The Conservative Cave
Current Events => Politics => Topic started by: thundley4 on February 29, 2012, 10:17:09 AM
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Just when you thought the government couldn’t ruin the First Amendment any further: The House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday that outlaws protests in instances where some government officials are nearby, whether or not you even know it.
The US House of Representatives voted 388-to-3 in favor of H.R. 347 late Monday, a bill which is being dubbed the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011. In the bill, Congress officially makes it illegal to trespass on the grounds of the White House, which, on the surface, seems not just harmless and necessary, but somewhat shocking that such a rule isn’t already on the books. The wording in the bill, however, extends to allow the government to go after much more than tourists that transverse the wrought iron White House fence.
Under the act, the government is also given the power to bring charges against Americans engaged in political protest anywhere in the country.
Under current law, White House trespassers are prosecuted under a local ordinance, a Washington, DC legislation that can bring misdemeanor charges for anyone trying to get close to the president without authorization. Under H.R. 347, a federal law will formally be applied to such instances, but will also allow the government to bring charges to protesters, demonstrators and activists at political events and other outings across America.
The new legislation allows prosecutors to charge anyone who enters a building without permission or with the intent to disrupt a government function with a federal offense if Secret Service is on the scene, but the law stretches to include not just the president’s palatial Pennsylvania Avenue home. Under the law, any building or grounds where the president is visiting — even temporarily — is covered, as is any building or grounds “restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance."
http://rt.com/usa/news/348-act-tresspass-buildings-437/
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WTF? :censored:
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I am getting scared of what is happening to our country.
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Do you really think this would stand? I do not. I don't know what the hell is going on here, you'd think something like this would be in the news.
I don't know what that site is, but it's chockful of Paulbots in the comments.
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I'm reading the bill here (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h112-347)....
I'm not seeing the danger. Lawyer types, what am I missing?
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Do you really think this would stand? I do not. I don't know what the hell is going on here, you'd think something like this would be in the news.
I don't know what that site is, but it's chockful of Paulbots in the comments.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.347:
Link doesn't work. Search for it on the library of Congress.
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I guess I can see the danger in that you can't stage a protest at, say outside of a congressman's office. Or other unknown locations. During the hellcare bill fiasco, Tea parties did that.
The libs around the internets are some unhappy. Course, this isn't a law yet.
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The libs aren't happy because this would put an end to their protests against Romney and any other candidate that has earned secret service protection.
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this would stop them from doing that Wisconsin protesting.......right?
what about OWS? would it stop that also?
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this would stop them from doing that Wisconsin protesting.......right?
what about OWS? would it stop that also?
It looks like it only applies to where the Secret Service is present and only inside buildings.
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Maybe it was designed to curb glitter bombings.
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this would stop them from doing that Wisconsin protesting.......right?
what about OWS? would it stop that also?
It would be up to the Justice Department to decide who gets prosecuted with this, so you know it will show a great deal of "Prosecutorial Discretion" as usual. Throwing Glitter and "Mike Checking" Repubican candidates, or Conservative commentators, politicians, or personalities won't be worth their trouble.
But heckling and chanting at the President, or Harry Reid, or Nancy Pelosi, or Debbie Wasserman during one of thier speechs with probably result in a summary court and a trip up the FEMA camp chimney.