Friday 09-30-11

EXCLUSIVE: REVOLUTIONARY WAR RE-ENACTOR SAYS U.S. CAPITOL POLICE TREAD ON ME

By FOX News Radio White House Correspondent Mike Majchrowitz.


Washington, D.C.: As a Revolutionary War re-enactor, Jon Andrews helps recreate the struggle against government repression from which the United States of America was born. But when he recently came to Washington D.C. to practice his art, he lost his own freedom. His attempt to help celebrate the birth of liberty with his antique flintlock muskets landed him a berth in a D.C. Jail.

The 53-year-old Vincennes, Indiana resident brought his wife and son to take part in a weekend re-enactment at Mount Vernon’s “Washington and Rochambeau Commemoration.” On the afternoon of Thursday September 8th Andrews and his family decided to see the U.S. Capitol. The timing couldn’t have been worse, not just because of rain but because in a few hours the President was due to give an address to Congress. Security that is normally heightened was now hyper-tight.

It started with a traffic stop. Andrews says he was pulled over by a Capitol Police officer and told he made an illegal lane change. He says he was later told that was a pre-text for stopping him. “They informed me later on that I had been profiled, or my car had been profiled as a potential threat because of the way my (Chevy) Blazer sat low to the ground in the back and because of the big black cargo box I had on top of my car.” A statement from the Capitol Police denies profiling was involved. “The United States Capitol Police has specific policies and practices that forbid any type of discriminatory profiling and none was practiced here.”
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He says from that point his D.C. family getaway became a nightmare. Although it was unlikely he would try to assassinate the President with an 18th century muzzleloader, the Capitol Police seemed unable to decide what to do with him. “Something that could have been sorted out really quickly, it just seemed like that nobody would sign off on it or everything that I was hearing was that nobody would stick their necks out.”

Eventually he was transferred into the custody of the District’s Metropolitan Police to be held overnight – a facility he describes as filthy and horrendous. “No water, no food, no anything all night long. In fact the whole time I was in there I had no food or water and was handcuffed and shackled.” Meanwhile his wife and 12-year-old son were left alone in a strange city to fend for themselves.

Friday afternoon, after more than 24-hours incarcerated, Andrews was set free. No charges were filed. His weapons and SUV had already been returned to his wife. He sees the return of his weapons as an admission that he had never really been a threat at all. He’s not bitter but he is shaken. “I am really happy that our government is watching but there seems to be a lack of common sense or lack of logic involved.”

U.S. Capitol Police say they stand by the Andrews detention. “Mr. Andrews was handled according to USCP standard policies and practices. He was not shackled at any time by the USCP.” And as for the lack of any charges, the Capitol Police say Andrews, “violated several laws that prohibit possessing or carrying dangerous weapons and explosives. The decision not to move forward with charges was made by the United States Attorney’s Office and does not reflect a judgment upon the validity of Mr. Andrew’s arrest.” Meanwhile D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department denies leaving Andrews without food and water saying “We fed ALL of our prisoners twice, that evening and during the overnight hours.”

Despite his ordeal, Andrews and his family joined with his unit of re-enactors and others at Mount Vernon’s re-enactment that weekend. He knows his story is unique but he fears what happened to him could happen to others. Andrews still loves his country but asked if he still feels the same about his government, “Not near like I used to. It has taken away a part of me. “

Jon Andrews (front row center) at Mount Vernon along with fellow re-enactors of the “Illinois Regiment ~ Virginia State Line.” This photo taken the weekend after Andrews’ arrest at the U.S. Capitol.
http://radio.foxnews.com/2011/09/27/exclusive-revolutionary-war-re-enactor-says-u-s-capitol-police-tread-on-me/?test=faces

'Firefly' and Anti-Fascism Posters Get Professor Threatened with Criminal Charges on University of Wisconsin Campus

A professor has been censored twice, reported to the "threat assessment team," and threatened with criminal charges because of satirical postings on his office door. Campus police at the University of Wisconsin–Stout (UWS) censored theater professor James Miller's poster depicting a quotation from actor Nathan Fillion's character in the television series Firefly, and the police chief threatened Miller with criminal charges for disorderly conduct. After UWS censored his second poster, which stated, "Warning: Fascism," Miller came to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help.

"Colleges and universities are supposed to foster brave and bold environments of freewheeling intellectual inquiry and expression. If a quote from a network science fiction show is a bridge too far, something has gone seriously wrong," FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. "As both president of FIRE and a huge Firefly fan, I call on the chancellor of UW–Stout to rein in his overreaching administration and to restore both free speech and basic common sense."

On September 12, 2011, Professor Miller posted on his office door an image of Nathan Fillion in Firefly and a line from an episode: "You don't know me, son, so let me explain this to you once: If I ever kill you, you'll be awake. You'll be facing me. And you'll be armed." On September 16, UWS Chief of Police Lisa A. Walter emailed Miller, notifying him that she had removed the poster and that "it is unacceptable to have postings such as this that refer to killing."

Amazed that UWS could be so shockingly heavy-handed, Miller replied by email, "Respect liberty and respect my first amendment rights." Walter responded that "the poster can be interpreted as a threat by others and/or could cause those that view it to believe that you are willing/able to carry out actions similar to what is listed." Walter also threatened Miller with criminal charges: "If you choose to repost the article or something similar to it, it will be removed and you could face charges of disorderly conduct."

Later on September 16, Miller placed a new poster on his office door in response to Walter's censorship. The poster read "Warning: Fascism" and included a cartoon image of a silhouetted police officer striking a civilian. The poster mocked, "Fascism can cause blunt head trauma and/or violent death. Keep fascism away from children and pets."

Astoundingly, Walter escalated the absurdity. On September 20, Walter emailed Miller again, stating that her office had removed the poster because it "depicts violence and mentions violence and death." She added that UWS's "threat assessment team," in consultation with the university general counsel's office, had decided to have the poster removed, and that this poster was reasonably expected to "cause a material and/or substantial disruption of school activities and/or be constituted as a threat." College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Interim Dean Raymond Hayes has scheduled a meeting with Miller about "the concerns raised by the campus threat assessment team" for this Friday.

Miller came to FIRE for help. On September 21, FIRE wrote UWS Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen, explaining that the posters are not a threat, nor would any reasonable person expect them to cause a substantial disruption. In Virginia v. Black in 2003, the Supreme Court defined true threats as only "those statements where the speaker means to communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals."

FIRE asked that Sorensen immediately end the university's censorship of Miller's peaceful speech, apologize to Miller for threatening criminal charges against him, and rescind its request for a meeting about the threat assessment team's inexplicable concerns. Sorensen has not responded.

"It is both shameful and absurd for UWS to suggest that campus community members are so impressionable and unreasonable that merely seeing a reference to violence on a poster will lead them to commit either actual violence or a substantial disruption of the campus," FIRE Vice President of Programs Adam Kissel said. "The police and the threat assessment team are the true threats to freedom at UW–Stout."

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, freedom of expression, academic freedom, due process, and rights of conscience at our nation's colleges and universities. FIRE's efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across America are described at thefire.org.

http://thefire.org/article/13595.html