So Jonas Phillips, an everyday hero, occasionally took a few minutes out of his day to stand above a North Carolina highway with a 5' by 1' sign that said "IMPEACH BUSH-CHENEY".
Last Wednesday, he was arrested for it.
Flip for the rest of the story...
On Wednesday August 15, I was standing alone with my sign for about 10 minutes, when I was approached by Police Officer Russell Crisp. He asked me how long I was planning to stay there and I told him just a few more minutes because I had to go to work at 8:00. He asked for my ID and I obliged. I asked him if I was doing something wrong, and he said that his Sergeant was on the way and he was going to wait for him. SO, I went back to my sign holding over the interstate.
A few minutes later Sergeant Randy Riddle showed up with a paper in his hand. He spoke briefly to Crisp, then walked over to me and told me to put down my sign, put my hands behind my back, and that I was under arrest! I was shocked and almost thought he was joking until he told me again to put down the sign and put my hands behind me and I was under arrest. So I peacefully agreed and he cuffed me. I asked him why I was being arrested, he told me I was in violation County Ordinance 16-2, (the print out in his hand that he didn't bother to read to me or show me.) He told me I was obstructing the sidewalk. I told him I was not and that officer Crisp had witnessed a guy walk by me moments before.
Riddle yelled at me, "You were obstructing the sidewalk!" and "I'm sick of this shit!" then he said, "Here's your 15 minutes of fame buddy!" I looked back to see his name plate and he said in a mean condescending tone, "Yea, that's 'Sergeant Riddle' get it right!" He then put me in Officer Crisp's police car. Riddle took my sign with him and I was taken downtown and booked by Crisp. I was never read my Miranda rights.
Since then, the cops, realizing there's no way their initial charge of "blocking the sidewalk" would hold up, have decided to change the charges to something yet to be determined.
OK, so this is the deal... We've obviously got two wingnut cops that do not believe in "equal protection under the law", free expression, the First Amendment or our sacred Constitution. They have no business being in positions of authority in their current state (I'm a believer in rehab and counseling - I think it's fine for Bush cultists to be cops, I just don't want them applying their own law to the rest of us. Get them training, psychiatric evaluations, determine whether they are capable of being neutral arbiters of the law, and, if they are, let them keep their jobs).
That said, the fact that at the Police Headquarters decisions are being made that will provide the state a means to prosecute an innocent man... Well, that's simply too much. That demonstrates that this isn't two rogue cops with degenerate ideas about what it means to "Protect and Serve"... Nay. This is the entire force... The rot begins at the top.
So this calls for people of good will to take a stand.
This is the beginning of my effort to organize a trip to Asheville, NC. Sometime next week I'm hoping that some friends and I will find ourselves standing on the very same bridge with the very same message for passing motorists.
That's why I'm writing this diary. I need the friends ;-)
If you live in or near Asheville, are willing to place yourself in jeopardy of arrest and would like to be a part of this, please email me at stark dot m at gma*l dot com. If you live in Virginia or Tennessee between Charlottesville and Asheville and you'd like me to pick you up on the way there, email me.
This is our country, but it looks like we're gonna hafta fight to keep it.
Please help.
Update [2007-8-19 20:17:29 by Mike Stark]: A few good points made in the comments...
Asheville is represented by Heath Schuler. Call him; his contact info is listed in the comments.
The mayor of Asheville is a Democrat. Call her; her contact info is listed in the comments.
The Chief of Police is accessible by email and phone. Tell him about the rights you hold dear as an American; his contact info is listed in the comments.
Finally... If the police and City of Asheville take appropriate steps to remedy the situation; if they, at a minimum, return Jonas' sign and tell him he is free to express himself in the future (note that I am not insisting on an apology - they probably cannot do that for legal reasons), well, it'll save me a few tanks of gas and an awful lot of trouble because we'll call this off.
Call the Mayor of Asheville, email the officials - tell them to drop the charges against Phillips and to apologize.
Mayor Terry M. Bellamy
Contact Information
Office of the Mayor
Mayor Terry M. Bellamy
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC, 28802
Location: Asheville City Hall, Second Floor, 70 Court Plaza
Phone: (828) 259-5600
Fax: (828) 259-5649
E-mail: mayorbellamy@ashevillenc.govmayorbellamy@ashevillenc.gov mayor
whogan@ashevillenc.gov police chief
jrichardson@ashevillenc.gov assistant city manager
gjackson@ashevillenc.gov city manager