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January 31, 2006
Denial of Cindy Sheehan's Rights
Call me old fashioned, but guests to the State of the Union address really ought to be appropriately dressed. Unfortunately for Cindy Sheehan, a vocal critic of the war in Iraq whose son was killed during the conflict, she chose to wear a tee shirt with an anti-war slogan and was not only ejected from the speech, but she was arrested by the Capitol Police.
Unfortunately for Cindy Sheehan, the Capitol Police felt that the message on her shirt was illegal. And unfortunately for the people of the United States of America and for the cause of freedom, a citizen has been trampled down by the government for exercising her first amendment right to free speech. Her alleged crime: "Unlawful Conduct".
There was no indication that Ms. Sheehan actually intended to commit an illegal act, or even that she would disrupt the event by inappropriate behavior, such as heckling the President. All she did was wear a tee shirt with a message containing the number of service people killed in Iraq and asking how many more. Wearing a tee shirt with controversial social or political message is not only not illegal, it is a long-accepted means of personal expression.
It is understandable that Ms. Sheehan would be dismissed from the speech due to inappropriate attire, after she revealed her tee shirt and was asked to cover it. But that a person in this country would be arrested for the act of displaying such a message stands contrary to our ideals and to our history, and is more suggestive of other regimes that attempt to control what their citizens think and say. This is not who America is, this is not what America is about, and anybody who would claim otherwise is leading us down a path of something that America must never become.
The Capitol Police will have many questions to answer in the days and weeks ahead. My very first question is, "Wouldn't it have been enough to eject this woman from the event?", immediately followed by, "As police, you have a sworn duty to uphold the constitution, among other responsibilities. The constitution is a foundational document on which our other laws hang. What conceivable interpretation of this document would lead you to believe that arresting a citizen for expressing a viewpoint is legal and appropriate?" There will be many other questions as well, and it is my hope that the Capitol Police are held accountable for their questionable actions.
As Americans we are entitled to our exercise our rights responsibly. As members of a nominally free nation, including the freedom to think and to and express those thoughts, we should be very concerned about what may lie down the road.
[ed: Corrections made based on additional news available the next morning, 2/1/06]
Posted by Pat at January 31, 2006 10:29 PM