Uh, Sheehan was ALLOWED into the SOTU in the first place.

[tuvor]

There was every opportunity to check her before she was ALLOWED in. But she was not prevented from entering.

Did the law change immediately after she sat down?

[Midlodemocrat]

1. As posted in another thread, she didn't violate the law.

"Believing that the Capitol Police needed guidance in determining what behavior constitutes a demonstration,” the United States Capitol Police Board issued a regulation that interprets “demonstration activity” to include: parading, picketing, speechmaking, holding vigils, sit-ins, or other expressive conduct that conveys a message supporting or opposing a point of view or has the intent, effect or propensity to attract a crowd of onlookers, but does not include merely wearing Tee shirts, buttons or other similar articles of apparel that convey a message.”

http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/97-1337c.pdf


Interesting, wouldn't you say?

[spuddonna]

9. Thanks so much for posting that...

"Yes, those damn 'protestors'! Wearing buttons and pins and (GASP) t-shirts! I feel like I shall swoon!"
:sarcasm:

People need to wake up... I can't believe how many posters are buying this "she was a 'disruptor'" b.s.

[unblock]

2. her attire changed in that she revealed her t-shirt.

making it fairly obvious that her arrest was based on the political content of the message on the t-shirt.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. Except that t-shirts with messages on them aren't disallowed.

:hi: unblock, how ya doing?

[unblock]

6. not for a minute justifying it

although they would be on better legal ground if they forbade all messages, rather than discriminating based on content. saying that speech is disruptive makes it sound more like noise ordinances, which are legal; whereas discriminating based on content is blatantly political and a clear violation of the first amendment -- not "free speech" in this instance because the audience IS government, it falls under the redress and grievances section of the first amendment, which has a stronger foundation.

enjoying my time "off duty", hope all's well with you, midlo!

:hi:

[AZBlue]

22. AND if messages aren't allowed, then security should have checked for it

and signs should have been posted:

- Please turn all cell phones off.
- No cameras or recording devices allowed.
- No weapons allowed.
- All packages subject to search.
- No t-shirts that will upset or distract the Pres during his speech - it's everything we can do now to get him to say it without losing his place or mispronouncing words.

[rpgamerd00d]

8. The TShirt rule is up for debate, but its not the real issue anyway.

Case 1: Dave Delp
Clintons Impeachment (not SOTU), wears shirt w/ political statement. Removed, NOT ARRESTED.

Case 2: Young's wife
Bush SOTU 2006, wears shirt w/ political statement. Removed, NOT ARRESTED.

Case 3: Cindy Sheehan
Bush SOTU 2006, wears shirt w/ political statement. Removed, ARRESTED.

The issue has nothing to do with the Shirt. That part is CONSISTANT IN ALL CASES.

The INCONSISTANCY IS THE ARREST.

The ARREST is ILLEGAL.

That's the real issue.

[malaise]

18. Correct n/t

[tuvor]

4. I understand that.

Why didn't security have the foresight to check her t-shirt? That's assuming t-shirts with messages were verboten in the first place. (Which they aren't)

I don't believe for a second that security is that terrible so close to el presidente.

[BushOut06]

10. Exactly what I was just thinking

Here you have an avowed critic of the BushCo regime, everyone knows who she is by sight, and they allowed her to enter without even checking under her coat?

[rpgamerd00d]

Its January 31st, its cold out. She wore a jacket. They can't make

... her strip if she passes the metal detectors/bomb detectors, etc.

[BushOut06]

19. They could sure as hell ask her to open up her coat

Nobody was suggesting they strip-search her. But if they were so goddamned worried about political protests - especially from a known anti-BushCo protestor - they could have very easily asked her to open her jacket.

Maybe it's the conspiracy theorist in me, but perhaps they were more interested in humiliating and arresting her. Looks like it backfired big time, though.

[tuvor]

25. They could've made her do whatever they wanted.

(They proved that in the end, didn't they?)

Sheehan was about to be in the same room as the supreme of supremes POTUS, for crying out loud.

They accepted her going in--she passed what surely was a stringent test. Then they "un-accepted" her immediately after she sat down.

So...exactly what changed during that brief period?

[Occulus]

7. Ah! But the WAS no political content

It was the word "Dead" and a number, if I'm understanding events correctly.

It was a singular fact- stated neither in support nor opposition to the Iraq war. Thus, it was politically neutral.

Well, that's how I see her actions, anyway. IANAL.

[unblock]

23. the truth is highly political these days

truth = liberal
lie = banana republican.

pretty simple, actually.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. They didn't even ask her to zip her jacket

They were mean and rough to her but not the other woman.

[Cha]

5. If you read Cindy's explaination

of what happened..she had a jacket on and then removed it from being warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs.

I'd rather be in jail then being subjected to hearing that monkey get up there and pontificate rove's LIES!

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=594

[No Exit]

13. Hey, I'm trying to get that article, but all I get on Moore's site is:

Warning: mysql_connect(): Too many connections in /var/www/html/words/index.php on line 290

Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /var/www/html/words/index.php on line 295

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /var/www/html/words/index.php on line 302

What does all that stuff mean??

[Cha]

24. I don't know what it means..

but here is Cindy's post..I don't think Michael Moore will care if I post it..if it's not kosher..I'll remove all but four paragraphs.

Dear Friends,

As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union Address tonight.

I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.

There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:

This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh. Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2,245 Dead. How many more?

After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.

I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.

My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.

I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled, "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like, "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.

The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said, "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House because I was, "Protesting."

I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."

After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2,245, huh? I just got back from there."

I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started crying in pain.

What did Casey die for? What did the 2,244 other brave young Americans die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't even wear a shirt that has the number of troops on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are responsible for killing.

I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable...that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I didn't.

There have already been many wild stories out there.

I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to take our freedoms and our country back.

I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether he/she has paid the ultimate price for that country, from wearing, saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away from me...or you.

I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred protesters who came to the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so much potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.

Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.

Keep up the struggle...I promise you I will too.

Love and peace soon,
Cindy

[No Exit]

26. Thanks!!

[FreedomAngel82]

11. Question

on the picture showing her going down some stairs is she being escorted in or out?

[rpgamerd00d]

14. in

[FreedomAngel82]

15. So they saw the shirt before she sat down?

[rpgamerd00d]

16. No, she had a jacket on. Got hot. Took it off. Got jumped.

[FreedomAngel82]

20. In the picture of her going down the stairs

you can see the jacket is open than and a guy leading her down. So why didn't he arrest her than?

[shanti]

17. in the pictures it appears

that her jacket was zipped when walking in. it was only after she was in her seat and removed her jacket that they saw the t-shirt.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. Look here

She's being escorted down and the guy isn't arresting her and the jacket is open to where you can see the shirt.