(no subject)

[jazzfish]

Lawyer Arrested for Wearing a 'Peace' T-Shirt: You know, I wouldn't be a peacenik if the War side were willing to treat American citizens like human beings. Freedom is Slavery.

Bureaucrats get EBay Fever: "So far, $16,281 has been made selling objects taken from passengers at Oakland and Sacramento airports."

Sophie's World: I'm about forty pages into it. It's not a novel, at least not yet; it's a very entertaining textbook on the history of philosophy. I'm enjoying it. The device of "Sophie reads a bit of philosophy, then Sophie thinks about it" may yet get irritating, but it hasn't so far. (And I will be extremely disappointed if "Sophie Amundsen" isn't a linguistic joke on "Wisdom, the son of Man." Please don't tell me if it isn't.)

Comments

[cxi162.livejournal.com]

Hey, plain and simple. A mall is private property. If someone who works there tells you to leave, and you don't, that's trespassing. Considering his job, he should have known better. I'm guessing you weren't there. Neither was I. For all we know the guy was making a scene with his new shirt, starting a protest in the middle of the food court. But like I said, I wasn't there so I'm not going to make assumptions one way or the other. The one thing that is certain is he was asked to leave, and refused, so it sucks to be him.

[jazzfish]

Considering his job, he should have known better.

Unless he can make a case for discrimination and/or harassment.

Two things make me see the incident in the presented negative light:

1. "I was in the food court with my son..." Of course, his son may have been joining him in the protest. But the son wasn't asked to leave. Of course, the son may have been an infant. But I feel that he's a lot less likely to have been staging a demonstration with a young child.

2. "Calls to the Guilderland police and district attorney, Anthony Cardona and to officials at the mall were not returned for comment." This could be misleading as well, but I don't think so.

[laughin.livejournal.com]

I read more about this in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Mall-Activists.html (requires registration - sorry).

The lawyer is 61 and his son is 31. They both bought the t-shirts there and then wore them. They were asked to remove them or leave. The son did, the father didn't. The father said "All right then, arrest me if you have to." The policeman was doing his duty. The man was asked to leave and he did not. It was private property, not public. Gun owners who chose to carry out (not concealed) go through this. Smokers who smoke in a private buildings where it is not allowed go through this. Or how about malls that will kick you out for cussing or wearing torn clothes. It is the discretion of the owner what he accepts on HIS property and those who do not follow his rules are tresspassing. The lawyer made a choice to go to that mall. If he disagrees with the owner over a slogan, he can go elsewhere to shop, picket near the mall, write letters to the editor, contact shops in the mall.... whatever.

Now then, there is more to the story. "Monday's arrest came less than three months after about 20 peace activists wearing similar T-shirts were told to leave by mall security and police. There were no arrests." I am assuming, (and I may be wrong), that this lawyer KNEW this. I always get skeptical when a lawyer, (no matter what his politics), gets involved in such things. They are usually doing it make a point.

What it all comes down to for me is this: There are people out there who do not like what private business owners do with their own property. When they disagree, they whine and protest instead of letting capitalism rule. If you don't like it, don't spend your money there. That is all that is to that.

Now I am going to go join Emily and not fight.

[jazzfish]

Thanks for the link. It puts things in more perspective. So the lawyer was almost certainly spoiling for a fight, yes.

I'm still unsure how I feel about 'censorship' in semipublic areas such as shopping malls. I *do* feel that allowing the sale of the T-shirts but not letting them be worn is ... synonyms fail me ... rather dippy.

If you don't like it, don't spend your money there. That is all that is to that.

This is very true. (Unless, as above, you're spoiling for a fight. Sigh.)

[vt-andros.livejournal.com]

This (http://www.kuro5hin.org/comments/2003/3/5/115057/6652/163#163) parallels my feelings in the whole mall issue. It wouldn't matter, though, since the mall dropped the charges. (http://www.msnbc.com/local/wnyt/m276307.asp?cp1=1)

[cxi162.livejournal.com]

Oh, just wonderful. Protesting to get the charges dropped. Otherwise known as extortion. If you're truly worried about the country, you should be a lot more worried about the ignorant masses pulling this kind of crap then the fact that he was arrested in the first place.