Sticker stuck in cop's craw

He's subject of probe after coming unglued over bumper theme

By Brian D. Crecente, Rocky Mountain News
January 25, 2005

A Denver police sergeant is under investigation for allegedly threatening to arrest a woman Monday for displaying on her truck a derogatory bumper sticker about President Bush.

"He told her that this was a warning and that the next time he saw her truck, she was going to be arrested if she didn't remove the sticker," said Alinna Figueroa, 25, assistant manager of The UPS Store where the confrontation took place. "I couldn't believe it."

Denver police have initiated an investigation into the alleged incident, said Police Chief Gerry Whitman. He declined to comment further.

About 11 a.m., Shasta Bates, 26, was standing in the shopping center store in the 800 block of South Monaco Parkway when a man walked in and started arguing with her about a bumper sticker on the back of her truck that had "F--- Bush" in white letters on a black background.

"He was saying it was very sick and wrong and you shouldn't be doing that," Bates said. "He was very offended by it. I said, 'You didn't have to take it so personally.' "

The two argued for a few minutes, and then the man walked out of the store and stood behind Bates' truck. A few minutes later, the man flagged down police Sgt. Michael Karasek, who was patrolling the area.

Rocky Mountain News reporter Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, who happened to be at the store at the time, walked up to the two and asked what was going on.

The man pointed the bumper sticker out to McCrimmon, and then Karasek told her that it was illegal because it was profane, McCrimmon said.

Reached late Monday, City Attorney Cole Finnegan said he didn't believe there were any city ordinances against displaying a profane bumper sticker.

Karasek then walked into the store and confronted Bates.

"He said, 'You need to take off those stickers because it's profanity and it's against the law to have profanity on your truck,' " Bates said. "Then he said, 'If you ever show up here again, I'm going to make you take those stickers off and arrest you. Never come back into that area.' "

McCrimmon, who had followed the officer into the store, said Karasek wrote down the woman's license-plate number and then told her: "You take those bumper stickers off or I will come and find you and I will arrest you."

Bates said she hasn't had many complaints about her sticker, which has shared the space on the back of her truck with many other stickers since August.

She said she put the sticker on her truck because she disagrees with Bush's stance on homosexuality and "other issues."

"I get some older men who pull up at the side of me and start yelling and cussing," she said, "but it's not a crime unless they take some action."

Colorado ACLU Legal Director Mark Silverstein said that the alleged threat of arrest clearly violates First Amendment protection.

"The Supreme Court considered a case about 30-some years ago where a person was prosecuted for wearing a jacket that said, 'F--- the draft,' on the back. The Supreme Court said states could not prohibit people from wearing such a jacket," he said. "They said, 'One man's profanity is another man's lyric.' "

Ted Halaby, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, said that while he finds the bumper sticker's message distasteful, he also realizes that it's probably protected under the First Amendment.

"There are all sorts of derogatory bumper stickers that seem to be covered under the First Amendment," he said, "whether or not you find them personally distasteful."

http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3495709,00.html

Send her to the slammer for all I care! Hope the other prisoners don't take a shine to her.

I personally find all of the Bush-Cheney stickers I see every day offensive. Maybe we should arrest everyone displaying such messages for their blatant disregard for others.

Really, though, can you expect anything less when law enforcement officers are, for all intents and purposes, above the law?

nm420

"Some people think they are worth a lot of money just because they have it."
--Fannie Hurst (1889-1968)

I am FAR more offended by lying corrupt cops than I am by someone displaying a bumper sticker with their opinion on it, no matter if I disagree or agree with it. You have a right to say anything you want.

Filthy corrupt cops are supposed to uphold the law, not make it up as they go along. This monster should be dragged out of the station house and hung by his balls and allowed to die slowly. EVIL THEIVING PIG!

You're slaying me with your rapier wit! You extra-chromosome, stand up comic you!! God, please make me stop laughing!!!

Once again bornetokill is right, you're even dumber than most dummycrats, I hear even they won't let you join their party. I didn't think it was possible to be retarded enough to be rejected by the Dimocrats.

Quit making a fool of yourself, bornetokill will beat you at every turn, give up.

The issue for the cop wasn't politics. It was the profane word. I don't care if the bumber sticker said "F--- Hitlery" It is profane. The woman said she hadn't had any complaints, yet it seems to me that the man who argued with her in the first place complained. Very odd.

Regardless of what you "think" was the point, the City attorney confirmed there was no ordinance against having a profane or anti-Bush bumper sticker on your car.

You really don't think it had anything to do with the target of the profanity? We're talking about Colorado. Think again.

Reading this thread I just learned I have the right to say anything I want! Late-
term abortions for Democrats(mandatory) What do you call 2,000,000 million democrats at the bottom of the sea? A good Start! LOL

Is there a law that all Bush supporters in Network54 forums have to be infantile?

Grandpa h.

Apparently the Orkin man (Borntokill)is back.

It does appear that way.

Grandpa h.

What is it with you c**k-sucking, loudmouthed, inyourface, god-bothering whiney voiced fu**ing yanks? How is it you can shoot somebody at the drop of a hat but if something doesn't fit in with your christian f**ing morals (swearing or maybe half a t*t for example) it makes it into the press. Are your priorities slightly mis-placed? I've never heard so the phrase "only in the US of F**king A" used quite so much as it has been recently, therefore I've discovered a new hobby. Coming onto forums such as this one and taking down f**king yanks. So if anyone fancies an arguement on anything american, bring it on.

Maybe guns, Iraq, bush, or God speaking to bush(f**king hilarious, I would have loved to hear that conversation), intelligent design!!!, countdown to the day the US of f**king A eats itself to death, the bush administration having a cull of blacks in New Orleons. Anything. Especially you bornetokill, you sound like somebody I love to hate (american that is). Post now, beat the rush.

You should calm down a bit, I think. I think such an attitude is a good reason this forum has been mostly empty for a long stretch of time.
Now, is there anything specific you want to talk about or just venting?

Grandpa h.

Yeah, bring it on, I'm not afraid a yoos guys!!!!

Geez! You're still on this thread? You were on this one the last time I got kicked off the forum. Speaking of which, I really like what you've done with the forum. It's even deader than usual. So much for improving the quality of the "debate."

I'll check in from time to time to see if any of you have grown juevos, and want to debate me. Expect no mercy, if you do.

The RDF has been dead for FAR longer than this one has. Nice try. You can't even come up with good points to insult people on.

Grandpa h.

"The RDF has been dead for FAR longer than this one has."

Guess we don't have as much to bitch about, eh?

"Nice try. You can't even come up with good points to insult people on."

When I do the spoiled sport moderators get mad and kick me off. They just can't stay! Never could, and never will. So, they kick me off.

"Is there a law that all Bush supporters in Network54 forums have to be infantile?"

I'm pretty sure that is a key provision of the "Patriot Act."

When I do the spoiled sport moderators get mad and kick me off.*

When have you ever done so?

Grandpa h.

Hello all,

While this woman shouldn't be arrested on any grounds...

I still find it abhoring the way they have these T-shirts and posters and what not at the Democratic underground shop containing foul language against Bush. It is obvious that the motivation for DU is not any value tht they could come up with by themselves but their hatred of GWB. I think such cusswording should be curbed, and that no type of product should be allowed to be selled if it has cusswords on it. It really truely is offensive, and is only introducing to us who the person is who is wearing it. Really.

I think cusswords are fine because I want to live in a free society.
If you don't likeproducts with curse words on them, don't buy them.
And if it's a huge problem, you might as well not even step outside.
Cussing is here to stay. There are bigger things to worry about, as well.

Grandpa h.

I think cusswords are fine because I want to live in a free society.
If you don't likeproducts with curse words on them, don't buy them.
And if it's a huge problem, you might as well not even step outside.
Cussing is here to stay. There are bigger things to worry about, as well.

Grandpa h.

-----------------------------------

What are cusswords good for at all? This is the obvious question.

The problem I have with cussing is for example people take God's name in vain so much. It's an insult to my religion.

Just like the "N" word (if someone says that in the U.S. they're bound to end up in the evening news), it's that people just don't care at all when it comes to God. If we're sensitized to not say the "N" word, why can't we just stop cussing?

?

What are cusswords good for at all?*
This is the obvious question.*

Expressing irritation, I suppose. Or perhaps for humor.

The problem I have with cussing is for example people take*
God's name in vain so much.*
It's an insult to my religion.*

The thing is, though. People have, or at least should have, the right to insult someone's religion. Just like a Christian should be able to tell me I'm going to hell for being a skeptic.

Just like the "N" word (if someone says*
that in the U.S. they're bound to end up*
in the evening news), it's that people just*
don't care at all when it comes to God.*
If we're sensitized to not say the "N" word,*
why can't we just stop cussing?*

I think some peopel do care, but the government shouldn't censor such things.

Grandpa h.

What are cusswords good for at all?*
This is the obvious question.*

Expressing irritation, I suppose. Or perhaps for humor.

Just like the "N" word (if someone says*
that in the U.S. they're bound to end up*
in the evening news), it's that people just*
don't care at all when it comes to God.*
If we're sensitized to not say the "N" word,*
why can't we just stop cussing?*

I think some peopel do care, but the government shouldn't censor such things.

Grandpa h.

---------------------------------------------

But you see, the problem is if you get irritated. You shouldn't get irritated.

Well, about not letting the government censor the "N" word. What would the black community say?

But people do get irritaed, hence such words exist. For good or for bad, that's how it is.

As for what the black community thinks, I can't speak for an entire group of people. But I am positive many black people believe in free speech.

Grandpa h.

The topic of free speech is an interesting one. While no-one who believes in freedom will disagree with the idea that everyone has the right to express their opinion in a civil manner, to what extent do we have the right to insult?
It has long been understood that mentally abusing someone can have as bad or worse an effect on them as physically assaulting them.
The other problem is that I think freedom to insult can take away the right to freedom of speech of others, I've actually mentioned this topic earlier on this forum. If someone verbally abuses someone for expressing their opinion, that person may be afraid to express their opinion again, that's why I generally support deleting abusive posts on forums. I also think there needs to be anti-bullying policies in both schools and workplaces, though I'm uncertain as to how to deal with the problem elsewhere.
To summarise I think that it is necessary to strike a balance between the right of the person who is speaking and the right of the person who might be hurt if their speech is particularly abusive, not an easy task.

I guess it can also be a matter of how pervasive the insults are.
Every one insults every now and then, but if it is done incessantly it could be a form of harassment.

Grandpa h.

Just shut up, and flip your darn burgers!

You're right bornetokillagain I flip burgers and that's why I lash out at brilliant political thinkers such as yourself I also deserve the name 'hammerheadsicko.'

I also have a dead end job and that's why I lash out at people like bornetokillagain we sure are a bunch of losers aren't we hammerandsickle.

I'm glad you two bozos finally admitted bornetokillagain is right.

I agree they're both idiots but bornetokillagain is sexy.

'I guess it can also be a matter of how pervasive the insults are.
Every one insults every now and then, but if it is done incessantly it could be a form of harassment.'

I think more people need to recognise that words are not harmless, and insults even when not accompanied by physical abuse can lead someone to severe depression.
What annoys me about a lot of these forums is that when someone makes a racist or otherwise inappropriate statement and someone critisises them for doing so, the first thing the attacker will usually say is, 'What about my right to free speech?' I think people like this are an insult to free speech, they see this very important human right as little more than a licence to annoy and a licence to bully.

But I do still support free speech. Though I agree if someone is making detah threats on an answering machine a restraining order may be appropriate.

Grandpa h.

Sorry, I meant "death threats."

Grandpa h.

**** Bush, **** Cheney and impeach the entire ****ing administration.