Westboro Baptist plans to protest in Joplin

[AMonger]

Golly, I had no idea. Thanks for that. <snort>

Well, you didn't (pretend italics) sound (/pretend italics) like you were differentiating between the two.

But it should also be kept in mind that what happened in Brandon was a publicly acknowledged conspiracy between the public and private citizens of Rankin County.

Arranged beforehand? I hadn't heard that, prior official collusion. But as I pointed out, that I condemn the false arrest (and collusion on the other elements), I'm still amused by them, as I'll explain further below.

The same can be said of the tow truck driver, actually, if he was a part of the conspiracy. The parking of the pickup trucks and cars in the motel parking lot to block those with Kansas license plates was a move orchestrated by elected officials of Rankin County, including the County Sheriff, the Mayor and the County Judge.

And again, he's a private citizen. When the cops summoned him to remove those cars, which is what I read, his obligation to remove them and the promptness with which he's required to do so is spelled out in his contract with the city or county. Perhaps it specifies that he has to respond within four hours or something. If he did so, then he fulfilled his obligations. If he didn't, that's a matter for the city council or county commission to take up. If they decline due to some collusion, then let the state look into it. If he doesn't respond according to his contract, then that's between him and the municipality.

What if the shoe was on the other foot. I find it hard to believe that you would find it amusing if you were falsely arrested no matter what the circumstances, but especially if it were because they didn't agree with what you have to say.

There are sometimes circumstances in which one considers the consequences to be an acceptable, perhaps even ethically mandatory, cost of their actions.

Imagine some criminal has abducted a little girl and buried her alive with a limited amount of oxygen. A cop--let's call him O'Shaughnessy...no, wait, let's call him Callahan--catches him and encourages, even exhorts him to divulge the location of the little girl so she can be rescued. The criminal demures.

Knowing time is running out for poor little, freckle-faced, pigtailed Susie, Callahan resorts to tougher measures and gets the information to save her life.

Torture is wrong, isn't it? But if Callahan is willing to face a jury of his peers, wouldn't you concede that he did what he had to do under the circumstance? If it was you and your daughter instead of Detective Callahan, wouldn't you take the chance of facing the jury, ready to accept consequences for your actions? Of course you would.

If the WBC wishes to initiate legal proceedings against the city or county for their actions, I suppose I wouldn't blame them, especially for the detention under false pretenses. But maybe the cops and others figure they're willing to take the consequences.

 

[AMonger]

ou just cited above say the opposite, that private citizens must step aside and allow you to voice your opinion. By not stepping aside, they are infringing on your rights and liberties.

Nope. They remain free to disagree, to say they oppose my assertions. They can reply that OJ and Michael Jackson were innocent in matter of fact as well as law, if they don't mind looking like a fool.

 

[Turtle]

Arranged beforehand? I hadn't heard that, prior official collusion. But as I pointed out, that I condemn the false arrest (and collusion on the other elements), I'm still amused by them, as I'll explain further below.

Beforehand is subjective. It was hastily orchestrated not too long after the individual was beat up at the gas station. Until then, city officials nor citizens knew of Westboro's plans to protest there.

And again, he's a private citizen. When the cops summoned him to remove those cars, which is what I read, his obligation to remove them and the promptness with which he's required to do so is spelled out in his contract with the city or county. Perhaps it specifies that he has to respond within four hours or something. If he did so, then he fulfilled his obligations. If he didn't, that's a matter for the city council or county commission to take up. If they decline due to some collusion, then let the state look into it. If he doesn't respond according to his contract, then that's between him and the municipality.

You're talking in the abstract, and trying to apply it to a group of good ol' boy rednecks. You assume the cops really and truly did summon him to remove the cars, even though the police and the city and county government were the ones who initiated the blocking of the cars in the first place.

<ring ring> "Hey, Jeter? This is your brother-in-law. What? Cletus! Cletus Jenkins! Officer Bubba, ya redneck moron. OK, yeah. You know them yahoos from Kansas who protest them fun'rals? We got a bunch of 'em here at the Super 8, an' Moody and some of the boys got 'em blocked in with their pickups so they cain't go n'where. Yeah, it's a real hoot. I gotta call ya, my sworn duty and all, and have ya get some wreckers out here so they can get to the cemetery on time. I 'magin yer pertty backed up an' cain't get out here for hours, huh. That's what I thought. I'll tell 'em. What? Yeah, we'll be there. Oh, and hey, tell Tonya not to fergit them little mashmellerss on the sweet taters this time. She knows how I like 'em." See ya when ya gits here."

There are sometimes circumstances in which one considers the consequences to be an acceptable, perhaps even ethically mandatory, cost of their actions.

I agree, but that still doesn't address the fact that I find it hard to believe that you would be amused for being falsely arrested, especially if it were because someone else didn't agree with what you had to say.

If the WBC wishes to initiate legal proceedings against the city or county for their actions, I suppose I wouldn't blame them, especially for the detention under false pretenses. But maybe the cops and others figure they're willing to take the consequences.

The cops and the others think there won't be any consequences, tho, that's the problem. They think they can do what they want because they want to. That's not a mindset that I particularly find comforting for elected officials and the police to have, even if I agree with why they are doing it. Because the next time, I might not agree. And then it's too late to speak up.

 

[Turtle]

In a related story...

DENVER — A harassment charge has been dropped in the case of a 35-year-old Colorado man who faced prosecution for displaying his middle finger to a Colorado State Patrol trooper.

The State Patrol said in a statement late Friday that it asked that the case be dropped.

The American Civil Liberties Union had argued that while the gesture may be have been rude, it amounted to protected free speech.

According to the ACLU, Shane Boor was driving to work in April when he saw a trooper pull over a car. As Boor passed by, he extended his middle finger in the trooper's direction.

Boor was later stopped and received a criminal summons ordering him to appear in court to answer a criminal charge of harassment, which carries a possible six-month jail term.