When I next move, it may be to THIS town...

[The Good Reverend Roger]

When I was young, the entire country was a first amendment zone.

You can't have that anymore Roger, think of the children....

We were very irresponsible, back then.

EXACTLY!!  Look how you and I turned out.

Yes, thank God there won't be any other people like us.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

When I was young, the entire country was a first amendment zone.

You can't have that anymore Roger, think of the children....

We were very irresponsible, back then.

EXACTLY!!  Look how you and I turned out.

I do... and I look at the students here at the university.

Times when running your mouth could get your teeth knocked down your throat seem to have made better people.

Um, not exactly the point I was making.

When I was young, you could speak your mind...If anyone saw the need to be violent about that, they were criminally responsible.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

When I was young, the entire country was a first amendment zone.

You can't have that anymore Roger, think of the children....

We were very irresponsible, back then.

EXACTLY!!  Look how you and I turned out.

Yes, thank God there won't be any other people like us.

Damn, so do we just lock up the kids now or let them take their chances?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

When I was young, the entire country was a first amendment zone.

You can't have that anymore Roger, think of the children....

We were very irresponsible, back then.

EXACTLY!!  Look how you and I turned out.

Yes, thank God there won't be any other people like us.

Damn, so do we just lock up the kids now or let them take their chances?

Let them march off into the new, glorious, safe, and inoffensive future.  They'll be fine<sup>1




1</sup> As long as they keep their mouths shut.

[LMNO]

I'm going to go further than "you do not have the right not to be offended."


Here's what I truly believe:

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE OFFENDED.  
YOU SHOULD EXCERCISE THAT RIGHT OFTEN.

[East Coast Hustle]

How about the triage angle? If enough people felt strongly enough that they went to the lengths they did just what might have happened if the protest had proceeded? Personally I've been in family bereavement situations and I'm almost sure that if I was on the way to a funeral and encountered Wesboro taunts I might just have said "what the fuck" and charged in.

So one pillock gets his shit handed to him cos he's talking shite. Maybe not very civilised but this is the real world, people, you're free to speak your mind but if you don't have the sense to keep it to yourself when you fucking well ought to or learn to duck then you're going to get stomped from time to time. Tough shit. Tight community back their own and keep schtum when the cops arrive it's not going to go any further. They got important shit to deal with and someone throwing a punch prolly aint the top of the list, even in a sleepy little town where nothing much happens (dunno if it was or not)

Bottom line is, whether it's intentional or not, these twats are constantly pushing buttons which get a rise out of people and, as far as I can tell, they're not making a whole hell of a lot of friends. There's a term I grew up with - "Asking for it" - think - dude full of drink, grabbing you by the scruff of the neck, right down to the poor bastard who innocently spilled your pint and figure out for yourself what constitutes. So it's not admissible in your defense, in a court of law but, anywhere there aint a judge and a bunch of cops in attendance, it's the way shit actually works.

Cops know this too. Lending a little red-tape assistance but, basically just standing back, they might well have stopped something really ugly (admittedly something I'd have gotten a kick out of hearing about - lets face it you'd smile a bit, wouldn't you?) from going down. People, driven through grief and rage, would have had to have been sent down for kicking the living shit out of people who, let's face it, are fucking begging for it. So the law acted the way it did and the whole thing went off relatively peacefully. IMO they did their job.

This. Realpolitik > Idealism every day. call it the sociopolitical barstool, if you want.

[East Coast Hustle]

not what I said.  not offensive speech, aggressive speech that is intended to get a reaction from someone.  If that reaction is shown to be violent, and it would likely have to occur more than once, then there are constitutional precedents set for not allowing it.

Great.  So now, if I say something about Palin to teabaggers, and they attack me, I am at fault.

That's just fucking great, dude.

Are you kidding? That would be the single best thing that's happened so far this century!

I mean, think of the potential for serious fuckery if THAT ever became day-to-day legal reality!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

not what I said.  not offensive speech, aggressive speech that is intended to get a reaction from someone.  If that reaction is shown to be violent, and it would likely have to occur more than once, then there are constitutional precedents set for not allowing it.

Great.  So now, if I say something about Palin to teabaggers, and they attack me, I am at fault.

That's just fucking great, dude.

Are you kidding? That would be the single best thing that's happened so far this century!

I mean, think of the potential for serious fuckery if THAT ever became day-to-day legal reality!

What I'm imagining is that you'd have strong loudmouths, and nobody else would say anything.  Ever.

[East Coast Hustle]

I'm guessing that the cops decided they were townspeople first and then cops, which is obviously concerning if understandable.

That's the only kind of cop I'd ever want in my town.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I'm guessing that the cops decided they were townspeople first and then cops, which is obviously concerning if understandable.

That's the only kind of cop I'd ever want in my town.

They used to have loads of those cops.

Federal Agent:  "So, what happened to those two guys who were trying to get Blacks to register to vote."

Cop:  "Suicide."

[East Coast Hustle]

Yes, well, it's well known that I have the wrong values.

I mean, frankly, I don't actually give a shit about anybody's rights except my own. Tilting at windmills isn't my gig. I just think this whole thing is funny as hell.