Rack Fu, your thoughts?

[RadioFan]

Oklahoma City officer pulls man over for anti-Obama sign

OKLAHOMA CITY — Policemen pulled over a man with a sign in his pickup truck window that read "Abort Obama, not the unborn" and confiscated the placard, but later returned it after police supervisors found the officers' actions "overzealous."

"The officer said, 'Do you know why I pulled you over?'" Hal "Chip" Harrison said. "I said I had no idea, and he said that the sign could be construed by the Secret Service as a threat to the president.

"I thought, 'this is something from Nazi Germany, not in Oklahoma.'"

Two police officers stopped the 53-year-old Oklahoma City construction worker last week as he drove to work.

They took the sign and notified the local field office for the Secret Service.

"The bottom line is the officer was a little overzealous in terms of what the sign meant," said Capt. Steve McCool, a spokesman for Oklahoma City Police Department. "He made a decision based on his determination, and once the supervisor got involved, we returned the sign to him."

Harrison said U.S. Secret Service agents interviewed him at his home and walked through his house.

Adrian Andrews, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Oklahoma City field office, said agents determined Harrison was not a threat.

"He was a little agitated that the Oklahoma City Police Department took his sign," Andrews said. "But he understood we have an obligation to check these things out.

"I send my agents to check out every one of these, to find out and dig a little bit deeper."

Harrison said he's no fan of Obama's but that his homemade sign was a political statement opposing abortion, not a threat to Obama. He said he usually has one or two people every day who see the sign and give him a "thumbs up" as he's driving down the road.

Harrison said the sign is back up in his truck, and that he's considering whether to pursue a civil matter against the police department for what he considers a violation of his right to free speech.

"I am trying to pursue it, because I've always been kind of a loudmouth," Harrison said. "If I can find a lawyer who will take the case, I probably would."

Andrews said he would not encourage anyone to put a similar sign on their vehicle.

"There are better ways to make a political statement than to say 'Abort Obama,'" Andrews said. "That's going to get our attention every time.

"We'd rather be safe than sorry."

-----------------

Nice to know the OKC police are looking out for the rest of us.

Are you fucking kidding me?

[RadioFan]

What a dilemma for your average Sooner. Do you take your thumb out of your nose or your ass to show your support?

Notice dude didn't start driving around with this sign until after CFB season.

[Rack Fu]

I think the cops ventured out on the wrong limb on this one. They most certainly should have ran the license plate, got his address and informed the Secret Service and let the USSS do their thing and flesh it out. As the article quotes the USSS SAC:

"That's going to get our attention every time.

"We'd rather be safe than sorry."

The cops should have known better than to confiscate the sign because of the potential First Amendment issues. They just made a bad judgment call in their haste to assist the USSS on a percieved threat to Obama. Let's say that the saying was written on a t-shirt the man was wearing. Would they have ripped it off his person and confiscated the shirt? Extremely doubtful (hopefully). They should have viewed the sign in a similar manner. Take a picture of it if they wanted evidentiary material. Coupled with their testimony would have been sufficient. Nothing beats physical evidence but you have to obtain it without violating someone's rights.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Let's say that the saying was written on a t-shirt the man was wearing. Would they have ripped it off his person and confiscated the shirt? Extremely doubtful (hopefully).

Reminds me of one of my all-time favorite cases.

Cohen v. California

In affirming the conviction the Court of Appeal held that "offensive conduct" means "behavior which has a tendency to provoke others to acts of violence or to in turn disturb the peace," and that the State had proved this element because, on the facts of this case, "t was certainly reasonably foreseeable that such conduct might cause others to rise up to commit a violent act against the person of the defendant or attempt to forceably remove his jacket." 1 Cal. App. 3d, at 99-100, 81 Cal. Rptr., at 506.

[Moving Sale]

Just to be clear. In Cohen v. California the Court of Appeal's decision (that Cohen violated PC415 by wearing a "Fuck the Draft" t-shirt into an LA courthouse) was overturned.

[PSUFAN]

Good luck being "clear", nimrod.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Just to be clear. In Cohen v. California the Court of Appeal's decision (that Cohen violated PC415 by wearing a "Fuck the Draft" t-shirt into an LA courthouse) was overturned.

Of course. I was just referring to what Rack Fu wrote.

[H4ever]

Oklahoma City officer pulls man over for anti-Obama sign


"I send my agents to check out every one of these, to find out and dig a little bit deeper."


Andrews said he would not encourage anyone to put a similar sign on their vehicle.

"There are better ways to make a political statement than to say 'Abort Obama,'" Andrews said. "That's going to get our attention every time.

"We'd rather be safe than sorry."

Translation: Bubba just got himself an FBI number, is in the system, and will have every phone call, internet hit, and personal letter he sends or receives documented for the foreseeable future. Pretty high price to pay for an occasional thumbs up.

Looks like Dubya's pissing all over the constitution under the guise of the "Patriot Act" is coming back to haunt all the 'necks who voted lock step with the rest of America's fucktards who gave that trainwreck of a POTUS a second term.

Congratulations. Karma motherfuckers.

[H4ever]

*bump*

Just trying to figure out why its okay for the government to piss on the constitution so long as a fucktard rubber-stamper like Bush is on the GOP ticket. Imagine if Obama or Kerry had instituted the "patriot act"?

Probably why this registered republican since 1988 is strongly considering being a libertarian.


Once again.....congratulations Bubba....on the FBI number.