Officer Threatens To Arrest Woman For Anti-Bush Sticker

[paula777]

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4128358/detail.html

Officer Threatens To Arrest Woman For Anti-Bush Sticker

POSTED: 1:42 pm EST January 25, 2005

DENVER -- A police sergeant is being investigated for allegedly threatening a woman with arrest for displaying a profane President Bush bumper sticker.

The "F--- Bush" bumper sticker on 26-year-old Shasta Bates' pickup truck offended a shopping center patron who saw it Monday on Bates' parked vehicle and flagged down Sgt. Michael Karasek, who was patrolling the area.

"He (Karasek) told her that this was a warning and that the next time he saw her truck, she was going to be arrested if she didn't remove the sticker," said 25-year-old Alinna Figueroa, assistant manager of a store at the shopping center where the officer confronted Bates.

"I couldn't believe it," she said.

Police Chief Gerry Whitman said the incident was under investigation. He did not elaborate.

City Attorney Cole Finnegan said there were no city ordinances against displaying a profane bumper sticker.

Bates said she put the sticker on her truck because she disagrees with Bush's stance on homosexuality and other issues.

"I get some older men who pull up at the side of me and start yelling and cussing," she said, adding she's had only a few complaints since placing it on her truck in August.

[MikeG]

1. What saved her is no ordinance.

It's possible the sticker is disorderly conduct.

Obscenity is not protected speech but could be considered political speech with a redeeming social value.

[Moloch]

4. 'Fuck' is not obscenity...

See Cohen V. California (1971)

[MikeG]

6. I remember. I stand corrected.

But people in my area get arrested for disorderly conduct all the time for saying fuck you to a cop.

So it is not always followed.

[Mike Niendorff]

7. case link:

Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971)

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=403&invol=15

"the State may not, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, make the simple public display here involved of this single four-letter expletive a criminal offense."


MDN

[maveric]

2. It is Verboten to speak badly of the Fuherer!

When will people get it?

[Mojambo]

3. We're getting to a bad place here in America

Dissent being crushed
Religious fundamentalism is flourishing
Government is openly paying corporate media to propagandize
Rumsfeld has his own secret intelligence force
We've now (effectively) lost the right to speak out electorally.

I know what's at the end of this road... and it ain't pretty.

[AuntiBush]

10. I have the same sad thoughts.

Everyone I know keeps asking, "What the heys going on?" and "How can they get away with this.." "Sad, really, very sad times in our country, while those that stand for human rights, and our own social securities and cultural freedoms (what's left of them) quickly, with such traumatically extreme measures (hitting us left and right from every direction) are fastly being flushed down the toilet.

:hurts:

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

5. Ugh...

......she still gets a smack on the head for not being able to find something more creative than that.

[Zomby Woof]

8. I like the one I saw recently

"The only Bush I trust is my own". :D

[AuntiBush]

9. Kerry/Edwards Bumper Sticker Created Kaos

On my campus, right before the election when a student tore apart my History professors' car bumper, and continued to beat dents into it, and smash glass from the car's windows... all because he had a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker on his car.

Demographically, it's a very redneck mentality area. The newspapers reported it as did the college newsletter as most were appalled. Taking 2 classes from him, I know the man personally. When I say it broke his heart, its an understate because he's the kindest soul one could ever have the pleasure of knowing. He obviously knows the Constitution better than most. Sadly, it was reported that many people witnessed this (on campus during the day, and heavily policed by campus cops), still, not one spoke-up that witnessed this.

He got his car repaired, but feared placing another sticker on the car for fear of more damages and never did again. Yet, everywhere I looked all over campus and the county everyone had their Bush/Cheney stickers on their cars.

Nothing like "Freedom of Express," depending on what side of the great divide you're mentality sides with.

:( :shurg: