Texas A&M just prior to going in the Army and to Europe in WWII. It was about how contemptuous the students were of the “campus cops”.
Now you must understand that this was a military school and discipline was very strong. But the students held the campus cops in contempt.
The students would lean out the window of one of the dormitories and yell across the courtyard to another “Does your old man have a jog?” and the answer would come back “He?? NO, he is a Campus Cop”. I guess some things simply do not change.
Sorry dr lew, it wasn't his job to decide what signs can say. In a peaceful demonstration, it is not up to the goon squad to decide what can be on signs. He should be fired immediately.
Speaking of keeping things straight Lew, what is your take on Sherlock Cheeks understanding of the elements of a crime and what constitutes a lawful arrest? He said something to the effect that “I can arrest you for anything I want to.”
I just got my response from the PD, they must of gotten hammered with complaints
Wesley Cheeks is NOT a Fairfax County police officer; he is
a security officer employed by the Fairfax County Public Schools. You
may go to http://www.fcps.edu to contact the School’s Department of
Communication and Community Outreach concerning this matter. They may
also be reached by phone at 571-423-1200.
Thank you.
Patti Smylie
Administrative Assistant to Chief Rohrer
Fairfax County Police Department
see my post #3
Thanks
I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
Question: Are the majority of the members of Congress guilty of Treason to the Nation for failure to abide by their oath of office?
Should they be Impeached?
Who would bring Articles of Impeachment?
Well, the good news may be the desperation with which these commie radicals are pushing now because they realize its now or never. Furthermore, they know much of what they inflict will be repealed, but hope to defend parts of it.
bump for after work
Yep.
Well, your point would have a lot more validity if he was making all the other sign holders put theirs down.
In addition, according to your analysis, it must have been part of his job training that the U.S. no longer exists...and that it has been renamed for the new Emperor.
The whole thing is eerily similar to the NEA encouraging the renaming of many of their government propaganda centers all across the (newly named???) country for his majesty as well.
I'd have to gently disagree with your logic on this matter. This guard was too much like the ACORN goons who were acting as security for many voting places during the last election.
He admitted as much with his closing statement to the protester.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.