Veteran Arrested for T-Shirt

apotropoxy · #1 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 08:58 AM

Quote:

This afternoon, drinking a cup of coffee while sitting in the Jesse Brown V.A. Medical Center on Chicago’s south side, a Veterans Administration cop walked up to me and said, "OK, you’ve had your 15 minutes, it’s time to go."
"Huh?", I asked intelligently, not quite sure what he was talking about.
"You can’t be in here protesting," officer Adkins said, pointing to my Veterans For Peace shirt.
"Well, I’m not protesting, I’m having a cup of coffee," I returned, thinking that logic would convince Adkins to go back to his earlier duties of guarding against serious terrorists.
Flipping his badge open, he said, "No, not with that shirt. You’re protesting and you have to go."
Beginning to get his drift, I said firmly, "Not before I finish my coffee."
He insisted that I leave, but still not quite believing my ears, I tried one more approach to reason. "Hey, listen. I’m a veteran. This is a V.A. facility. I’m sitting here not talking to anybody, having a cup of coffee. I’m not protesting and you can’t kick me out."
"You’ll either go or we’ll arrest you," Adkins threatened.
"Well, you’ll just have to arrest me," I said, wondering what strange land I was now living in.
You know the rest. Handcuffed, led away to the facility’s security office past people with surprised looks on their faces, read my rights, searched, and written up.The officer who did the formalities, Eric Ousley, was professional in his duties. When I asked him if he was a vet, it turned out he had been a hospital corpsman in the Navy. We exchanged a couple sea stories. He uncuffed me early. And he allowed as to how he would only charge me with disorderly conduct, letting me go on charges of criminal trespass and weapons possession — a pocket knife — which he said would have to be destroyed (something I rather doubt since it was a nifty Swiss Army knife with not only a bottle opener, but a tweezers AND a toothpick).
After informing me I could either pay the $275 fine on the citation or appear in court, Ousley escorted me off the premises, warning me if I returned with "that shirt" on, I’d be arrested and booked into jail.I’m sure I could go back to officers Adkins’ and Ousleys’ fiefdom with a shirt that said, "Nuke all the hajis," or "Show us your t!ts," or any number of truly obscene things and no one would care. Just so it’s not "that shirt" again.
And just for the record? I’m not paying the fine. (...)
http://www.selvesandothers.org/article14755.html

OK, swiftboaters. I've found another veteran for you to slime.
Do your duty!

JP5 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 12:17 PM

Here's the Veteran's For Peace website: http://www.veteransforpeace.org/

Now, tell us again how he wasn't there protesting. He's a liar. If he wasn't protesting, he wouldn't have been wearing that particular t-shirt.

stekim · #3 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 12:28 PM

So, people should be arrested for wearing a shirt? Interesting.

raytri · #4 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 12:49 PM

If all the shirt said was "Veterans for Peace", I don't see how that's a problem. The VA officer was out of line. VA facilities aren't reserved for vets who support the current war.

JP5 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 12:56 PM

I'm betting there was more to it. I'm betting there was an organized protest there and the guy came inside to get the coffee and cause to happen exactly what happened.

JP5 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stekim";p=&quot

So, people should be arrested for wearing a shirt? Interesting.

Let's hear the officer's side of the story. I'm betting it's totally different.

stekim · #7 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 12:59 PM

Could be.

Sadistic-Savior · #8 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 01:03 PM

Quote:

So, people should be arrested for wearing a shirt?

It depends on what the shirt says, and where they are wearing it.

If I walk into a church wearing a t-shirt that says "F*** GOD", do you think it is reasonable they could ask me to leave?

If I walk into a VA Hospital wearing a T-Shirt that says "ALL VETERANS DESERVE TO DIE", do you think it would be unreasonable for them to ask me to leave?

You dont have the right to force me to hear your point of view, and that is basically what both those situations would be doing.

Quote:

If all the shirt said was "Veterans for Peace", I don't see how that's a problem.

Me either, but we dont know what the shirt says. Yes, it is possible to wear a shirt that is equivilent to protesting. Not all protests are verbal.

The article did not specify what the shirt said. Thats why I am reluctant to defend him...it could be that asking him to leave was reasonable.

raytri · #9 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP5";p=&quot

I'm betting there was more to it. I'm betting there was an organized protest there and the guy came inside to get the coffee and cause to happen exactly what happened.

The full story says this:

Quote:

The author was at the Jesse Brown V.A. Medical Center because he was participating in the Voices for Creative Nonviolence's 30-day, 320-mile "Walk for Justice," from Springfield to North Chicago, Illinois, to reclaim funding for the common good and away from war.

Here's their web site:
http://www.vcnv.org/

They're a *nonviolent* group, they did not picket or otherwise protest at the center, as far as I can tell. The point is the walk, and talking to people along the way; the VA building was simply an endpoint of one of the day's walks. They ended there, dispersed for the night, then reassembled the next day to continue the walk.

Nothing to justify kicking a veteran out of a VA facility simply for wearing a t-shirt.

Liberty · #10 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 01:15 PM

Wow, this country is dying. You can't even have a decent cup of coffee at the VA hospital anymore without being bothered about your t-shirt. I myself have run into the similar problem, although I usually prefer to enjoy my coffee in the ER at County General -- though sometimes I prefer the ambience of the dermatology wing. I got really disgusted when they kicked me out the other night as they were wheeling in a few motorcycle crash victims -- they say it was for my "No Guts, No Glory" shirt -- although all I wanted to do was enjoy my cup of coffee at the hospital. It's a great place to peoplewatch.

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