See other Dead Constitution Articles
Title: What Really Happened. (Cindy Sheehan)
Source:
Daily Kos
URL Source: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/1/31944/23746
Published: Feb 1, 2006
Author: Cindy Sheehan
Post Date: 2006-02-01 04:50:52 by robin
Keywords: Happened., Sheehan), Really
Views: 255
Comments: 43
What Really Happened. by CindySheehan Wed Feb 01, 2006 at 01:19:44 AM PDT Dear Friends, 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
Poster Comment: 
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 27.
#4. To: robin (#0)
This arrest would seem to have been in clear violation of COHEN v. CALIFORNIA, 403 U.S. 15 (1971) (arrest of protester for wearing T-shirt saying "F*** the draft" in a courthouse was unconstitutional violation of First Amendment).
Seems they made a major error in having her arrested.. not error in that they misunderstood what the law is.... But that they'll have repercussions to deal with .. I think though they'd rather have to deal with a lawsuit than to have had Sheehan sit in the gallery and have Bush deal with Bush facing her. Did you notice the look on Bush's face when the Democrats sit in silence and the Republicans were applauding.. I believe it was in reference to the Patriot Act.. His face clearly showed anger IMO.
Having her arrested makes a statement. They have the power and aree willing to use it. It plays to their base of psycho fascists who cheer loudest when opposition is silenced and free speech is suppressed. Richard W.
True.. and good point... They've shown they're not too concerned about the opinion of the people.. And you're right too about the pyscho facists.. just a quick look at FR and what they had to say confirms that.
Too many people speaking the truth and challenging the fascist regime can become a movement. That cannot be permitted. We've already lost our country. Richard W.
#28. To: Arete (#27)
A 2002 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit quotes a regulation of the United States Capitol Police Board as interpreting Congress's prohibition of demonstration activity inside the Capitol Buildings to include: Presumably this same regulation is still in effect.
They've shown they're not too concerned about the opinion of the people.. Too many people speaking the truth and challenging the fascist regime can become a movement. That cannot be permitted. We've already lost our country. Richard W. This brings to mind some relevant quotes from a relevant article: "...In order to achieve a totally predictable economy, the low-class elements of society must be brought under total control, i.e., must be housebroken, trained, and assigned a yoke and long-term social duties from a very early age, before they have an opportunity to question the propriety of the matter....." "...Give me control over a nation's currency, and I care not who makes its laws. -- Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1743 - 1812)..." "...What Mr. Rothschild had discovered was the basic principle of power, influence, and control over people as applied to economics. That principle is "when you assume the appearance of power, people soon give it to you."..." "...War is therefore the balancing of the system by killing the true creditors (the public which we have taught to exchange true value for inflated currency) and falling back on whatever is left of the resources of nature and regeneration of those resources...." Diversion, the Primary Strategy Experience has prevent that the simplest method of securing a silent weapon and gaining control of the public is to keep the public undisciplined and ignorant of the basic system principles on the one hand, while keeping them confused, disorganized, and distracted with matters of no real importance on the other hand. This is achieved by: disengaging their minds; sabotaging their mental activities; providing a low-quality program of public education in mathematics, logic, systems design and economics; and discouraging technical creativity. engaging their emotions, increasing their self-indulgence and their indulgence in emotional and physical activities, by: unrelenting emotional affrontations and attacks (mental and emotional rape) by way of constant barrage of sex, violence, and wars in the media - especially the T.V. and the newspapers. giving them what they desire - in excess - "junk food for thought" - and depriving them of what they really need. rewriting history and law and subjecting the public to the deviant creation, thus being able to shift their thinking from personal needs to highly fabricated outside priorities. These preclude their interest in and discovery of the silent weapons of social automation technology. The general rule is that there is a profit in confusion; the more confusion, the more profit. Therefore, the best approach is to create problems and then offer solutions. Diversion Summary Media: Keep the adult public attention diverted away from the real social issues, and captivated by matters of no real importance. Schools: Keep the young public ignorant of real mathematics, real economics, real law, and real history. Entertainment: Keep the public entertainment below a sixth-grade level. Work: Keep the public busy, busy, busy, with no time to think; back on the farm with the other animals. Consent, the Primary Victory A silent weapon system operates upon data obtained from a docile public by legal (but not always lawful) force. Much information is made available to silent weapon systems programmers through the Internal Revenue Service. (See Studies in the Structure of the American Economy for an I.R.S. source list.) This information consists of the enforced delivery of well-organized data contained in federal and state tax forms, collected, assembled, and submitted by slave labor provided by taxpayers and employers. Furthermore, the number of such forms submitted to the I.R.S. is a useful indicator of public consent, an important factor in strategic decision making. Other data sources are given in the Short List of Inputs. Consent Coefficients - numerical feedback indicating victory status. Psychological basis: When the government is able to collect tax and seize private property without just compensation, it is an indication that the public is ripe for surrender and is consenting to enslavement and legal encroachment. A good and easily quantified indicator of harvest time is the number of public citizens who pay income tax despite an obvious lack of reciprocal or honest service from the government...." Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars http://www.univers alway.org/Foreign/silentweapons.html It may be "harvest time" all right, but "wheat and tares" comes to mind.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#8. To: aristeides (#4)
This arrest would seem to have been in clear violation of COHEN v. CALIFORNIA, 403 U.S. 15 (1971) (arrest of protester for wearing T-shirt saying "F*** the draft" in a courthouse was unconstitutional violation of First Amendment).
#11. To: Zipporah (#8)
Seems they made a major error in having her arrested..
#23. To: Arete (#11)
Having her arrested makes a statement. They have the power and aree willing to use it. It plays to their base of psycho fascists who cheer loudest when opposition is silenced and free speech is suppressed.
#27. To: Zipporah (#23)
They've shown they're not too concerned about the opinion of the people..
Replies to Comment # 27. [P]arading, picketing, leafleting, holding vigils, sit-ins, or other expressive conduct or speechmaking that conveys a message supporting or opposing a point of view and has the intent, effect or propensity to attract a crowd or onlookers, but does not include merely wearing Tee shirts, buttons, or other similar articles of apparel that convey a message.
#42. To: Arete, Zipporah, BTP Holdings, Elliott Jackalope (#27)
End Trace Mode for Comment # 27.