Chabot Censors Town Hall - Police Seize Cameras

It is not supposed to happen in America where we value free speech and proudly revel in our history of men and women standing up and speaking to their elected representatives. But...once again, just last night, as they did in June, Congressman Steve Chabot, his staff and security team made sure that there could be no genuine human interaction or spoken question from the audience or any recorded documentation of what was said. And this occurred in a public meeting, in a public place, conducted by a public official, who while speaking to the public refused over 100 people who disagreed with him the opportunity to speak. And he had the police there to physically enforce his own private rules for public discourse.

Last night it was supposed 'security reasons" that they again not only banned citizen speech, but the photographing and filming of the Congressman speaking as well. Chabot's security team enlisted the help of the on-duty Cincinnati Police (car # 05313) to enforce this policy with the threat of arrest and the actual confiscation of two video cameras until the conclusion of the meeting.

Dismal exercises such as this must leave his constituents bewildered, thinking they had stumbled into an anti-democratic nightmare where authorities dictate appropriate speech in public places and seize personal property at the request of the elected officials. These policies simply cannot stand legal scrutiny nor the smell test of any citizen interested in an honest and open discussion of public policy issues that impact the lives of their families.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• chabot
• rep chabot
• congressman chabot
• free speech
• town halls
• gop town halls

[130hc]

The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, which limit the power of the U.S. federal government. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property including freedoms of religion, speech, a free press, free assembly, and free association, as well as the right to keep and bear arms.SO FUCK YOU!

[lsl70]

These citizens with cameras in public vs the police are becoming more common. When are people going to finally wake up to the fact that we're living in a police state?

[DaRyteJuan]

@21navyseabee Sounds like this "officer" was picked from a fresh crop of TSA thugs.

[shroomingnewman]

lessons to learn:

1. politicians and bueracrats believe that they are above the law

2. police are nothing more than a well-funded, well-armed gang that does their bidding, regardless of law

[21navyseabee]

this cop should be fired. period. get used to this kind of treatment folks,at least until we toss these fascists out on their asses. what do the 'constituents' have to fear? i think I know what the politicians fear though..

[XDsubcompact]

@kpmailman I love my XD sub....I also have a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 and that thing is great for carrying around comfortably, I can just slip it in my front pocket.

[kpmailman]

@lindaannsandwich That's a good one, going to have to remember it!

[kpmailman]

@XDsubcompact Well, that is of course the case if you're in the "correct" group, or not! You surely don't think the rules apply equally?

On another note, how do you like your sub?  I have a full sized XDM, thought about getting a smaller one for carry.

[lindaannsandwich]

They should have asked the police officer if he would put a bullet in someone's head just because he was told to. So he was "asked" to take phones away. He didn't know what law, just that the dictator told him to do it. Scary.

[XDsubcompact]

Hmmm, I find it interesting that if a private citizen financially supports traditional marriage, that's all public information...but recording an elected official, in a public meeting on public property is "illegal" to "protect the constituents" Apparently the people donating money to protect traditional marriage don't need to be "protected" but a publicly elected official speaking about his own policies needs to be "protected"

[GlassAgate]

Shove those pigs!

Shove those pigs!

Shove those pigs!

Shove those pigs!

Shove those pigs!

Shove those pigs!

[GlassAgate]

Shove those pigs!