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January 25, 2005
Denver Cop Has Sensitive Craw
A Denver police sergeant is under investigation for allegedly threatening to arrest a woman Monday for displaying on her truck a derogatory bumper sticker about President Bush.
Rocky Mountain News
The sticker in question read "FUCK BUSH" in white letters on a black background. A fellow citizen had confronted the truck's owner, Shasta Bates, inside the UPS Store before going outside and flagging down a cop. Sergeant Michael Karasek proceeded to tell Bates that she had to remove the sticker or he would arrest her. This was all witnessed by a reporter for the Rocky Mountain News.
"He said, 'You need to take off those stickers because it's profanity and it's against the law to have profanity on your truck,' " Bates said. "Then he said, 'If you ever show up here again, I'm going to make you take those stickers off and arrest you. Never come back into that area.' "
McCrimmon, who had followed the officer into the store, said Karasek wrote down the woman's license-plate number and then told her: "You take those bumper stickers off or I will come and find you and I will arrest you."
Keep in mind that this guy is a sergeant. meaning he's probably been a cop for some time. You'd think he would have some passing familiarity with our country's laws, particularly the First Amendment, arguably our very first law a very important law.
In case you're wondering, the Supreme Court ruled on this issue 30 years ago, saying states could not prohibit people from exhibiting so-called profanity on their personal property.
And besides, Fuck Bush.
Posted by ahecht at January 25, 2005 5:57 PM
Previous Comments
From the U.S. Department of Justice: "Senate Bill Number One of the First Session of the First Congress became, after lengthy and heated debate, the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789."
The first ten amendments to the Constitution were not approved until December 15, 1791, more than two years later.
If, instead, you meant that the First Amendment is the most primary or highest of our laws, than that is something completely different. Arguably, the First Amendment to the Constitution could be our primary law.
By the way, which Supreme Court decision are you refering to?
Posted by:
Fritz at January 26, 2005 10:57 AM
Then again, if you don't believe anything Fritz says and you want to know the truth, the first law passed in the United States was nearly four months before the Judiciary Act and was called, "An Act to Regulate the Time and Manner of Administering Certain Oaths." Shows what you get for believing the Justice Department, sweetie.
Posted by: WSH at January 26, 2005 12:47 PM
Posted by:
Anthony at January 26, 2005 12:54 PM
I did not say that Senate Bill 1 was the first law passed. Read carefully and try to keep your taste for invective from coloring your perception. What I point out is that there was at least one law made 10 months prior to the passing of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Now we know there was a law passed more than two years prior to the first amendments to the Constitution.
More than two thousand years of Western civilization, the freedom to say whatever you want, and the best you can come up with is "Fuck Bush"? You may have the right to say it, but maybe you should exercise the judgement to not say it.
Posted by:
Fritz at January 26, 2005 2:36 PM
Aw come on, Fritzy baby, invective is so much fun at your expense.
But try to keep your officious nit-picking from coloring your perception: I didn't say that YOU claimed Senate Bill One was the first law passed. I said that anyone who doesn't believe a word you say and wants to know the truth should be aware that the Oath Act was the first law passed. That's all I said. Try to read more carefully, cutie!
Posted by: WSH at January 26, 2005 4:26 PM
More than two thousand years of Western civilization, the freedom to say whatever you want, and the best you can come up with is Bush?
Posted by: Anonymous at January 26, 2005 4:30 PM
