Practice Free Speech - And Get Arrested
Cindy Sheehan, who was given a guest pass to the State of the Union by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), was arrested shortly before the President's address for wearing a T-shirt reading "2,245 Dead. How many More?" According to CNN,"She was asked to cover it up. She did not," said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman.
Schneider said Sheehan was arrested around 8:30 p.m. on charges of unlawful conduct, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
What unlawful conduct? It sounds to me like she was exercising her right to freedom of speech. Sheehan has since written about how she had no intention of causing problems.
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 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 don't necessarily agree with Cindy Sheehan on many topics, but the horrible truth of this incident is unavoidable: Cindy Sheehan was arrested and imprisoned last night for wearing a T-shirt that read "2,245 Dead. How many More?"
This was not hate speech. This was not disruptive. This was T-shirt that asked a very valid question. And for this very small act of personal expression, a mother whose son died protecting our "freedom" was imprisoned.
posted at 11:08 AM Permalink
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