Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted May 31, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 "Americans Arrested Violently at the Jefferson Memorial -- for Dancing So now the Jefferson Memorial is a "protected area" per the Patriot Act? May 29, 2011 | Watch what happened today at the Jefferson Memorial in DC. CodePinker Medea Benjamin and others were arrested for "dancing," and others were body slammed for the crime of movement! " http://www.alternet.org/news/151128/shocking_video%3A_americans_arrested_violently_at_the_jefferson_memorial_--_for_dancing_ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Mango Posted May 31, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 JK posted a video for this on his facebook page and it is truly appalling. Police shouldn't be allowed to arrest you unless they can site the exact law being broken. Just watch as our world turns into a police state....I'm gonna go dance somewhere important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP anddave Posted May 31, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Tea Posted May 31, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 As John McEnroe used to say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topher44 Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Just watched most of this video, but I had to turn it before it was finished. I felt like my head was about to explode! The abuse of power here is absolutely disgusting. There are police, and then there are pigs.... and these assholes fall under the latter category. I grew up in DC, and it used to be a place where you could hang out at the monuments or the mall to listen to music, dance, hug, kiss, and enjoy many other leisure time activities without being harrassed or arrested for expressing yourself. This was pre- 9/11, but there is still no excuse for these goons flexing their muscle and intimidating people who are peacefully congregating and not hurting anyone. Topher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP chuckvegas Posted May 31, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 While I don't think we are one nation, under Shari'a yet, gone are the days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Mango Posted May 31, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 People need to stop comparing to other countries and saying "we're not this". WAKE UP! We aren't what we say we are and that is what counts. shit makes my blood boil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted May 31, 2011 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 We need to talk about these situations and bring the facts ( and vidieos ) to the forefront so the general public and see what is happening. Our common news media will not report these situations. It is up to us...the general public... to spread the word. Nowdays with this inconnection of every one on the internet it is much easier than years ago when we invaided Cambodia or when our brothers and sisters were shot dead on the grass of Kent State campus. I personally no longer have the energy ( I'm older than you realise) to lead a march in the streets like we did many years ago but maybe I can help inspire some talk and conversation. Peace and Love, Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP bs69 Posted June 1, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 While I agree that people should be able to dance wherever they please, those were not "violent arrests". I had teachers in grade school treat me rougher than that. I also think the protesters accomplished their goal, getting this video out on the net. Videos can be edited to show what the producer wants to show. For all we know, the protesters provoked the police into the exact response they wanted to film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP anddave Posted June 1, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 I had teachers in grade school treat me rougher than that.Me too.For all we know, the protesters provoked the police into the exact response they wanted to film.Anything could happen off camera, but they look pretty gentle.I think one could ignore all the sensationalism and focus on the warning given by the officer: "...if you demonstrate by dancing you will be placed under arrest..." The law that has an officer giving that warning is not a good law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted June 1, 2011 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 The law that has an officer giving that warning is not a good law. I think that the point of the "demonstration" was that it is a bad law that specifically classifed danceing as illegal in certain places like national parks or monuments. The video of the arrests has brought this into some discussion across our land. The danceing / demonstration that was shown in the eleven minute video was certainly a peaceful assembly. The video does not show any "off camera" actions but there is no indication that there had been any trouble. The park policeman specifically said that the offense was that people were danceing and danceing was not allowed. He did not mention any other disruptive behaivor. The policeman was actually very professional and explained to the demonstraters what would happen ( potential jail for the weekend until cout opened ). This was not a situation of a "bad cop" going wild but professional policeman carring out his job. Unfortuntally the "law" he was enforceing is in direct conflict with our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the First Admendment.... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Tom Banjo Posted June 2, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 I think that the point of the "demonstration" was that it is a bad law that specifically classifed danceing as illegal in certain places like national parks or monuments. The video of the arrests has brought this into some discussion across our land. The danceing / demonstration that was shown in the eleven minute video was certainly a peaceful assembly. The video does not show any "off camera" actions but there is no indication that there had been any trouble. The park policeman specifically said that the offense was that people were danceing and danceing was not allowed. He did not mention any other disruptive behaivor. The policeman was actually very professional and explained to the demonstraters what would happen ( potential jail for the weekend until cout opened ). This was not a situation of a "bad cop" going wild but professional policeman carring out his job. Unfortuntally the "law" he was enforceing is in direct conflict with our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the First Admendment.... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." I don't feel this was a professional act by the police. Any law that is in contradiction with the constitution should not be enforced. In fact, enforcement of the law should be considered criminal not professional. Were the police in Nazi Germany being professional when they rounded up Jews? By the argument you just made you would have to say that the majority of them were being professional and just doing their job of enforcing unjust laws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted June 2, 2011 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 I don't feel this was a professional act by the police. Any law that is in contradiction with the constitution should not be enforced. In fact, enforcement of the law should be considered criminal not professional. Were the police in Nazi Germany being professional when they rounded up Jews? By the argument you just made you would have to say that the majority of them were being professional and just doing their job of enforcing unjust laws. What I meant was that the individual policeman was personally acting in a professional manner. He was polite to the demonstrators explaining the consenquences of them continuning to dance. His talk was in a reasonable tone that could be understood. He was not acting with a lot of personal emotion being expressed in an unreasonable manner. His personal actions were very different than other situations where I've seen anger and rage from the law enforement people...with that anger leading to violence, often using their billyclub or now days their electrical shock devices. "Any law that is in contradiction with the constitution should not be enforced"..... Yes, that is true but it is the job of the courts to make the judgement of what is constitional. The individual policeman's job is to enforce the law both as written and as ruled upon by the court. All individuals face a decision when confronted with a situation where their job duties conflict with what they understand to be a 'higher duty" or higher law. ...those "higher " items might be their understanding of the Constition or they might be moral or religious thoughts that they have. Many times the good moral actions are in direct conflict with the job duties that are placed upon the individual. "....police in Nazi Germany ..." The actions of the Nazis in Germany were toatally wrong...morally wrong and wrong in many other ways that I can not find words for. It does not make sense to link describing the personal manner of the individual park policeman as professional to any forgiving of the actions of the Nazis. The act of "being professional" does not in any way mean that the under laying reason was correct, right, or morally good. Sometimes the "professional action" is very morally wrong. What was meant was that the actions and manner of the individual fell within the expected code of that profession. Peace, Love, and Danceing in the Park for All Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP bs69 Posted June 2, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 They need to get Kevin Bacon in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Mango Posted June 2, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Imo the policeman was NOT professional as he could not even answer questions about what laws were being broken. 'just doing my job' is not professional. Plus, why the hell cant we dance at monuments? Not that i really have a desire to but if u challenge my right to, i just might. The fact is that the goal of things like this is not to.stop something 'bad' from happening, its to assert control over the public. Which they do and we allow them to do everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgrmag2564 Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 . Videos can be edited to show what the producer wants to show. That's the truth, back when Gabby Giffords and supporters were shot, ABC news was slamming Arizona's lax gun laws. They reported "of the 100,000 mentally troubled people in Arizona, only 4,000 were given background checks." This really pissed me off, they never mentioned that background checks were only conducted when you tried to buy a handgun. It just came out like Arizona only did background checks on 4% of the mentally troubled people that tried to buy handguns. What I think is the case, only 4,000 mentally troubled people in Arizona tried to buy handguns and all were given background checks. ABC Spun it the way they wanted it to be percieved. That's why it is hard to believe anything reprted in the mainstream media. Peace, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP anddave Posted June 2, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 They need to get Kevin Bacon in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted June 3, 2011 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 .... why the hell cant we dance at monuments? ...... its to assert control over the public. Which they do and we allow them to do everyday. That is exactly why such laws are created....to control the general population to prevent us from being able to complain about the truely big things. If we keep lossing our freedoms under the reasoning of "national security' we will soon just be a "'police state" or whatever words you wish to describe it. Many people point out that we are already there. Right there is the reason that this and the many other infringements upon our rights needs to be discussed and brought to the attention of everyone. Another recently signed law has me upset. Down here in Georgia a new law allows the police to require people to show proof of being a proper legal citizen or have the legal proof you are allowed to be in the USA. Now how many of us carry such proof on us at all time. I understand that a photo drivers license is not sufficient documentation. The actual detail of the law is that if the police suspect that you might have broken some law, then they can demand you show proof of being in the USA legally. That opens the police to abuse power. It's targeted at the Spanish speaking population but can apply to anyone. If a law enforement person does not like you he could easily stop you because he thinks you did not put on your turn signal when you changed lanes ( it leagally does not matter if you did or not...the policeman just has to suspect that you did wrong.) So now he can demand you show your citizenship papers....which very few of us carry around with us... and since we do not have papers we are now sent off to jail. This is a recent law, signed with in the last month. I have not yet heard reports of abuse but it's now the law. Peace, Love, and Danceing in the National Park for All....but be sure to have your birth certificate in your pocket. Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Tom Banjo Posted June 3, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 That is exactly why such laws are created....to control the general population to prevent us from being able to complain about the truely big things. If we keep lossing our freedoms under the reasoning of "national security' we will soon just be a "'police state" or whatever words you wish to describe it. Many people point out that we are already there. Right there is the reason that this and the many other infringements upon our rights needs to be discussed and brought to the attention of everyone. Another recently signed law has me upset. Down here in Georgia a new law allows the police to require people to show proof of being a proper legal citizen or have the legal proof you are allowed to be in the USA. Now how many of us carry such proof on us at all time. I understand that a photo drivers license is not sufficient documentation. The actual detail of the law is that if the police suspect that you might have broken some law, then they can demand you show proof of being in the USA legally. That opens the police to abuse power. It's targeted at the Spanish speaking population but can apply to anyone. If a law enforement person does not like you he could easily stop you because he thinks you did not put on your turn signal when you changed lanes ( it leagally does not matter if you did or not...the policeman just has to suspect that you did wrong.) So now he can demand you show your citizenship papers....which very few of us carry around with us... and since we do not have papers we are now sent off to jail. This is a recent law, signed with in the last month. I have not yet heard reports of abuse but it's now the law. Peace, Love, and Danceing in the National Park for All....but be sure to have your birth certificate in your pocket. Doc I will be polite and professional while I ask you for proof of American citizenship. When you can't provide it. I will arrest you. I'm just being professional. This is a joke. We are all sheep. Let's embrace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted June 3, 2011 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 .... I ask you for proof of American citizenship. .... A couple weeks ago a friend asked me to print a bumper sticker..." I have My birth certificate"... so a few of us now have this bright green deceration on the backs of our cars. But before putting it on my car I prepared a booklet which I keep handy. It contains a copy of my birth certificate, a seperate copy of my "long form" bith certificate, and then a page with several items, my old orginal draft card, then the seperate draft card that shows my draft classification. I noticed the fine print on the draft card states that we are required by law to keep this document of draft registration on your person at all times. There's a couple copies of graduation diplomes showing I attended Georgia Tech for many years. And at the bottom a drawing of the signing of the Deculation of Independence. This drawing is actually the back side of a two dollar bill wich is meant to be a suttle suggestion that I'm willing to present a small bribe. The final page of the booklet is an old hand drawn official chart of where the stars were in the sky when I was born...I think it's called a zodiack chart... drawn up in the Age of Aquarious, circa 1969. Peace, Love, Danceing in the Park, and keep your papers handy. Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgrmag2564 Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 "He who trades liberty for security deserves neither and will lose both" Ben Franklin "When the government fear the people, you have liberty. When the people fear the government, you have tyranny." Thomas Jefferson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Tom Banjo Posted June 3, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 "He who trades liberty for security deserves neither and will lose both" Ben Franklin "When the government fear the people, you have liberty. When the people fear the government, you have tyranny." Thomas Jefferson Jefferson and Franklin both wrote about the possibility of Americans losing their virtue and becoming undeserving of liberty and democratic government. That day may very well be upon us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted June 4, 2011 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Dancing was made illegal in Ireland? This sounds like an urban myth to me but I was told today that several hundred years ago dancing was made illegal in Ireland. Apparently the English rulers had something out for the Irish folk so the king declared that there would be no dancing in the Emerald Isle. Of course the fun going Irish continued to dance in the pub while downing their ale. But to prevent the crown's henchmen that were walking the streets from seeing the dance through the pub windows the Irish developed their style of dance that the feet and legs move rapidly to the music. Above the waste they remained relatively stationary so that through the windows they might appear to be just standing around in the pub. Peace, Love, and Fast Dancing for All Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP FunkyBass13 Posted June 4, 2011 Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 While I do not believe that the Police were overly aggressive and I do not believe that the protestors out of line, neither side was actually playing very nice "in the sand box". My understanding, and please correct me if I am missing something, is that this was a planned protest after the US Gov't decided to ban dancing at US Monuments (I actually thought I saw where it was dancing at US National parks, but that certainly wouldn't be feasible. Plus, who the fuck cares if you are dancing around Yellowstone, besides Yogi). So the protestors knew this was coming and the Police knew to be prepared for protestors. My opinions on the whole thing: 1) If you were going to have a "Flash Mob"-type group performing at the Jefferson Memorial, that could be quite disrupting to the general public. 2) This was not intrusive, causing a commotion(until the Cops showed up), or really very good Dancing. Now ya get Chuck Vegas out there........... 3) I think the biggest issue I have with the whole thing was the Police Officer leading the news crew away and preventing them from filming. Of all the rights that were being infringed upon, that one is the biggie. Overall, we are simply turning into a Police State. Our rights are being compromised, we are forcing our will continuously on other countries(at least the ones we don't like) and all the Politicians could give two shits cuz its all part of their plan. We the people, my ass. Maybe 30-40 years ago, but even that is looking more and more like it was just blowing smoke. If you think back to the roles that were played in the later stages of the Cold War, I'm really starting to think that we have switched places with the Soviets. WE are now trying to force our policy on all other nations who don't walk in step with us ans WE are trying to shield information from our own people. The Soviets just gave nuclear materials to Iran and got to inspect our chopper that crashed in the Osama raid before Pakistan would give it back to us. They are playing the "nice guy" and we are playing the "heal". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Michael Doc Watson Posted June 4, 2011 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 .....Overall, we are simply turning into a Police State. Our rights are being compromised, we are forcing our will continuously on other countries......we have switched places with the Soviets. WE are now trying to force our policy on all other nations who don't walk in step with us ans WE are trying to shield information from our own people. ....... This is exactly what is happening to our "free" USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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