> Wow. They arrested her for wearing a T-shirt? This > is a new low. The 1st ammendment clearly protects > political free speech.
But, it doesn't insist that every avenue for expressing it be open. For example, let's consider a time 100 years ago when politicians did not have microphones. Clearly, the first ammendment is consistent with stopping protesters from speaking during the speech of another. I think it is the content of free speach (to within the obvious broad boundaries that exclude shouting "lynch 'em" or "fire" at certain times that is protected, not the ability to exercise it anywhere one chooses. For example, I had to take a McGovern sticker off my parka when I voted. People have had a right to preach at airports, but the airport has the right to designate places for them to do this, so passengers are not subject to them everywhere (this was very important before 9-11. I've been told by someone who's been at the capital, that the capital police had told them that they interepret the "no demonstration" rule as excluding political message t-shirts. As the recent apology to the two women (the other is the wife of a Republican congresswoman who was ejected) indicates, this interpretation may not have been the correct interpretation (apologies were issued in both cases), but I can see why rules banning such shirts from the galleys would be both reasonable and Constitutional. Indeed, I bet a fair amount that there is a body of case history upholding the right of the US government to have a "no demonstrations" rule in the Capital because it is not inconsistant with the first ammendment. > If they didnt want the cameras panning to Mrs. Sheehan, > all they had to do was revoke her invitation to be in > the audience and send her home. Arresting her and > charging her with a misdemeanor is just too much. I'd be interested to see if they offered her the option of leaving on her own before arresting her. Maybe the fact that she was already in sight of the cameras when she revealed her shirt by taking off her coat and the Republican congressman's wife was just thrown out because the saw her message before that....or different police different spot decisions. Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
