Florida Rep.'s(R) Wife Says She Was Ejected From State Of Union

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.local6.com/news/6647094/detail.html

The wife of Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores, told a newspaper that she was ejected during the State of the Union address for wearing a T-shirt that says, "Support the Troops Defending Our Freedom."

Beverly Young told the St. Petersburg Times that she was sitting in the front row of the House gallery Tuesday night when she was approached by someone who told her she needed to leave.

She said she reluctantly agreed, but argued with several officers in an outside hallway.

In a telephone interview with the newspaper, Young said she told them her shirt wasn't a protest but a message of support.

[WahooJunkie]

1. She also

should have been allowed to stay.

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. Why wasn't she handcuffed, fingerprinted and jailed?

I see blatant discriminatory behavor here. Sheehan could use her as evidence in her civil lawsuit case.

[0007]

87. Does she have bruises? Was she taken away and questioned

like Cindy? Was there any witnesses or photos?

[mzteris]

2. she called the guy an idiot

but he didn't rough HER up and arrest her.

[xiamiam]

10. and cindy did neither of those things....nt...

[XNASA]

3. Before or after Cindy Sheehan was arrested?

It would be interesting to know.

[MiniMe]

79. Has to be after, it was during *'s speech nt

[godai]

112. 45 minutes into the speech (eom)

[demo dutch]

117. It was done to justify Sheehan's arrest!

[w13rd0]

4. Bush hates us...

...for our freedoms, thus this shirt was seen as a protest.

The cynical side of me says they were just covering their ass though...

[ClintonTyree]

76. Same here........

however, my cynicism has most often proved to be fact when the truth is finally uncovered. It wouldn't surprise me one iota if this woman was ejected after Sheehan because some low level bush toady wanted to appear "fair and balanced".
My mother tells me I'm the most cynical person in the world and she's probably correct. Like I said, most often my cynicism turns out to be spot on though. After 55 years of listening to politicians lie it's difficult to NOT be cynical.

[Lowell]

5. Hysterical - they ejected one of their own

These guys are really going overboard. What ever happened to free speech, freedom of expression. That shirt was in no offensive.

[MADem]

13. Naaah, as I said elsewhere, they gave her the toss so they could claim

that they were being FAIR and EVEN HANDED. Never mind that the Monkey's speech highlighted the SACRIFICE of the DEAD SERVICEMEMBERS and the SACRIFICE OF FAMILIES. I guess HE can say it, but no one else can WEAR it.

So, they arrest a Gold Star mother for pointing out a simple fact (it wasn't opinion, it was a DOD figure), the number of service personnel dead....and then toss out a Congressman's wife so they can call it even.

Mrs. Young should have been held, processed, and booked, like Cindy was, if they REALLY want to be fair.

Who will stand up on the floor of the House and cry "shame, shame!" on Cindy's behalf, I wonder?

[Demeter]

20. Facts As A Form of Protest

What are we as a nation, as a people, as a democracy, reduced to?

Miss Liberty is weeping on Staten Island. She wants to go home to France.

[Jim Lane]

101. The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island, not Staten Island

Either way, though, I'm sure she's glad to be standing in a blue state.

[Demeter]

115. Thanks!

Someday I hope to see her--even if I'm not sure my great grandparents came through NY harbor, she means a lot to our family.

[For PaisAn]

29. exactly

they just wanted the appearance of fairness and why the hell wasn't she arrested also?!

[KittyWampus]

36. you really think they scoured the GOPers to find one wearing a t-shirt w

with writing?

Apparently you don't realise how absurd that suggestion is.

[DBoon]

52. Yes, I do think they do that

yes it is absurd but no more so than many of the things that have become commonplace over the last 5 years.

[AverageJoe]

70. That would take about five minutes, maybe less

You'd be amazed at what you can see very quickly if you're in front of a large group of seated people. Not only that, but the woman's shirt may have been noted as she entered the building.

It would be a simple matter to pick her out of the crowd.

[For PaisAn]

72. Absurd?

I never said they scoured the place to find her. I said they wanted the appearance of fairness. For all you or I know, they noticed her after they removed Cindy and realized they'd have to remove her too and that's why they kicked her out. Apparently you didn't read my post very carefully.

[MADem]

84. Mrs. Young had a seat close to Laura, WITHIN CAMERA RANGE

Once they tossed Cindy, they knew that would make the news, so they had to maintain an impression of even-handedness....even though Mrs. Y wasn't arrested, AND got "colorful" (her words) with the Cap police.

[jaysunb]

33. My first thought

and last.

More bullshit.

[KittyWampus]

35. What a pathetic lot of conjecture. What, they specifically had a GOP'ers

wife wear a shirt in anticipiation of this whole thing.

Sorry, but there've been reports of others being ejected for wearing shirts before.

This entire subject is such a diversion and waste of time it's sad.

[samhsarah]

40. I tend to agree....

Just seems like a "see, they do it to Republican pro-war women, too" kink of stunt. The whole thing stinks of Karl Rove to me.

[AverageJoe]

71. You're misrepresenting the post you refer to

The poster didn't say the GOP put the shirt on this lady, just that she became a convenient CYA tool for them because she happened to be wearing it.

[MADem]

85. Thank you Joe, that is exactly what I meant

Reading is fundamental, but preconceived notions make for better high dudgeon, I reckon!

[MADem]

83. No, not at all--but they realized, once they tossed Cindy, that any

camera shot of Mrs. Young front and center would look bad, so they yanked her out of there, too.

I don't think there was any anticipation, except perhaps in ejecting Cindy from the House. The other incident was simply ass-covering.

[whathappened]

94. it,s a shame

for you to be wasteing band width double posting and stepping on this post for your own words to come out of your mouth , thinking you are a freep in dem,s cloth

[cybildisobedience]

54. my first thought, too.

They were afraid people who are critical of Bush's oppressive tactics could add another weapon to their arsenal, so they tried to "neutralize" the opposition by tossing in a sacrificial Republican lamb.
If I were the Congressman's wife, THAT's what I'd really be pissed about!
Another day, she'd be front and center, with the cameras focused on her the entire time.

[raccoon]

111. Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner.

Mrs. Young was a Rovian plant.

[underpants]

69. No I think she was told to do this as a parallel story to Sheehan

see this way they can report on it happening to a Republican wife so there was nothing against Sheehan herself. Also they get to say "...also the wife of a Republican Congressman, who SUPPORTS the troops, was also ejected..."

[truthpusher]

74. Exactly what I thought

[Sequoia]

90. It's like the poem: When they came for the Jews, I did not protest

etc., etc.
But when they came for me....

[hang a left]

6. What is that smell???

[MADem]

7. Her husband wasted no time getting up on the House floor

...and tearfully WAVING THE SHIRT and whining "Shame! Shame!!!"

No props for Cindy, though, in his whinging diatribe. Hey, his old lady wasn't even arrested. So much for "equal protection under the law...."

[sandnsea]

44. We could use this

I'm betting hatred of the GOP will prevent it though.

[IowaGuy]

96. Your right....although I rarely agree w/ any repukes...

he's right on this, and we should trumpet that from the rooftops....it is shameful.

However I don't feel one bit sorry for either him or his wife....this is the world they are making.

Freedom of speech must be for all...if freedom of speech is denied to one, then it is at risk for all. I doubt if this repuke rep recognizes he is merely reaping the crop from the seeds him and his ilk have sown....

[Idioteque]

97. Bill Young is a good guy.

He is my Congressman and while I often disagree with him, he is very kind and helpful to his constituents and he does a lot of stuff to help the troops.

I hope he will stick up for his wife's AND Mrs. Sheehan's right to free speech.

[KurtNYC]

8. I wonder whether they disagreed more with her support for

the troops or her support for freedom ?!

[mark11727]

41. Hey, you know the rules...

No trick questions until after lunch.

Personally, I hate all this quacking from * about "freedom", while the most important of them (First Amendment) can't be practiced by anyone who actually disagrees with the administration (on any subject, mind).

[stepnw1f]

9. surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre

[NoPasaran]

11. They hate us for our freedom-supporting T shirts!

[Lars39]

12. This sounds like a repub "See it happens to us, too" kind of thing,

much like the repubs that had plane trouble right after Wellstones' death.

[xultar]

14. DING DING DING!!! You get the cupie doll!

[hang a left]

17. I want a cupie too!

[DemonFighterLives]

16. No lie

It happens to God fearing troop supporting women just like it happens to moonbats. What they fail to mention is that Cindy is supporting the troops as well, but from the other side.
:freak:

[Straight Shooter]

15. I suspect, if true, she was ejected after the Cindy debacle.

Anyway, the troops aren't defending "our freedom," for crying out loud. They're defending the neocon agenda. She should have been ejected for being non compos mentis.

[Lowell]

23. Actually they are not defending the neocon agenda

the troops are simply trying to survive from day to day. They are more concerned about their body armor and dangerous humvees than with the political agenda of the Command-in-Thief. I know this because I've been there and done that. Only we called it Vietnam.

[Straight Shooter]

26. Actually, they *are* defending the neocon agenda. They just don't know it

They are fulfilling their duty, as they see it. But their duty to their country has morphed into duty for bush and the neocon agenda.

I agree that they are trying to survive. I have no issue with the troops, except for wanting them to come home ASAP. My issue is with idiots who wear empty slogans like "Thank you for protecting our freedom" and other such nonsense.

[kath]

53. And the female troops are more concerned about whether they might be raped

by their male "comrades" on the way to the latrine at night... And trying to figure out if it's worse to risk dying of dehydration (from not drinking any fluids after 3 or 4 pm, in 120 degree heat, so as not to have to pee at night) or risk getting raped.


:-(

[Lowell]

91. That is a sad situation

I served 11 years in the army and 4 in the navy. We never had those kinds of problems when I was in. I expect it was because women soldiers didn't serve at the front and they were well protected at the hospitals. This bunch is willing to put everyone in harms way and damn the consequences.

[Bridget Burke]

18. Does she have any proof?

"Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said Young wasn't ejected from the gallery and she left on her own. She couldn't provide additional details."

I find it hard to believe that a Republican Political Wife would wear anything as tacky as a t-shirt in public.

[jobycom]

32. I agree. She's a Republican, so my first assumption is she's a liar.

If she can prove she's telling the truth, I'll reevaluate. Even if she's telling the truth, she wasn't arrested or handled roughly, and she was allowed to speak to the cop. Clearly a double standard, even in the unlikely event that she's telling the truth.

[Ilsa]

19. Everyone should wear a messaged t-shirt in the future.

Let them try to toss all 535 of them out (or 534 since one stays behind).

[screembloodymurder]

82. All the Democrats should wear a t-shirt

next time. Let them toss out the whole lot.

[sofa king]

21. The war does not exist except when it's expedient to them.

Pretend it ain't there until August, and then accuse us of hating America, that's what they'll do.

[daleo]

22. Yes, let's see some proof

This sounds like an after the fact cover story.

[GoldenOldie]

24. Where are the photo's???

Certainly the press would have captured photo's of her being "ejected," as they did of Cindy?

Her hubby waves a t-shirt that says "support the troops," and simply declares that she was wearing it.... she seems to be the missing link?

What a crock of crap.

[redqueen]

25. Did they arrest her, too?

Why are they enforcing rules that don't exist?

Is it fascism yet?

[Dukkha]

27. The Brown Shirts are out of control

We're gonna find out where you folks really stand.

Are there any queers in the theater tonight?
Get them up against the wall!
There's one in the spotlight, he don't look right to me,
Get him up against the wall!
That one looks Jewish!
And that one's a coon!
Who let all of this riff-raff into the room?
There's one smoking a joint,
And another with spots!
If I had my way,
I'd have all of you shot!

[land of the free]

28. MSNBCs take on this - check out the link titles

So, I noticed that on msnbc.com today, they have a link to a story in their "Politics" section (this link appears in multiple places on the site) titled "Police Arrest Sheehan, Lawmaker's Wife".

The story (at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11120353/)clearly states Sheehan was handcuffed, arrested, and charged with a misdemeanor. It also clearly states that Young was merely asked to leave - she was not arrested. Their links on every politics-related page are wrong (not merely misleading - they are factually incorrect.)

I've emailed the editors of MSNBC.com to ask them to correct their link, which gives the impression Young was also arrested. Others might want to send them a request to correct their error as well (see the bottom of any MSNBC.com page for the "contact us" link.)

[soup]

37. Thanks for the heads up, land of the free.

and welcome to DU! :hi:

edit to note: letter sent to [e-mail]

[land of the free]

49. Thanks... and MSNBC update

Thanks for the welcome!

BTW, it seems that MSNBC has updated the main link on their homepage to say "Sheehan, Lawmaker's Wife Ejected".

However, anytime you're in an article in the Politics section of the site, there is a callout box that still uses the link titled "Police Arrest Sheehan, Lawmaker's Wife".
Perhaps they're in the process of updating them all.
(I'm not a sheep, I just like to believe that they'll do the right thing if they get enough complaints about their lack of accuracy).

FYI, if you all didn't notice the following poll:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11121444/

Do you agree with the decision by Capitol Police to remove activist Cindy Sheehan from the gallery at the president's State of the Union speech because she was wearing a T-shirt with an antiwar slogan? * 183966 responses

Yes, such behavior is not allowed in that setting and is inappropriate. 52%

No, she was a legitimately invited guest and deserves to have her right to free speech honored. 48%

I don't love the wording of their question. So often, these poll questions are very leading. I could agree that it is perhaps inappropriate, but that she has the right of free speech. I think it would have been stunning for her to just show up & sit through the awful speech. You know cameras would have been on her. I think it would have made a more bold statement, that she will sit through his speech of lies, yet he will not even speak to her about her son's sacrifice.


(note: edited to indent the MSNBC poll paragraph)

[Gormy Cuss]

30. W's got wings like an angel.

Click the link and look at the photo they chose to accompany this. The eagle's wing on the seal looks like it's sprouting out of W's back.

So if Young's wife was ejected but not arrested for wearing that T-shirt (her claim,) are we supposed to believe that it's fair and balanced and therefore acceptable?

[AzDar]

31. Funny place, FLORIDA....always trying to save Junior's ass. n/t

[gatorboy]

34. Anyone remember this happening?

If anyone watched that SOTU that is (I didn't). But considering she supposedly was on the front row, seems to me that there would be video proof of this.

I wonder if CSPAN has the entire coverage or just the speech online....

[The Backlash Cometh]

38. Why wasn't she handcuffed, fingerprinted and jailed?

[brainshrub]

42. She should have been allowed to stay. Still, I smell a plant.

And I'm not talking about roses.

[onenote]

48. what purpose would that serve?

For that matter, what purpose did arresting Sheehan serve. If she hadn't been arrested and had simply sat there with her t-shirt on, virtually no one would've noticed and it probably would barely have merited a comment in the news. Arresting her gets her and her shirt far more publicity.

My guess is that its just the Capital Police overreacting, not a conspiracy.

onenote

[godai]

113. The TV cameras would have been on her, probably several times

[stevedeshazer]

43. I'll almost bet my house this story is BOGUS

This story would have been FRONT PAGE NEWS and Mrs. Young would have been interviewed by Katie "You Can't Blame The Media" Couric.

Sean Hannity would set up a live remote outside her house.

[Cleita]

46. I think so too.n/t

[Judi Lynn]

73. It reminds one of that G.O.P. activist who brings his kids to political

events, then sets it up to have someone rip their little signs from their hands at strategic times to set them off sobbing, while he accuses adult union workers, or Democrats standing around as the culprits.

Republicans would be NOWHERE if they didn't cheat, after all.

[stevedeshazer]

93. Phil Parlock! How could I ever forget.

He made #4 with a bullet on the DU 'Top Ten Conservative Idiots' list once upon a time.



link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/04/171.html

[Judi Lynn]

109. Wowie! Now we can all have a photo of Pharlock, too, thanks to you!

Typical Republican. They are world-famous for their stupendous dignity, aren't they? That photo is the BEST, showing him caught in the act and all. Woohooo! :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Yes, Republicans are indeed the impeccable, elegant Americans. We can only bow to their greatness.




Thanks for posting that link. It's a real keeper.

[neuvocat]

45. Well...

if I was at the SOTU speech at the front row I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a T-shirt. This isn't the same thing as Cindy Sheehan mind you-I'm sure that she at least put a good level of thought into what she was wearing.

[DemFromMem]

47. What's next - banning yellow ribbons?

In today's America, people make political statements all day long in small ways. Since when is it up the Capitol Police to have to look someone up and down and determine whether someone is making a political statement or not? Absurd.

[land of the free]

50. perhaps you can only wear Haliburton-manufactured yellow ribbons (NT)

n/t

[dave29]

51. All this does in re-inforce the image of Bush as completely cowardly

He's the most terrorized President ever.

T-shirts? C'mon, man, they can't hurt you.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

55. Lawmaker's wife told to leave during Bush speech

17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The wife of a senior House of Representatives Republican was told to leave the House chamber during President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech for for wearing a shirt bearing words of support for U.S. troops.

"Shame, shame," Rep. Bill Young of Florida said on the House floor on Wednesday, condemning the treatment of his wife Beverly by the U.S. Capitol Police.

"She was ordered to leave the gallery, because she was doing ... what the president said we should all do," Young said. "She had on this shirt. A very conservative shirt, long sleeves, high neck, but it says support our troops."

Also on Tuesday night anti-Iraq war activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested in one of the House galleries before the speech after she refused to cover up an anti-war slogan on her shirt.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060201/pl_nm/bush_speech_young_dc

[jayfish]

56. That Story Is Only 22 Minutes Old, Yet DU...

had better sourcing on this story hours ago. Sloppy tripe.

Jay

[underpants]

57. Sounds like a set up to me

MSM will report on Sheehan and then say "but a woman who SUPPORTS the troops was also arrested..."

[babylonsister]

59. Big dif; the repug wife was not arrested AFAIK. nt

[shance]

60. What is AFAIK?

Im slow on the initials.

;)

[babylonsister]

64. The lazy way to write "as far as I know".

:)

[zbdent]

65. Stands for "As Far As I Know"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

62. Better run it through the Cry-O-Meter for scientific analysis.

:evilgrin:

[underpants]

67. Also

[shance]

58. That's obvious. Try to plant a false story with a war supporter

to make the arrests look more fair and even handed.

When you have lots of money, I guess you can plant false situations like this.

[Goblinmonger]

61. Did Mrs. Alito cry when this happened? n/t

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

63. You read my mind...(see above)

:evilgrin:

[truthisfreedom]

66. of course. she cried blood.

like a statue of Mary.

[Judi Lynn]

68. They're nothing if not determined to make asses of themselves.

They look like heroes to each other, apparently, but like idiots to others.



On Beverly, from a right-wing blogger:

"But Beverly Young, the wife of Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores, doesn't play by those rules. Spend a day with her visiting wounded Marines at the National Naval Medical Center and you'll hear a few expletives. When she sees a photograph of a former hospital official, Beverly says: "See this b----? If she were here, I'd deck her."
(snip)

http://kilosparksitup.blogspot.com/2005/12/beverly-young.html



http://www.pva.org/newsroom/FeaturesArchive/2003/f03023.htm

Beverly poured a Budweiser on the pontoon boat named after her, which was purchased to take wheel-chair-bound veterans for rides.

[Plaid Adder]

75. Bogus or not, I don't think this story helps Bush.

Because what's the message to their base here?

1) Supporting the troops is now considered a form of protest?
2) We're just as willing to manhandle you as we are the Democrats?
3) If one of you NASCAR dads or moms ever tries to wear a T-shirt in the presence of Our Great Leader on TV, LOOK THE FUCK OUT!

I'm not saying it's not concocted, just that if it was, it was energy mis-spent on their part.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[wordpix2]

77. how do you like BushCo's anti-disrupter program now, Rep. Young?

[lostexpectation]

78. fashionstakes

I see Laura Bush was wearing a muslim woman and a black man.

[Charlie Brown]

80. I think this was merely damage control by the Cap Police

When they realized what they had done, they had to find someway to "objectify" it by also booting out someone with a pro-war shirt.

The fact that Mrs. Young was not roughed up and booked is indicative of the real motive.

In defense of Mrs. Young, though, she was also a victim, and has a right to wear her shirt in the House gallery just like Cindy.

[HuffleClaw]

81. complete and utter bullshit.

funny how this 'story' appeared a while AFTER the cindy incident. the wife of a congress critter is NOT going to show up at the SOTU wearing a t-shirt fer cryin' out loud, she's gonna wear her best outfit. until i see pictures i call bullshit. a cheap smokescreen and attempt to lessen somehow the assholery of the cindy arrest.

[MADem]

86. I believe she had it on--the Youngs go to Walter Reed a lot

They are into that "glory of war, respect the sacrifice, aren't they so BRAVE!" mindset, and have been for some time. They should send all their loved ones, if they feel that way...

I think she was seated in the wrong place--way too close to Laura, and in camera range. Had she been way in the back they probably would have left her there. There had to be an APPEARANCE of being even-handed, I think...

[onenote]

92. exactly right -- big time presence at Walter Reed

and she's quite a "strong willed" woman from what I've heard.

And how would it possibly benefit the repubs to make up a story about Bev Young wearing a shirt? Instead of marginalizing Sheehan, it makes her look no different than a repub wife, except Sheehan gets arrested.

Frankly, the conspiracy theories don't make much sense. If the cops hadn't gone after Cindy, her t-shirt would've been a non-story since it wouldn't have been noticed by hardly anyone and wouldn't have been commented upon by the press. Now she's gotten loads of publicity and, with the Young twist, she doesn't even look like she was out of line.

If this is what a Rovian conspiracy looks like, we'd already control both houses of congress and the White House. Nope, this is just overzealous capital hill cops.

onenote

[MADem]

103. Well, now that the Cap police have admitted they made an error

in even arresting Cindy ("we screwed up" was what they said)...the point is moot.

[Imalittleteapot]

88. Why do I smell a rat?

A Republican Reps. wife wouldn't dress like that for the State of the Union Address. That's why. Call it cooked up, set up, whatever. I think it was a stunt to cover their asses for ejecting American citizen Cindy and then to top if off, cuffing her and taking her to the station.

[Sequoia]

89. Shirt tales different for Sheehan, Republican's wife

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Call it the tale of two different shirts worn by two very different women: a well-known peace activist who has agitated the White House and a lawmaker's wife who has staunchly supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan wore a shirt with the message, "2,245 Dead. How many more?" -- a reference to the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq.

Beverly Young, the wife of 18-term Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Young of Florida, wore a shirt that read, "Support the Troops."

Both women's shirts resulted in their owners being ejected from the House chamber before President Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/01/sheehan.arrest/index.html

[beam me up scotty]

95. Where are the pictures

of Beverly Young:

1) Wearing the T-shirt in the first row?
2) Being confronted about it?
3) Walking out of the chamber?

I mean you can't pick your nose during the SOTU and not have it recorded.

[ohgorsh]

98. Cindys letter and words

CINDY'S REPORT (written Tuesday):
(To see the T-shirt, go to http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/7330)

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: 2245 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 undergroud 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, "2245, 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 2244 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 shrit 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 ulitmate 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 of 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

[beam me up scotty]

100. I think most of us have seen Cindy's pics and story by now

What I would like to see are the pictures of Beverly Young sitting with her T-shirt, being confronted and being escorted out of the chambers.

She was interviewed on CNN claiming that outside the chamber she was telling the police to arrest her and that she was going to go back in no matter what. Something tells me she's having a creative memory which conveniently doesn't have any video confirmation.

[Raine]

99. This article

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11120353/ says BOTH women "offended tradition." :shrug:

[WebeBlue]

102. I Cheer Beverly Young; there's more to her and the story

Looks to me like you folks might be missing an opportunity here, just because Beverly Young is Republican wife of Republican Congressman doesn't mean the whole repuke condemnations apply. Read about her first and what she has actually already done to help our troops, including getting some laws passed on their behalf, then decide

see her story at Dying to Preserve the Lies or at it's source Worldandnation: Capitol Hill wife who just won't sit still

[MADem]

104. You're right

And the great thing about this whole story is the apology by the Cap Police ("we screwed up") to Cindy, coupled with the outspoken GOP wife will probably push the Monkey's latest charm initiative (speeches at four locations, the first being the Grand Ole Opry today) off the top of the fold, anyway. This story is WAAAAAAAY more interesting, from both angles.

[onenote]

105. my point exactly!!

[MADem]

106. Beverly actually sounds like someone I would like to know

Any woman who admits to voting against her husband because she has a soft spot for the underdog has to have a decent heart. That link that talks about her trips to Bethesda was most interesting.

[onenote]

107. A friend of mine who knows her was describing her to me today

He hadn't heard about her being tossed from the SOTU and when I told him he just started laughing. He was telling me that she had quite a "mouth." Apparently, while Bill Young is a powerful guy, when she calls, he drops everything.

onenote

[Voltaire99]

108. Equating mass murder and torture with "defending freedom"...

...means you've showed up at the wrong event, Mrs. Young. The Nuremberg Rally is thataway.

[JerseygirlCT]

110. She's the one who argued, who cursed, who resisted

and Sheehan's the one who was arrested.

[WebeBlue]

114. That onus is on the arresting police, not on Beverly Young

Come on here, making the distinctions that Cindy was arrested and Beverly wasn't following a comment about Beverly's 'mouthy venacular' .... Beverely Young didn't orchestrate how the police would react and respond and certainly had nothing to do with the action on the part of the police to arrest Cindy.

Distinctions; Cindy arrested and Beverly not = justified outrage from American citizens for the actions and behaviour of the arresting officer.
trying to put Beverly into a lesser light because of police actions...questionable.

[JerseygirlCT]

116. I didn't attempt anything of the sort

I merely pointed out the incongruities of the situation.

[EndElectoral]

118. Collateral Damage....They couldn't kick Sheehan out unless they kicked her

out.....

GW wanted Sheehan out of the hall, and if you're going to use an excuse, as bogus as the Sheehan one, then they had to balance it out. He got what he wanted. Sheehan out of the hall.