Abuse of power
Have you heard about the Santa of Austin, TX? He got arrested for chalking messages of peace and joy on the sidewalk with a bunch of kids. If you haven't checked the video out yet, go have a look: [link]
I'm sharing this, because cases like these need the public's attention. Police officers gone bad often still enjoy some sort of immunity, unless they cause a public outrage. This needs as many views as it can get, so at least the bad cops in this video can make way for some good ones.
I'm sharing this, because cases like these need the public's attention. Police officers gone bad often still enjoy some sort of immunity, unless they cause a public outrage. This needs as many views as it can get, so at least the bad cops in this video can make way for some good ones.
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Welcome to the police state. Now is for people to finally wake up and smell the tyranny. Alex Jones has been warning people of a soon coming police state and people just laughed at him and called him crazy when in truth Alex Jones was right all along.
Correction below: Welcome to the police state. Now it is time for people to finally wake up and smell the tyranny. Alex Jones has been warning people of a soon coming police state and people just laughed at him and called him crazy when in truth Alex Jones was right all along.
Public positions really should do an MRI scan for psychopathology.
Seems foolish to not do it, especially at our technological level.
Keep them monkeys in check. Which i imagine has something to do with our current shit circumstance, the assumption that since we are sentient means we aren't animals, which is bullshit.
Seems foolish to not do it, especially at our technological level.
Keep them monkeys in check. Which i imagine has something to do with our current shit circumstance, the assumption that since we are sentient means we aren't animals, which is bullshit.
THIS is just NUTS!
Who do they think they are!?!
Who do they think they are!?!
yeah I dont even celebrate Christmas but I think this is absolute insanity. I live near Austin and TExas police in general are all just power hungry dickwads. They said it was because "the capitol is a public building and cant have religiously biased messages near or around it to separate church and state" but what the hell do you see in this video right in front of the god damn capitol? an F-ing Christmas tree! Idiots. Its a public sidewalk that that dude pays for out of his wages. He has every right to right out whatever he wants. Its called freedom of speech.
"the capitol is a public building and cant have religiously biased messages near or around it to separate church and state"
So, can gays get married then?
So, can gays get married then?
haha! hell no. Texans be that radical and allow everyone to have the same rights and be valued as equals regardless of sexual orientation or religion?? Dat der's nutting but o'bunch o' daggum liberal tree hugging bullshit, dat is.
...G-d Im ashamed to live here.
...G-d Im ashamed to live here.
I'm sorry, pal 
Writing chalk on the sidewalk is graffiti, graffiti is illegal.
If he wanted to do this then he should have cleared it with his local council first and gotten a permit, it's not as if they'd likely say be denied to do something as innocent as this. As it is though, he was clearly in the wrong.
If he wanted to do this then he should have cleared it with his local council first and gotten a permit, it's not as if they'd likely say be denied to do something as innocent as this. As it is though, he was clearly in the wrong.
Last summer I was eating an ice cream cone, when some of it melted and dropped on the pavement. I saw no point in cleaning it up, so I was polluting. Do handcuff me, officer, I've commited a heinous crime.
Just because something falls under a law, doesn't make it right to arrest harmless citizens for far-fetched reasons.
This is such an asinine reason to arrest someone, it defies all common sense. Even if the law says he can't chalk on the pavement, the measures that were taken were out of proportion. It's like sentencing someone to jail for 2 years for stealing a piece of salami off of a pizza.
Just because something falls under a law, doesn't make it right to arrest harmless citizens for far-fetched reasons.
This is such an asinine reason to arrest someone, it defies all common sense. Even if the law says he can't chalk on the pavement, the measures that were taken were out of proportion. It's like sentencing someone to jail for 2 years for stealing a piece of salami off of a pizza.
"Last summer I was eating an ice cream cone, when some of it melted and dropped on the pavement. I saw no point in cleaning it up, so I was polluting."
Polluting, in that way, isn't a crime, littering is though. But it'd only be littering if you had dropped the entire ice cream cone on the ground and left it there, and even then it'd just be a tiny fine.
Graffiti, however, is taken much more seriously and no discrimination is made between someone spraypainting against the side of a building and someone writing in chalk on the floor. They both carry the same penalties, hence why perhaps you seem to see this as excessive.
"This is such an asinine reason to arrest someone, it defies all common sense."
No it does not. Just because he was dressed as santa and doing this with kids does not mean the law gets to be ignored. What defies common sense was that he never cleared it with the local council so he could avoid something exactly like this from happening. If he was planning to do something like this, especially whilst involving children, then he should have been responsible enough to take all precautions to make sure they'd be able to do it freely and without problems.
Hell, if he'd have attained permission from his local council then they probably could have helped him out with advertising and security. The person organizing this was completely irresponsible and did not think out the repercussions of this event, and now thanks to him a bunch of children had to see santa get arrested because of it.
Polluting, in that way, isn't a crime, littering is though. But it'd only be littering if you had dropped the entire ice cream cone on the ground and left it there, and even then it'd just be a tiny fine.
Graffiti, however, is taken much more seriously and no discrimination is made between someone spraypainting against the side of a building and someone writing in chalk on the floor. They both carry the same penalties, hence why perhaps you seem to see this as excessive.
"This is such an asinine reason to arrest someone, it defies all common sense."
No it does not. Just because he was dressed as santa and doing this with kids does not mean the law gets to be ignored. What defies common sense was that he never cleared it with the local council so he could avoid something exactly like this from happening. If he was planning to do something like this, especially whilst involving children, then he should have been responsible enough to take all precautions to make sure they'd be able to do it freely and without problems.
Hell, if he'd have attained permission from his local council then they probably could have helped him out with advertising and security. The person organizing this was completely irresponsible and did not think out the repercussions of this event, and now thanks to him a bunch of children had to see santa get arrested because of it.
Or maybe something as innocent as this shouldn't be blown up by the authorities at all. Maybe the santa guy didn't think he'd have to ask, because no person in their right mind would think this isn't okay.
Yes, it is excessive to put someone in the back of a police car for chalking messages of joy and peace with some children on the sidewalk. People don't need to be arrested for everything, you know. So a piece of paper doesn't say there is a clear distinction between permanent paint and a harmless material that washes away when it's rained on. Laws exist to keep jerks and people without common sense from doing harmful things. When laws are made by jerks and people without common sense, you get situations like these. Sometimes the law is just wrong and that's where common sense should take over. But I suppose there is room for neither discussion, nor grey areas, just black and white and fancy papers. But remember: the law also says that upon someone's arrest the police should state why. And they didn't do that.
But hey! If you're fine with living in a police state, who am I right?
Yes, it is excessive to put someone in the back of a police car for chalking messages of joy and peace with some children on the sidewalk. People don't need to be arrested for everything, you know. So a piece of paper doesn't say there is a clear distinction between permanent paint and a harmless material that washes away when it's rained on. Laws exist to keep jerks and people without common sense from doing harmful things. When laws are made by jerks and people without common sense, you get situations like these. Sometimes the law is just wrong and that's where common sense should take over. But I suppose there is room for neither discussion, nor grey areas, just black and white and fancy papers. But remember: the law also says that upon someone's arrest the police should state why. And they didn't do that.
But hey! If you're fine with living in a police state, who am I right?
Meanwhile, more ridiculous laws (like needing a permit to operate a damn lemonade stand) are being ignored at best or supported at worst by the same people outraged about this. Guess respect for individual rights depends on who the individual is.
And just so people can't play dumb, yes, I'm upset about this. It's another example of cops with bloated egos and an indifferent government.
And just so people can't play dumb, yes, I'm upset about this. It's another example of cops with bloated egos and an indifferent government.
People tend to care more when they see an innocent guy being put in the back of a police car just before Christmas, than when they hear about some dumb law. An image is a powerful thing.
The dumb law is usually what helps put the innocent guy in the back of a police car.
I know that, but what I meant to say is, you can't blame people for caring more when they actually see it happen, rather than just hear about it. Images have a larger impact.
But in this case the guy wasn't even doing anything illegal.
But in this case the guy wasn't even doing anything illegal.
Chalk should be exempt from graffiti laws.
Why exactly?
It doesn't take solvents, power-washing, painting over, or scraping to remove it; a hose with a spray nozzle is enough to take care of it, if it offends. Otherwise, rain will eventually take care of it.
But it can be drawn to represent lewd or discriminating images or writing, the the ease of removal does not make the fact that it's unlawful marking of someone elses property any more intrusive.
I don't care how easy it is to remove chalk, i wouldn't stand for someone in an easter bunny suit and a throng of orphans coming along and drawing genitalia on my brick walls or the sidewalk infront of my home.
They did not have permission to make any kind of mark there and, in the case of this threads topic, it was the responsibility of the events organizer to gain that permission before hand. Not being fasidious and making assumptions leads to things exactly like this. Assumptions and chalk got Santa arrested!
I don't care how easy it is to remove chalk, i wouldn't stand for someone in an easter bunny suit and a throng of orphans coming along and drawing genitalia on my brick walls or the sidewalk infront of my home.
They did not have permission to make any kind of mark there and, in the case of this threads topic, it was the responsibility of the events organizer to gain that permission before hand. Not being fasidious and making assumptions leads to things exactly like this. Assumptions and chalk got Santa arrested!
But it can be drawn to represent lewd or discriminating images or writing,
Then that would be harassment.
the the ease of removal does not make the fact that it's unlawful marking of someone elses property any more intrusive.
As I said, there's no cost to removing chalk graffiti, so I believe that speech rights trump property rights in this kind of case; especially since it was a public space.
Then that would be harassment.
the the ease of removal does not make the fact that it's unlawful marking of someone elses property any more intrusive.
As I said, there's no cost to removing chalk graffiti, so I believe that speech rights trump property rights in this kind of case; especially since it was a public space.
Isn't it already?
Apparently not. What with both Occupy protestors and this Santa being arrested.