»

[BlackThornn]

https://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._protests_dc_1

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - An Oregon anti-terrorism bill would jail street-blocking protesters for at least 25 years in a thinly veiled effort to discourage anti-war demonstrations, critics say.


The bill has met strong opposition but lawmakers still expect a debate on the definition of terrorism and the value of free speech before a vote by the state senate judiciary committee (news - web sites), whose Chairman, Republican Senator John Minnis, wrote the proposed legislation.


Dubbed Senate Bill 742, it identifies a terrorist as a person who "plans or participates in an act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to disrupt" business, transportation, schools, government, or free assembly.


The bill's few public supporters say police need stronger laws to break up protests that have created havoc in cities like Portland, where thousands of people have marched and demonstrated against war in Iraq (news - web sites) since last fall.


"We need some additional tools to control protests that shut down the city," said Lars Larson, a conservative radio talk show host who has aggressively stumped for the bill.


Larson said protesters should be protected by free speech laws, but not given free reign to hold up ambulances or frighten people out of their daily routines, adding that police and the court system could be trusted to see the difference.


"Right now a group of people can get together and go downtown and block a freeway," Larson said. "You need a tool to deal with that."


The bill contains automatic sentences of 25 years to life for the crime of terrorism.


Critics of the bill say its language is so vague it erodes basic freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism under an extremely broad definition.


"Under the original version (terrorism) meant essentially a food fight," said Andrea Meyer of the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) (ACLU), which opposes the bill.


Police unions and minority groups also oppose the bill for fear it could have a chilling effect on relations between police and poor people, minorities, children and "vulnerable" populations.


Legislators say the bill stands little chance of passage.


"I just don't think this bill is ever going to get out of committee," said Democratic Senator Vicki Walker, one of four members on the six-person panel who have said they oppose the legislation.

WTF..!!!

Discuss, please! I need to know if I'm the only one who thinks that this DANGEROUS law needs to immediately be declared unconstitutional and the proponents of it need to just as soon be removed from office..!

[Preventer Wind]

If the protesting endagers others then it is perfectly legal and there is no need for the law. But if they protest people who are minding their own business then they can not arrest them. It would be against the law.

I totally agree with it. These protestors need to get back to work or school and get on with life. What good is it doing now besides creating havoc? If these people think that the government are abunch of idiots then maybe they should look in the mirror and wonder whose day they messed up by delaying their voyage to wherever they were going.

[Redpyramidhead]

This bill is such an outrageous insult to human rights. It directly attacks those who need to be able to speak out for themselves to protect themselves from this government of ours and its targeting of them. It directly targets minorities so they will have to lose their last public forum that the majority will allow them, the forum of freedom of speech and assembly. THe right to protest and be heard no matter who you are and no matter what you believe in. It is so against the constitution it is unbelieveable. Supporters of the bill will hide behind the fact that it says "for those who intend to disrupt" and say something needs to be done, but we all should know that the vagueness of the bill is there for a reason. So they can get just about anybody on those charges. This is wrong. So wrong.

Why are more prominent figures not stepping out and outright denouncing such a horrible unconstitutional law?? Has our government really gone this bad??? What laws are preventing pro-war people from what they say? none...and thats the way it should be...as I would not ask something like that to happen to those i disagree with as I would hope htey would pay me and other people who are anti-war or want to speak out freely against the government the same respect.
You know what? I really do not appreciate the way preventer wind has spoken of people exersizing their freedom of speech and assembly. In fact, I think he should apologize.

_RED_ stuff

[BlackThornn]

Originally posted by Preventer Wind

If the protesting endagers others then it is perfectly legal and there is no need for the law. But if they protest people who are minding their own business then they can not arrest them. It would be against the law.

I totally agree with it. These protestors need to get back to work or school and get on with life. What good is it doing now besides creating havoc? If these people think that the government are abunch of idiots then maybe they should look in the mirror and wonder whose day they messed up by delaying their voyage to wherever they were going.

*takes a deep breath* Okay..

Protesting endangers nothing. And it's protesters that are really being targeted by this bill. It says nothing about specifically damaging city or private property or harming other individuals. This is meant to target ANY dissent and turn the united states into a goddamn facist dictatorship under Rightwing extremist rule!

REGARDLESS of property damage (and I've been through the "worst" of these protests in San Francisco, so don't even try to say I don't know what I'm talking about), Jail Terms are not required, and certainly not a 25 year sentence and being branded a TERRORIST! Excercising your right to free speach is NOT TERRORISM, it's SUPPORTING THE IDEALS OF FREEDOM THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED UPON!

You, sir, are a danger to the future of the United States of America. And if anyone is un-American and deserves time in prison, it is those who would support this stripping of constitutional rights.

[Reid]

I completely agree with BlackThornn and Redpyramidhead.

Taking away an individual's right to express their opinions in whichever manner is just a great swing toward the political right. America is supposed to be a country based on freedom and just because protesters are becoming or have been fairly drastic in their methods it's because they're trying to get their voices heard.

Delaying someone's trip to wherever they're going takes a huge back seat to a group of people trying to do something like doing their best to stop a war (or make the government understand that it's people don't support it's actions) in my opinion as well.

[goodman]

Oh yeah a person should have the right to protest, no matter what, for sure in the U.S., where freedom reigns supreme. Im hearing that people who are protesting the war are getting booed and basically shouted down (i did think Michael Moore could have phrased things differently), but the fact is they have the right to protest the war. Im so neutral in my feelings about it, the main thing i feel about the war is very blah............

[Preventer Wind]

Apologize? What makes you think I should?

I am all for protesting. But when people get in non-protester's way then it has gone too far. As some of these anti-war protests have done. That is pretty much exactly how I feel right now about it.

Delaying someone's trip is more important to me then if somebody gets jailed for protesting in an illegal way. There are some freedoms some people take to far and they need to be punished for that.

In a country where more people die everyday over stupid things then the total amount of casualties our armed forces have suffered in this war, there are more things people should be protesting if this war gets protested. Yeah war is wrong but what about other things? Gangs, drugs, racism, etc. Those things will probably never go away but will war ever go away?

[goodman]

I would add that the Protesters who do the same things a terrorist does should be incarcerated as a terrorist. Those who peacefully protest with signs and peace rallies are fine. Those who burn and loot businesses and turn over cars, and hurt innocent people, are terrorist, not protesters... So they can go to hell as well as jail... The bill stands little chance of passing, and has few people promoting it, i dont think this is something to get steamed about...

[Esjay]

Ha, that's hilarious. I mean, I'm not exactly for the protestion either, because half of these protesters don't even know that the war is a positive thing, they're just bitching without even knowing the scale or size of things. Iraq needs its freedom from Saddam Hussein, and these people are saying that Bush is a president that doesn't care for the safety of civillians? I mean, I think bush does have the fact that this is GOOD for the Iraqi people in his mind, even though he is helping them in a sort of "trigger happy" fashion.