Taking Liberties: Arrested for reading the Bible?

Erod said:

Liberal hypocrisy example #2,356.

If this were two guys making out, an OWS protestor, or a PETA demonstrator, they'd be exericising free speech.

But a guy read a Bible. Hang him.

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Billy the Kid said:

So the DMV called the cops about this guy who, ITO, was "holding church" in the parking lot? The cops arrest him because he didn't have a permit to hold church in the parking lot, yes? All this "church holding" was based on him reading the bible and 2 of his parishioners being there, right? Was the guy waylaying any body to attend this "so called chruch"?

I don't know about anyone else, but this has got to be the dumbest thing I've heard this week.

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Billy the Kid said:

So the DMV called the cops about this guy who, ITO, was "holding church" in the parking lot? The cops arrest him because he didn't have a permit to hold church in the parking lot, yes? All this "church holding" was based on him reading the bible and 2 of his parishioners being there, right? Was the guy waylaying any body to attend this "so called chruch"?

I don't know about anyone else, but this has got to be the dumbest thing I've heard this week.

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soccerboy22 said:

From what I understand from the Blaze and Fox article is, this guy and two others were out there reading the Bible at the DMV before hours. Cop came and arrested them for doing it without a permit. Cop was a dick because he probably should have just told them to get lost and come back with the permit, but he did what he did. The point is, he wasn't arrested for reading the Bible to people outside the DMV, he wasn't arrested because there is a war on Christanity. He was simply arrested for being there without a permit, which is required. If I were him, I would get a permit for a month and be out there until it opens.

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soccerboy22 said:

From what I understand from the Blaze and Fox article is, this guy and two others were out there reading the Bible at the DMV before hours. Cop came and arrested them for doing it without a permit. Cop was a dick because he probably should have just told them to get lost and come back with the permit, but he did what he did. The point is, he wasn't arrested for reading the Bible to people outside the DMV, he wasn't arrested because there is a war on Christanity. He was simply arrested for being there without a permit, which is required. If I were him, I would get a permit for a month and be out there until it opens.

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Erod said:

I'd vote for Obama's defense of Travyon Martin and the Dem senator wearing a hoodie in front of Congress.....all before the facts of the case came out.

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Kal'Stang said:

Then perhaps the cop should not have said "You can preach on your own property".

Also no permit is required to read out loud in a public space. If I went there and read Green Eggs & Ham out loud to everyone should I get arrested?

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notquiteright said:

Interesting debate, property rights vs freedom of speech and religion.

Same discussion goes on in firearms forums when companies ban weapons from their buildings and parking lots.

I suppose it gains more attention to call it a war on Christian Folk, attempts to keep the victim myth going a bit longer.

If it was me I'd drag off all those people who use those ear buds and talk so loud while out in public as if the rest of us and our peace of mind don't matter.

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soccerboy22 said:

I think the cop was being a dick and should not have arrested him. However, again, the police department said to do something on the DMV property that isn't involved with the DMV requires a permit. My purpose in saying that was not to give excuse to the cop, because I think what he did is not very excusable, but rather to say he was not stopped because he was X religion or they are taking away X religion's right to speak.

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Kal'Stang said:

Thats the thing though. Its not unheard of for a cop to pull someone over and charge them with something just because they don't like the person. Sure the charges might be applicable but the actual reason for the arrest can be different from the charges.

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soccerboy22 said:

Because he did not have a permit. They said if he goes back with a permit, he can continue reading from the Bible.



You may not like that you need a permit, but according to the police department you do need one.

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Ockham said:

Apparently the facts support the myth in this case. You may be able to dismiss it out of hand but I'm not. Perhaps the cop who arrested the guy should have thought about no perpetuating the myth.

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Erod said:

I'd vote for Obama's defense of Travyon Martin and the Dem senator wearing a hoodie in front of Congress.....all before the facts of the case came out.

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Top Cat said:

Obama defended Martin? Link?

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Top Cat said:

No doubt the cop was in the "Covert Army against Christians"

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Top Cat said:

Honestly, the entire War on Christianity is Fox News Sheep feed. Nothing more.

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soccerboy22 said:

You are required to have a permit to do anything there and he did not. That is why he was arrested. It had nothing to do with stopping what he was saying or restricting what he was saying.

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MarineTpartier said:

Show me the law. I showed where precedent was set. The precedent is he can say whatever he wants in public. You guys crack me up on this thread. No one is showing a thread of evidence that this guy broke a law. Every one of you is just spouting off your personal feelings. You can feel what you want about his choice of venue or choice of text, but the fact of the matter is he broke no law. He ran into an over-zealous cop who thought he would be some sort of defender of the constitution when in fact he violated it. If a guy can run through the friggin courthouse with a "F*** the Draft" shirt on then certainly a preacher can read the Bible.

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soccerboy22 said:

Twice in this thread, I have linked to the article where the police department said he need a permit to be there.

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MarineTpartier said:

So, the police never make a mistake? Is that the claim? Just trying to clarify.

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soccerboy22 said:

The cop did a dick thing in arresting him. What he should have done is said, you need a permit to read/preach here, when you get one come back. And I do not doubt that part of the reason the cop did this was some issue with what the guy was doing. All I was trying to say was that there was some legal reason to stop, not arrest, him from continuing. The police department also said, that if he gets a permit, he is more than welcome to go back. My point was this is not just some asshole cop arresting some one reading the bible, but rather this is some asshole cop who arrested some one being a place they were not suppose to be without a permit.

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