Yeah, Maybe I’m Being a Little Paranoid

Maybe:

How is it that the “don’t tase me bro” guy became an Internet star, and it took me a week to come across even a passing reference to a man being grabbed by police and arrested for wearing a McCain-Palin shirt at a post-election Obama rally?
There could be more to the story that the video doesn’t portray, but the screams and O-ba-ma chants as the police push the kid up against the glass are chilling regardless of context.

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Mike
Mike
15 years ago

For last 8 years of the fascist “Patriot” Act, torture, spying, illegal wiretaps en masse, detention without trial, attempted global dominance etc. we libertarians have been warning you that someday the “Old Time Lefty’s” would take power and use these against you.
Someday is here.
Are you proud of yourselves?

Ken
Ken
15 years ago

According to census count, Providence, RI no longer has a white majority! Pawtucket, Central Falls and Woonsocket are already on their way. Newport is changing also! Tiverton, Little Compton and Portsmouth will be next with spill over from Fall River.
Justin you neighborhood is beginning to spiral down the tubes!

Roland
Roland
15 years ago

and this is a video of what I believe will be Obama’s troopers. This is the mentality that I believe his presidency will foster. These people who cheered on the police to arrest and detain someone just for wearing a McCain-Palin shirt is despicable.
Get use to hearing (or not) about these stories, the Obamanation Troopers are gearing up.
I’m not saying that all Obama supporters are so ignorant as this crowd played itself but expect an empowerment of said mentality to increase until they find out Obama cannot deliver the type of goods they are expecting.

Justin Katz
15 years ago

Mike,
I don’t recall the “arrest for political t-shirt” clause in the Patriot Act.

Phil
Phil
15 years ago

No you’re not a little paranoid.

Richard
Richard
15 years ago

People with Democratic candidates T-shirts were harrassed by McCain supporters at McCain rallies ROUTINELY. Probably they were thought to be Muslim socialist terrorists, as are all Democrats. You could not wear an anti-Bush T-shirt to any Bush event without fear of arrest and sometimes rough treatment by the police. That has gone on for years.
Paranoia seems to be the refuge of the arch-conservatives, always. Reference Hofstader. If it isn’t socialist liberals, it’s job stealing criminal-minded illegal aliens. Or black helicopters. Or family-hating abortionists. The list goes on, and it increases.
Nasty stuff is being perpetrated on Obama supporters too. This from the LA Times.
BTW, Wasn’t Arkansas’ vote utterly anti-family and meanspirited?
California Briefing
Vandals target Obama supporters’ property
November 12, 2008
TORRANCE
Vandals target Obama supporters’ property
Vandals spray-painted swastikas and racial slurs on a house and several cars that displayed campaign signs or bumper stickers for President-elect Barack Obama, authorities said Tuesday.
The incidents occurred Saturday night in the Hollywood Riviera section of the city, said Sgt. Bernard Anderson. Four separate incidents were reported the next day, he said.
No arrests have been made.
At one house, the phrase “Go Back to Africa” was spray-painted across the wall, in addition to a racial epithet on the garage door, Anderson said. Several parked vehicles on the streets were spray-painted with racial slurs, he said.
“We’re taking this very seriously,” Anderson said, noting that investigators had been working closely with residents, community groups and other local police agencies. The incidents are being investigated as possible hate crimes.
Anyone with information can call police at (310) 328-3456.

rhody
rhody
15 years ago

People are investing the kind of heated emotions in politics they used to invest in, say, football games.
I’m not sure if that’s good or bad for small-d democracy.

OldTimeLefty
15 years ago

Justin,
You sanctimoniously cry about the man arrested in Philadelphia for basically “crying fire in a crowded theater.” No member of the crowd even touched the man.
What exactly are you trying to say; are you making a baseless charge that the Philadelphia police have been co-opted into an Obama movement? Need I remind you that this is the police force that was built by the house of Rizzo and which was involved in the burning of the “Move” people in West Philadelphia? Or are you inviting cocky whackos like Mike to come out from the woodwork and spew their racist nonsense?
By the way, how did you feel about Palin when you watched the Couric interview. I can’t find your buried answer. It has taken me weeks of vain searching, and you complain that it took you a week or so to find this video which then only shows your ignorant prejudices.
OldTimeLefty

David
David
15 years ago

Paranoid or maybe gullible. But since I don’t know you I won’t venture either. I have a hard time taking some of these youtube new media items at face value or seriously. This one is produced ( think RISD film student) – not just a camera phone catching a scene- and has an obvious point of view. Makes me wonder if it weren’t scripted. But I don’t know. Without knowing it’s veracity, this work of the self-styled journalist has little or no value to me. I think everyone looks to validate their opinions and prognostications with events cherry-picked carefully.

Justin Katz
15 years ago

OTL,
For clarity: Are you stating that wearing a mundane political t-shirt on a public street occupied mainly by people of a different political persuasion is tantamount to “crying fire in a crowded theater”?
If so, I’d say you’ve answered both the reason that nobody in the crowd had to touch the man and the reason that the police don’t have to “have been co-opted into an Obama movement.” The crowd didn’t have to touch because the police did, and the police did because apparently we’ve accepted the principle that implied violence against an individual is justification for restricting his freedoms.
On the interview: I really don’t know how you’re searching. I found it in a matter of seconds with a keyword search, both on our built-in engine and on Google.

Geez
Geez
15 years ago

C’mon, this guy was obviously trying to cause a confrontation, and he was rightly arrested, likely for incitement to riot.

OldTimeLefty
15 years ago

Justin,
See Geez’ comment above.
OTL

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