This man

[gonzojournals]

All you have in your repetoire is Tipper Gore.

You got me! Although you are make two assumptions-- first of all, that I support right-wingers that are similarly delusional...and secondly, that the left isn't full of control freaks that want to dictate behaviour just as much as the right...the behaviour they want to legislate differs, is all.

 

[Battleborne]

Naw desh..............

I would like to watch you fucking die.

There are many ways to say pretty much the same thing which could be construed a threat. Especially if the person is an officer of the law of some type.

Being that I had a complete career in the LE field this saying is common(I had been called worse...and only reacted when spit on or physically struck)...most if not all experienced officers just shrug it off with a laugh...This is a isolated case...and dollars to donuts those officer involved were most likely the few left liberal democrat types...it would be interesting to see what they were registered as...as some in here always point and say all in LE are conservatives(Thru innuendo when the act is bad)...there are a few on the other side...!

 

[Bonestorm]

The article doesnt say that .
DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A man who wrote a vulgar message on the memo line of a check he used to pay a $5 parking ticket has apologized in writing, leading police to drop a disorderly conduct charge against him.


David Binner sent the check after receiving a $5 parking ticket. He calls it "a temporary lapse of judgment."

Clerks were offended by the message, and the disorderly conduct charge was filed because the comment was obscene, police Chief James Donnelly said.

"He was contrite enough to offer an apology, and I think that satisfies the people who were insulted by it," he said.

The lawyer for David Binner, 45, said his client would have prevailed if he went through a trial.

"The F-word isn't what it used to be," attorney Keith Williams said. It doesn't have a sexual connotation anymore and so can't be considered obscene, he said.

Williams said his client felt bad about what he did and will pay the parking fine and court costs.

"This is not my normal nature and admittedly was a temporary lapse of judgment on my part, vented in a moment of frustration," Binner wrote in his letter of apology. E-m

The AP article doesn't say that, but that's what the local papers are reporting and it is consistent with the AP's description that it was "vulgar" and "obscene" as opposed to threatening.

 

[Cypress]

This man had no need to apologize, nor was a disorderly conduct threat warranted.

Wtf is happening to this country?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/12/vulgar.check.ap/index.html

There's not enough information in the article for me to jump to a conclusion one way or the other.

As for the disorderly conduct charge, that's like a $100 fine. A low level misdemeanor that is barely a slap on the wrist. Which is generally applied to people acting in a disruptive manner, but who aren't threatening anyone. In other words, the guys' freedom wasn't threatened, and I don't think this is a case the ACLU will get too ginned up about.

 

[Beefy]

There's not enough information in the article for me to jump to a conclusion one way or the other.

As for the disorderly conduct charge, that's like a $100 fine. A low level misdemeanor that is barely a slap on the wrist. Which is generally applied to people acting in a disruptive manner, but who aren't threatening anyone. In other words, the guys' freedom wasn't threatened, and I don't think this is a case the ACLU will get too ginned up about.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/137-01132008-1470219.html

He wrote "Go Fuck yourself".

Yeah Cypress, since its just a little fine, its okay. And what happens if he can't pay the fine? He get's put in a cage.

I'm frankly surprised you find this acceptable.

 

[gonzojournals]

This is completely unacceptable if we are to live in a free society.

 

[Battleborne]

What did you really expect........

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/137-01132008-1470219.html

He wrote "Go Fuck yourself".

Yeah Cypress, since its just a little fine, its okay. And what happens if he can't pay the fine? He get's put in a cage.

I'm frankly surprised you find this acceptable.

from cippie the Veternarian...he cleans doggie cages all day long...he wants to punish those damn critters who use the cage to poop in and 'bark'nasty thingees...just consider the source when addressing cippies wonderful logic!

 

[Socrtease]

Being that I had a complete career in the LE field this saying is common(I had been called worse...and only reacted when spit on or physically struck)...most if not all experienced officers just shrug it off with a laugh...This is a isolated case...and dollars to donuts those officer involved were most likely the few left liberal democrat types...it would be interesting to see what they were registered as...as some in here always point and say all in LE are conservatives(Thru innuendo when the act is bad)...there are a few on the other side...!

Yeah someone spits on me they are getting hurt. I once had the crap kicked outta me and then he spit on me. I was like a whole new person. Just cause you are a cop doesn't mean you should get spit on or battered. But sticks and stones sticks and stones. Also you are right, not all cops are conservative. My brother was a cop here in Las Cruces for 9 years and then Sheriff's detective for 2 until he went back to school and became a teacher. He the union rep for the PD and he is not a right winger by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Socrtease]

You got me! Although you are make two assumptions-- first of all, that I support right-wingers that are similarly delusional...and secondly, that the left isn't full of control freaks that want to dictate behaviour just as much as the right...the behaviour they want to legislate differs, is all.

I agree completely. The left and right are all about dictating our behavior. It is the people in the center that can do some good but our primary system is not designed for moderates.

 

[Cypress]

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/137-01132008-1470219.html

He wrote "Go Fuck yourself".

Yeah Cypress, since its just a little fine, its okay. And what happens if he can't pay the fine? He get's put in a cage.

I'm frankly surprised you find this acceptable.

there are plenty of situation's in life where saying "go fuck yourself" is totally legal and fine.

But the first amendment doesn't give you a right to be disruptive, when it comes to the rights of other people. Or at their places of employment.

If I walked into a kindergarten class, in a pre-meditated and belligerent way, yelled "go fuck yourselves!" to the teacher and kids, I would fully expect cops to threaten me with a disorderly misdemeanor conduct charge unless I apolgized. If I walked into an symphony concert, and yelled "go to hell motherfuckers", a cop may well threaten me with a disorderly conduct charge.

I'm not saying I'm an expert on the intent of disorderly conduct statutes, but this guy did it in a pre-meditated and belligerent way, intended to disrupt the many people in the civil service and banking institutions that would read and see his little asshole note to them. And without knowing all the details, I can't say what the cops did was right. But, I can certainly see situations where premeditated, belligerent written notes to people at their places of employment could be construed as disruptive.

 

[Bonestorm]

there are plenty of situation's in life where saying "go fuck yourself" is totally legal and fine.

But the first amendment doesn't give you a right to be disruptive, when it comes to the rights of other people. Or at their places of employment.

If I walked into a kindergarten class, in a pre-meditated and belligerent way, yelled "go fuck yourselves!" to the teacher and kids, I would fully expect cops to threaten me with a disorderly misdemeanor conduct charge unless I apolgized. If I walked into an symphony concert, and yelled "go to hell motherfuckers", a cop may well threaten me with a disorderly conduct charge.

I'm not saying I'm an expert on the intent of disorderly conduct statutes, but this guy did it in a pre-meditated and belligerent way, intended to disrupt the many people in the civil service and banking institutions that would read and see his little asshole note to them. And without knowing all the details, I can't say what the cops did was right. But, I can certainly see situations where premeditated, belligerent written notes to people at their places of employment could be construed as disruptive.

All he did is write a note that some may find offensive. I can't think of any situation where writing "Go Fuck Yourself" on a check would warrant any form of sanction by the state. I could imagine the IRS has dealt with this sort of stuff for decades.

As an aside, I used to write all sorts of vulgar shit on my rent checks when I was in college. My landlord wanted one check for the full rent so I would write and check to my roommate and he would write a check to the landlord. It was standard practice for me to write some of the nastiest shit imaginable in the memo line just as a lark. After all, what else is that memo line there for? You might as well use it.

 

[Damocles]

there are plenty of situation's in life where saying "go fuck yourself" is totally legal and fine.

But the first amendment doesn't give you a right to be disruptive, when it comes to the rights of other people. Or at their places of employment.

If I walked into a kindergarten class, in a pre-meditated and belligerent way, yelled "go fuck yourselves!" to the teacher and kids, I would fully expect cops to threaten me with a disorderly misdemeanor conduct charge unless I apolgized. If I walked into an symphony concert, and yelled "go to hell motherfuckers", a cop may well threaten me with a disorderly conduct charge.

I'm not saying I'm an expert on the intent of disorderly conduct statutes, but this guy did it in a pre-meditated and belligerent way, intended to disrupt the many people in the civil service and banking institutions that would read and see his little asshole note to them. And without knowing all the details, I can't say what the cops did was right. But, I can certainly see situations where premeditated, belligerent written notes to people at their places of employment could be construed as disruptive.

Paying a ticket is not a Kindergarten class, and we have a right to free speech. In what way was anybody harmed, or was it even possible for them to be harmed, by writing whatever he wrote in the memo line of the check he used to pay for a ticket?

 

[Cypress]

All he did is write a note that some may find offensive. I can't think of any situation where writing "Go Fuck Yourself" on a check would warrant any form of sanction by the state. I could imagine the IRS has dealt with this sort of stuff for decades.

As an aside, I used to write all sorts of vulgar shit on my rent checks when I was in college. My landlord wanted one check for the full rent so I would write and check to my roommate and he would write a check to the landlord. It was standard practice for me to write some of the nastiest shit imaginable in the memo line just as a lark. After all, what else is that memo line there for? You might as well use it.

I personally wouldn't have made a stink about it. It wouldn't bother me.

But, I still don't think writing beligerent notes to complete strangers at their place of employment is neccessarily constitutionally protected free speech, depending on the particulars of the case.

 

[Damocles]

I personally wouldn't have made a stink about it. It wouldn't bother me.

But, I still don't think writing beligerent notes to complete strangers at their place of employment is neccessarily constitutionally protected free speech, depending on the particulars of the case.

It is when it is a government entity.

 

[gonzojournals]

But, I still don't think writing beligerent notes to complete strangers at their place of employment is neccessarily constitutionally protected free speec.

Then what the fuck is? Freedom of speech is there to protect exactly this kind of guy, not Ms. Susan Nicepants who never causes a fuss.

 

[Bonestorm]

It is when it is a government entity.

That's my thought as well. If this guy wrote a letter to the Parking Authority that read as follows, I think we would all agree that it is protected speech:

Dear Parking Authority,

Go fuck yourself.

Very truly yours,

Ticketed Guy

 

[gonzojournals]

That's my thought as well. If this guy wrote a letter to the Parking Authority that read as follows, I think we would all agree that it is protected speech:

Dear Parking Authority,

Go fuck yourself.

Very truly yours,

Ticketed Guy

I would say that would be appropriate towards anyone so long as you only did it once (otherwise it would probably be harrassment).

Against the Parking Authority, though, it is certainly free speech...just as much as telling Bush to fuck himself would be.

 

[Cypress]

It is when it is a government entity.

The civil servants and bank employees that process and read the checks, have nothing to do with passing laws, or with this guys grievance.

You want to write a "fuck you" letter to the city councilman who passed the law, the landlord who screwed you on your lease, or your ex-boyfriend. That's fine.

It sounds like the civil servants over reacted to me. But, I'm not willing to unequivocably state that you have a first amendment right, to write belligerent notes to civil servants and bank employees that are complete strangers to you, and who have nothing to do with your greivance.

 

[gonzojournals]

The civil servants and bank employees that process and read the checks, have nothing to do with passing laws, or with this guys grievance.

You want to write a "fuck you" letter to the city councilman who passed the law, the landlord who screwed you on your lease, or your ex-boyfriend. That's fine.

It sounds like the civil servants over reacted to me. But, I'm not willing to unequivocably state that you have a first amendment right, to write belligerent notes to civil servants and bank employees that are complete strangers to you, and who have nothing to do with your greivance.

Um, yeah, you do. If you have the 1st Amendment right to hold racist rallies (and you do), then why the fuck can't you be belligerent to bank employees?

You are the type of person that makes me worry about this country's future, and that is coming from someone that wants democracy dissolved in favour of a single-party dictatorship (but at least the dictatorship would let you vent frustration).

 

[Damocles]

The civil servants and bank employees that process and read the checks, have nothing to do with passing laws, or with this guys grievance.

You want to write a "fuck you" letter to the city councilman who passed the law, the landlord who screwed you on your lease, or your ex-boyfriend. That's fine.

It sounds like the civil servants over reacted to me. But, I'm not willing to unequivocably state that you have a first amendment right, to write belligerent notes to civil servants and bank employees that are complete strangers to you, and who have nothing to do with your greivance.

In what way were they harmed by seeing his obvious expression of political dissatisfaction?

You keep trying to make a victim of somebody for just seeing that word, used as a political statement.

As well as the fact that banks no longer see checks. They are run through a system that reads the account numbers and simply deducts the amount directly from the account and transfers it automatically to the other account. It is even cheap for a place that sees many checks like, say, a government entity....