Prosecution of Ray McGovern is Dropped

[kpete]

Source: Oped News

Prosecution of Ray McGovern
is Dropped

The charges against Ray McGovern have been dropped and the government has decided not to proceed with its prosecution. Mr. McGovern, age 71, was subjected to an outrageous and abusive arrest, which left him bruised and bleeding. He had been standing silently with his back turned to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she delivered her address on Feb. 15 at George Washington University, in which she insisted other governments around the world not stifle free expression.

McGovern was an Army officer and CIA analyst for almost 30 years. He was among the first to expose the corruption of intelligence to “justify” the ongoing wars. He was wearing a Veterans for Peace T-shirt at the time of his arrest.

“The Constitution lives. I am hugely grateful for the widespread condemnation of the brutal treatment I encountered two weeks ago for exercising my First Amendment rights. It strikes me as an empowering example of what we can do together in standing for Justice and against the violence of war. If Defense Secretary Robert Gates is spared arrest when he acknowledges the folly of committing U.S. troops to a land war in Asia, we too should be spared arrest and brutality at the hands of those for whom the Constitution is merely a piece of paper,” stated Mr. McGovern.

“This outrageous arrest laid bare the hypocrisy of Clinton’s presentation about free speech and free expression. While lecturing other governments, she never even paused while Mr. McGovern was brutally hauled out right in front of her and arrested while peacefully and silently expressing dissent,” stated Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, one of Mr. McGovern’s attorneys at the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, which is representing Mr. McGovern.

Read more: http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=127882

---

Prosecution of Ray McGovern is Dropped
Statement from Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, which provided legal advice to Ray McGovern released the following statement:
http://www.commondreams.org/further/2011/03/02

[The Blue Flower]

1. Ray is a hero

nt

[OnyxCollie]

2. K&R.

[formercia]

3. A bit ironic that SCOTUS ruled in favor of First Amendment rights.

Just proves there was never a case against him.

"Never turn your back on the Emperor."
Gladiator, the Movie.

[struggle4progress]

9. It probably only shows that GWU didn't want to press charges

The auditorium holds about 250 people, and the CNN video suggests it was packed for the SoS speech. McGovern was in the third or fourth row, so his removal must have visible to almost everyone in the auditorium, and there's no indication that other audience members thought the removal inappropriate

Whatever his original intention, McGovern's "action" couldn't possibly have communicated anything clearly to the audience. I guess he got a little press from it -- but his "explanations" have been inconsistent and confused; they don't really push any one particular issue into the limelight, except his dislike for the SoS

What a waste of time ...

[formercia]

22. I commend McGovern for his action

Truth to power. Hillary should have intervened and allowed him to continue standing. Her failure to do so validated his point.

Her behavior invalidated the point she was vocalizing and made her look like a hypocrite.

[struggle4progress]

25. "Speaking truth to power" can only work if people can figure out what you're trying to say

I bet there aren't twenty people in the country who know exactly what McGovern was trying to say -- and probably hardly any of them were at that event

[TheMadMonk]

29. Actually I think he said it quite eloquently. I think he expected exactly...

...what happened to happen. INCLUDING Hillary prattling on without pause as he was dragged from the room.

And I don't think he expected the media to jump on behind him in the aftermath.

His message is for the people of DU and their like. "This is your government. What are you going to do about it?"

[No Elephants]

34. I'd take that bet in a NY heartbeat. Heck, 20 people on this

thread alone seem to have gotten his point.

[JoeyT]

32. Looked pretty clear to me.

While Hillary droned on about how important it is to protect the rights of protesters, one that isn't even being disruptive is dragged out to have the shit kicked out of him in front of her and she doesn't say a word.

If he'd rented a billboard and a bullhorn he couldn't have made the message any clearer.

[No Elephants]

33. " no indication that other audience members thought the removal inappropriate"

What kind of standard is that?

The man stood silently. What made bloodying him up the least bit appropriate?

"Whatever his original intention, McGovern's "action" couldn't possibly have communicated anything clearly to the audience."

Really? Turning one's back on a politician does not clearly indicate disapproval of policies? And why assume his goal was
communicating with his fellow audience members? Was that the point of the Iraqi who threw a shoe at Dummya?

Btw, GWU does not have to want to press charges. It's not like a domestic violence case, when the only witness to the allegedly criminal behavior reneges. Here, there were many witnesses, including the arresting officers.

Besides, the OP offers no support at all for your assumption. Neither do the facts.

[obxhead]

4. "Mr. McGovern and his attorneys at the Partnership for Civil Justice

Fund are evaluating his next legal options."

I hope there is a well broadcast lawsuit for Mr. McGovern to come. Hypocrisy must be pointed out in this case.

[struggle4progress]

20. Who would you have him sue and on what grounds?

Had he stood in the third row of a cinema or concert hall, would you think management had no right to remove him?

[obxhead]

27. They might have had the right to remove him.

They did not have the right to beat him.

You could start with a lawsuit for brutality.

[struggle4progress]

30. He has a suit if he can show he was beaten: but all he's shown to the public

is a photo of himself with a few bruises on his arms and a small bandage on his wrist, without much discussion

[blackspade]

5. Thanks for the reminder of this travesty.

[valerief]

6. If this hero were a corporation, he could turn his back on whomever he wanted without

any repercussions.

:grr:

[krabigirl]

7. K & r.

[EFerrari]

8. Kick

[L. Coyote]

10. Sue!

[Vidar]

11. K&R.

[DeSwiss]

12. SUE the bastards!!! - K&R n/t

[avaistheone1]

28. You're damn tooting right.

k&r

[Peace Patriot]

13. Kudos and Laurel Wreaths to Ray McGovern for exposing the utter hypocrisy of the U.S....

...preaching to other countries about "free speech," when "free speech" here is not only "caged" away from our political conventions, and often enough beaten, jailed, spied upon and harassed, but also DOES NOT EXIST IN THE BROADCAST MEDIA, due to five billionaires owning and controlling ALL of our PUBLIC airwaves.

I have learned, from studying the media situation in Venezuela, concerning which rightwingers, corporate sources and the U.S. State Department/CIA allege that the Chavez government suppresses "free speech," that, in fact, the opposite is true...

--the cause celebre of this rightwing/corporate allegation--RCTV (which the Chavez government denied a license renewal to)--was ACTIVELY involved in the 2002 rightwing coup d'etat attempt; not just opinion, ACTIVE collusion with a rightwing/military cabal that kidnapped the elected president (Chavez), and suspended the constitution, the courts, the national assembly and all civil rights. RCTV hosted meetings of the cabal, broadcast lies and doctored footage on their behalf and forbade any member of Chavez's govermment from speaking on TV. Almost any country in the world would have pulled RCTV's license for what they did, and many de-licensings occurred in other countries during this period, for far less cause--facts that were ALWAYS left out of so-called "news" articles and other rightwing/corporate/CIA garbage about Venezuela.

-- far rightwing/corporate viewpoints continue to dominate the public airwaves in Venezuela.

--the Chavez government has funded some public channels and broadcasters to provide more balance.

So, in truth, what is happening in Venezuela, regarding the media, is that the Chavez government is trying to create something like what we once had here: THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE, by which those who were given the PRIVILEGE of using our PUBLIC TV/radio airwaves for commercial purposes were OBLIGED to EARN that PRIVILEGE by fair and balanced and objective coverage of news and public affairs. They were OBLIGED to provide opposing views, if the station expressed its owners opinion on a public issue. They were OBLIGED to provide public service--full coverage of political conventions, for instance. And they were forbidden to form monopolies.

When all news and opinion are in the control of the rich, they will, on their own, only promote views that KEEP THEM RICH and that MAKE THEM RICHER. Get it? The broadcast airwaves belong to the public and SHOULDN'T BE USED THAT WAY. The Reaganites got rid of the Fairness Doctrine and the result is the "Alice in Wonderland" world of today's media--all rightwing/corporate, all the time.

When the U.S. State Department preaches about "free speech" to other countries, it is NOT talking about REAL "free speech." It is talking about CORPORATE speech. It has NO INTEREST in the majority of people in Venezuela--the ones who elected Chavez--having "free speech." It has no interest in "we the People" of the U.S. having "free speech"--as Ray McGovern's arrest for turning his back on Clinton--and so many other government actions--have amply demonstrated. It is ONLY interested in retaining and expanding its corporate/war profiteer propaganda machine: the corporate media, which operates in lockstep with U.S. multinational/war profiteer goals.

[NICO9000]

14. Great news

I find it impossible to believe that HRC can't see any irony in this incident.

[Kingofalldems]

15. Freepers won't like this one

K and R

[walldude]

23. They won't know what side of this one to come down on.

The ensuing commentary should be hilarious.

[CLANG]

16. WOO-HOO!! K&K!!

[chill_wind]

17. Now go get em, Mr. McGovern and send a message. K & R.

[Corruption Winz]

18. Honestly, this was digusting when I first read it.

How can you say something that directly relates to something happening in front of you and do nothing about it. That's shocking to think ANYONE from EITHER side of the fence could do this.

[Duval]

19. Yayyyyyyy!!! n/t

[katty]

21. great-they should have left him alone anyway

[bertman]

24. While I respect Ray McGovern's decision to protest the SOS in the manner he did

I would have been really pissed if I were the one he was standing in front of. Does he have the right to stand in front of someone else who came to the venue with the expectation of being able to hear and see the speaker without having someone stand in front of her/him?

[cui bono]

26. Hopefully charges brought BY McGovern won't be dropped.

I hope he has filed.

[marasinghe]

31. cops can't remove a 71 year old non-violent protester, without bruising & bloodying him?

these officers need to take up quilting, or catering tea parties. i guess Mr. McGovern is fortunate he didn't get tasered in around his heart, or accidentally shot by a cop mistaking a pistol for a taser. there were times & places, where cops who couldn't manage a violent, young, hopped up junkie, without hurting him, would have to resign their jobs, or perhaps be assigned to man the precinct 'phones. the dumbing down and dialing up the violence, goes on apace & on schedule, in america.

cheers to Ray McGovern - fighting fascists since the 1990's, at least.

:beer: