Arrested for dancing at the Jefferson Memorial? It would be funny if it wasn't true.
On Saturday, in defiance of an unconstitutional ban on dancing at public monuments, a silent flash mob erupted at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. The move was to protest the decision by US District Judge John D. Bates to ban dancing at Washington's monuments, stating that it wasn't how Jefferson should be memorialized. In response to the flash mob, Park Police arrested the dance troupe, led by political activist Adam Kokesh, host of the Adam vs. The Man and an Iraq War vet, for "demonstrating without a permit." Those arrested were held for five hours. While this was bad enough, a viral video was released showing some of the protestors being violently thrown to the ground by the Park Rangers, in what can only be described as an obvious display of police brutality.
Dancing, even if you are the worst dancer known to man, is a free act of expression, which I'm pretty sure is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Banning it as a "demonstration" is bad enough, but the Gestapo-like reactions of the Park Rangers was beyond unnecessary. Thankfully, the Park Rangers' Office of Personal Responsibility is opening an investigation into whether or not the police were too aggressive in their handling of the situation.
As for Mr. Kokesh, he is planning to return to the Memorial on Saturday, June 4th, with what he hopes is a larger group of people, in defiance of the ban.
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I'm glad to see that this story is getting so much attention! On the day of this event, I spent about an hour on the phone with multiple police officers who work for the park service responsible for patrolling the memorial. I was hoping to get some sort of answer from them as to why it was that when I got onto facebook, I was faced with footage of people (some are friends of mine) being harrassed in the Jefferson memorial. I spoke politely, and framed my questions well, but was hung up on repeatedly and in other cases "transferred" to a line that would, seemingly, never actually be answered. I never recieved any answers to any of my questions.
Yesterday, I got into a small debate, over this subject, with a gentleman who turned out to be a Constitutional Lawyer. Regardless of his supposed legal prowess he could not tell me why it was, as he claimed, constitutional to suspend the 1st amendment and place a ban on dancing, nor could he tell me who was being harmed by the act. He did say that it was illegal to stage a political protest on federal grounds without a permit. I then asked: what, exactly, is political about dancing? Kokesh's group had no signs, nor did they so much as speak to anyone else there about what they were doing. Had the police not reacted as they did, few would have even noticed the dancers and certainly wouldn't have had any idea why they were dancing. Or are we now to arrest people for thought crimes?
thoughtcrime is exactly right, have you seen the brain wave scanner things the TSA is trying ot push?
When I was in DC for CPAC earlier this year me and a couple friends almost got arrested for taking a picture with our Orange County Campaign for Liberty sign in the Jefferson Memorial. Apparently you're not allowed to have signs there. My friend said (pointing at Jefferson) "I don't think he'd mind." The park ranger replied, "well, he's no longer with us!" What are we memorializing if not Jefferson's ideals of freedom of speech and limited government intervention in our lives?
haha great story Cory! Thanks for sharing.
Great post btw John!
THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!!!!! RISE UP AGAINST THE SUPPRESSION.
Not sure about this. It is a memorial. Would it be okay to have a dance off at the Vietnam Memorial or the Holocaust Museum? They are both tax funded and public after all.
It's the fact that they're public and tax-funded that means we should be able to silently dance there to celebrate TJ's life. If it was private property, no one would say we would have the right to dance there.
We should also be able to dance at the Vietnam Memorial or Holocaust Museum then too, right?
ABSOLUTELY!
Arrested for dancing this is the dumbest thing i guess i read :P
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The issue is not what is and is not respectful behavior but what should and should not be legislated against. Behavior that in no way deprives another of life, libery and property can not be legislated against. If we begin to legislate against "disrespect" how far will it go? Will we ban disrespectful art? Music? Speech?
If you are offended by this sort of behavior that is your right, and by all means peacefully protest against it. But we can not go down a road of criminializing behavior that we find disrespectful. Doing so will lead us down a path to tyranny
Adam, and all dancers, have my support in this action. If I was in DC, I would be participating as well.
Keep up the good work and thank you for leading by example.
Just remember, we may not like what people have to say, how they say it, or where they say it....but we must support their right to say it.....or we will lose the right to say what we want with them.
You see this a lot when government decides to overstep its authority and start messing in our private lives. They make rules - ostensibly for safety or some such - that replace what should be common sense.
Some fossilized judge decided that dancing at a public monument is wrong, and suddenly it becomes the rule of law.
I suppose this means dance performances at the Kennedy Center are now subject to arrest, too.
Let's dance
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's sway
Under the moonlight the serious moonlight
I'm so honored! But would be more so if y'all would join me. I think we'll have a FEW more people than last time:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150453268357946
And it's going global!!! Check the list in the description!!!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=223494474345551
on the cusp of a new social revolution in america, adam kokesh is the 06.02.11 biggyAward winner for justice: http://littlebiggy.org/biggyAwards
I live in Milwaukee, am unemployeed and would love to be more involved and active.
I am a student of history and a constitutionlist. What would I do if I was arrested and could not post bond, bail or hand out in dc till the court date? Also is there a group like the sons of liberty or some other modern day style of organization to be apart of?
There is strength in numbers.
Please let me know.
thank you
Constitutionaly yours,
Jess Bernstein
This is one of the weirdest things that i have read. What is wrong with dancing here. I do not see a problem with it at all.
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