Sunday, June 30, 2013

Some persons more "people" than actual persons

It's a John Roberts wet-dream come to life.

A San Diego man could be found guilty of a series of misdemeanor charges that would land him in jail for as many as 13 years, all for writing down his opinions on a public sidewalk in children's chalk.

Jeff Olson, 40, took his displeasure with the Federal bailout of large banks like Bank of America to the streets when he began chalking slogans like "No Thanks, Big Banks" and "Shame on Bank of America" outside of three separate Bank of America branches in San Diego.

But after a bank security manager called the city repeatedly to complain about Olson's washable messages, the city decided to charge him with 13 counts of vandalism, a misdemeanor. If found guilty however, each count could include a $1,000 fine as well as a year in prison. 

Olson defended his speech to the local CBS station: "Always on city sidewalks, washable chalk, never crude messages, never vulgar, clearly topical."

3 comments:

pansypoo said...

of corporations, by corporations, FOR corporations.

reagan's voodoo has metastasized.

a jury would nullify.

Anonymous said...

And the latest topper; the judge in the case has barred the defendant and his counsel from even using the terms free speech, freedom of speech or the first amendment . . . Since you're going to prison for a decade anyway, why not just burn the fucking bank to the ground.

Montag said...

M'self, I think there's an unequal enforcement issue in this. If this is vandalism, I expect this prosecutor to punish all children in his jurisdiction for each and every instance of putting chalk on public pavement, to include hopscotch layouts, random doodles, or any statement or slogan that could be construed as terrorism against any figure of authority, to include parents, teachers, police or prosecutors and all other adults.

This is the thin edge of the wedge, my friends. Unless we begin the vigorous prosecution of children for vandalism with chalk, they will grow up to be adults who commit vandalism with chalk. And we certainly can't have that, can we?