Two people were killed in Cairo and Alexandria this weekend as Egyptian activists took to the streets to protest the military’s attempts to maintain its grip on power. And guess how the state is justifying its deadly crackdown.
An Egyptian state television anchor said yesterday, “We saw the firm stance the US took against OWS people”.
What part of the English is so hard to understand?
Congress shale make no law.
They were in violation of a LOCAL law.
I guess the hard part is where the shale comes in –
Any law that is in opposition to the Constitution is something we like to call “unconstitutional.” That includes local laws.
There are quite a few laws that limit free speech that are not unconstitutional. Slander is one of them. You also can’t yell Fire in a theater unless there is one. Private institutions (college campuses for example) can also limit the places you are allowed to gather. These people were in violations of many laws, they also refused to comply with the orders of a peace officer, resisted arrest and were infringing on others rights to travel. The officer was justified in his actions.
I agree with some of that. The officer was clearly able to walk around the protesters, and so was able to “travel.” Pepper spray against peaceful protests is disproportionate use of force. It should not be your first resort.
No, beating them the fuck down is disproportionate. And before the invention of pepper spray, that is what would have happened.
I’ve seen a fair number of people just picked up and carried off, no beating needed, back when students at my uni were protesting the constant tuition increases. Police had pepper spray, and didn’t use it. Had batons and didn’t use them. Had stun guns and didn’t use them. Because using them makes news. The position of the campus president was to not give any more attention than what was needed to keep the classrooms open. It worked and the protest didn’t change a thing. It was the only thing that he did that worked, but it worked.
“LOCAL laws” can not over-ride Constitutional laws.
For example: States and counties have tried for years to unsuccessfully outlaw firearms from hand guns to assault weapons. Can’t be done (2nd Amendment)!
Same principle, if Congress can not pass laws against peaceable assembly… NO ONE can.
What part of basic high-school American civics is so hard to understand?
OWS are guilty of the crime of pissing everyone off for no reason, as per the definition set out in article 6 paragraph ii of the Not Being Fucking Ridiculous act 1996.
Reasons for pissing everyone off:
wedontmakedemands.org/posters.php
This was actually the catalyst to explaining “internet memes” to my father last night.
And when he saw the video of the cop spraying, he was livid. (This is a life-long Republican who went to volunteer Citizen’s Police Academy.) Having lived through the 60s, he was amazed that the students didn’t rush and murder the peace officer, and still is certain anything could start severe riots at any of these protests.
Free speech does NOT allow for civil disobediance, obstructing the passage of citizens, preventing commerce and acting like assholes. I hope these little snowflakes were not to offended to FINALLY learn that, in the real world, there REALLY ARE winners and losers…and they are LOSERS.
Yes ‘free speech’ was one factor in this but this contemptible atrocity by this policeman is mainly in relation to “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”.
The ‘First Amendment’ also addresses the issue of ‘freedom of religion’, and ‘freedom of the press’ but let’s stick to the vilification of basic civic laws broken as laid out in the 1st Amendment.
Please note that the Amendment is emphatically absent about where and when the citizenry can peaceably assemble.
Oh horseapples.
LAWFULLY AND PEACEFULLY is the mandatory requirement.
The OWSers have been violent, destructive, and criminal.
You’re NOT the new generation of martyrs. You’re idiots.